Cost-effectiveness of clean air administered to the breathing zone in allergic asthma.

Introduction: Airsonett Airshower (AA) is a novel non-pharmaceutical treatment for patients with perennial allergic asthma that uses a laminar airflow directed to the breathing zone of patients during sleep. It has been shown that AA treatment in addition to optimized standard therapy significantly increases asthma-related quality of life among adolescent asthmatics. However, the cost-effectiveness of AA treatment has not yet been assessed.

Validation of an algorithm for chronic periodontitis risk assessment and prognostication: analysis of an inflammatory reactivity test and selected risk predictors.

Background: Patients with severe forms of chronic periodontitis present with varying degrees of decreased inflammatory reactivity. A previously reported algorithm for chronic periodontitis risk assessment and prognostication is based on the analysis of some 20 risk predictors. One of these predictors is a skin provocation test that assesses the individual patient's reactivity to a lipid A challenge.

Validation of an algorithm for chronic periodontitis risk assessment and prognostication: risk predictors, explanatory values, measures of quality, and clinical use.

Background: The American Academy of Periodontology has recently stated that, "[risk assessment will become] increasingly important in periodontal treatment planning and should be part of every comprehensive dental and periodontal evaluation." (J Periodontol 2006;77:1608). Unaided risk assessment and prognostication show significant variability because chronic periodontitis is a multifactorial disease.

Why are some children with early onset of asthma getting better over the years?--diagnostic failure or salutogenetic factors.

Among children earlier having been identified with a hospital or primary care diagnosis of asthma at least once between 0-7 years of age, almost 40 % of their parents reported in the ISAAC-questionnaire as never having had asthma (NA). These are further analysed and compared with the persisting asthma cases (A) in this study. All these children's medical records were scrutinized concerning their asthma diagnose retrospectively.

Apoptotic eosinophils in sputum from asthmatic patients correlate negatively with levels of IL-5 and eotaxin.

Background: Eosinophilic inflammation of the airways is a key characteristic of asthma. A defect in eosinophil apoptosis might contribute to the chronic tissue eosinophilia associated with asthma.

Objective: Our purpose was to examine whether the occurrence of apoptotic eosinophils in induced sputum from asthmatic patients correlate with interleukin (IL)-5 and eotaxin.

The impact of repeated spirometry and smoking cessation advice on smokers with mild COPD.

Background: Smoking cessation is the most important therapeutic intervention in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and the health benefits are immediate and substantial. Major efforts have been made to develop methods with high smoking cessation rates.

Objectives: To study whether a combination of spirometry and brief smoking cessation advice to smokers with COPD, annually for three years, increased their smoking cessation rate in comparison with groups of smokers with normal lung function.

Bronchial hyper-responsiveness predicts the development of mild clinical asthma within 2 yr in school children with hay-fever.

In children with mild asthma, symptoms are not always apparent. Therefore, results of tests play an important role for the diagnosis. First, to investigate whether children with bronchial hyper-responsiveness (BHR) but no symptoms of asthma in 1992 had developed clinical asthma at follow up in 1994.

Clinically diagnosed childhood asthma and follow-up of symptoms in a Swedish case control study.

Background: Childhood asthma has risen dramatically not only in the western societies and now forms a major and still increasing public health problem. The aims of this study were to follow up at the age of ten the patterns of asthma symptoms and associations among children with a clinically diagnosed asthma in a sizeable urban-rural community and to in compare them with demographic controls using a standardised questionnaire.

Methods: In a defined region in Sweden with a population of about 150,000 inhabitants, all children (n = 2,104) born in 1990 were recorded.

Prevalence and incidence of asthma related to waist circumference and BMI in a Swedish community sample.

Both asthma and obesity have become more common in affluent societies during the recent decades and several studies have shown a correlation between the presence of asthma and obesity. In order to further study this association we have investigated a population from a community in southern Sweden, where almost all inhabitants had their body indices measured as part of a study on diabetes at a primary care centre. An asthma unit working with a structured care programme for asthma was available.

Voice problems as side effects of inhaled corticosteroids in asthma patients--a prevalence study.

Voice disturbances in asthma patients may be caused by inhaled corticosteroids. In order to study the prevalence of such voice disturbances, a questionnaire was delivered to asthma patients at three asthma and allergy departments in Stockholm. The questionnaire consisted of 25 questions concerning the asthma disease symptoms, medication, voice function, and voice disturbances.

Early detection of COPD in primary care: screening by invitation of smokers aged 40 to 55 years.

Background: The incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is increasing in developed countries, as is the mortality rate. The main cause of COPD is smoking, and COPD is usually diagnosed at a late stage.

Aim: To evaluate a method to detect COPD at an early stage in smokers in a young age group (40-55 years).