Type 2-High Severe Asthma with and without Bronchiectasis: A Prospective Observational Multicentre Study.

Introduction: Type 2-high severe asthma (T2-SA) is often associated with several comorbidities. To this extent, the coexistence of T2-SA and bronchiectasis (BE) is considered an emerging phenotype.

Methods: We performed a prospective observational multicentre study, including T2-SA patients.

Preventive and therapeutic effects of thymosin β4 N-terminal fragment Ac-SDKP in the bleomycin model of pulmonary fibrosis.

In this study, the bleomycin model of pulmonary fibrosis was utilized to investigate putative anti-fibrotic activity of Ac-SDKP in vivo. Male CD-1 mice received intra-tracheal bleomycin (BLEO, 1 mg/kg) instillation in the absence or presence of Ac-SDKP (a dose of 0.6 mg/kg delivered intra-peritoneally on the day of BLEO treatment, d0, followed by bi-weekly additional doses).

Protective effects of thymosin β4 in a mouse model of lung fibrosis.

Thymosin β4 (Tβ4) has been found to have several biological activities related to antiscarring and reduced fibrosis. For example, the anti-inflammatory properties of Tβ4 and its splice variant have been shown in the eye and skin. Moreover, Tβ4 treatment prevents profibrotic gene expression in cardiac and in hepatic cells in vitro and in vivo.

Resveratrol inhibits transforming growth factor-β-induced proliferation and differentiation of ex vivo human lung fibroblasts into myofibroblasts through ERK/Akt inhibition and PTEN restoration.

The authors investigated the role of resveratrol (RV), a natural poliphenolic molecule with several biological activities, in transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-induced proliferation and differentiation of ex vivo human pulmonary fibroblasts into myofibroblasts. The effects of RV treatment were evaluated by analyzing TGF-β-induced α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression and collagen production, as well as cell proliferation of both normal and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) lung fibroblasts. Results demonstrate that RV inhibits TGF-β-induced cell proliferation of both normal and pathological lung fibroblasts, attenuates α-SMA expression at both the mRNA and protein levels, and also inhibits intracellular collagen deposition.

The effect of fexofenadine on expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and induction of apoptosis on peripheral eosinophils.

The role of eosinophils in the pathogenesis of allergic disorders has been established by several studies. Recently, it has been suggested that second-generation antihistamines, widely used to relieve allergic symptoms, may have anti-inflammatory effects. To assess the possible anti-inflammatory activity of fexofenadine, a selective H1-receptor antagonist, we evaluated its capacity to modulate the expression of adhesion molecules leukocyte function-associated antigen (LFA) 1 and intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) 1 on eosinophil surface and to induce apoptosis of eosinophils.

Impact of intranasal budesonide on immune inflammatory responses and epithelial remodeling in chronic upper airway inflammation.

Background: Histologic and immunohistologic features of nasal polyps (NP) are similar to those observed in asthma, thus suggesting a similar immunopathology.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to further understand the anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory effects of locally delivered corticosteroids. To this end, the effect of intranasal budesonide on the expression of specific cytokines, lymphocyte subsets, and epithelial remodeling in this model of airway tissue inflammation were studied.