Comparison of bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine and adenosine and airway inflammation markers in patients with suspected asthma.

Background: Bronchial hyperresponsiveness is usually measured by bronchial challenge test with direct (e.g., methacholine) and indirect (e.

Airway response to chlorine inhalation (bleach) among cleaning workers with and without bronchial hyperresponsiveness.

Background: Symptoms of obstructive lung disease in domestic cleaning staff have been related to the use of bleach and other irritant cleaning products.

Material And Methods: Included in the study were thirteen cleaning employees with work-related asthma-like symptoms, three asthmatic controls and three atopic subjects without bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) who had no exposure to cleaning products. The study protocol consisted of a methacholine test, sputum induction and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide measurement (FENO) both at baseline and 24 hr after a 1-hr inhalation challenge with either placebo or bleach at a concentration of 0.

Characterization of allergens in four South American snake species.

A 55-year-old herpetologist developed rhinitis, asthma, urticaria and anaphylaxis when handling 4 different viper snake venoms. Allergen characterizations were done using SDS-PAGE, IgE immunoblotting and IgE inhibition experiments. The most prominent immunoreactive proteins were analyzed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and peptide identity was demonstrated by homology with known peptide sequences.