The prevalence and identity of Chlamydia-specific IgE in children with asthma and other chronic respiratory symptoms.

Background: Recent studies have confirmed the presence of viable Chlamydia in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of pediatric patients with airway hyperresponsiveness. While specific IgG and IgM responses to C. pneumoniae are well described, the response and potential contribution of Ag-specific IgE are not known.

Colonization of paediatric lower respiratory tract with genital Mycoplasma species.

Background And Objective: Recently, much attention has been given to the possible role played by pathogens that colonize neonatal or paediatric airway and their potential involvement in chronic respiratory disease. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the prevalence of Mycoplasma organisms in the BAL fluid of paediatric patients suffering from a variety of chronic respiratory diseases to determine if there was any clear disease association with bacterial presence.

Methods: We examined 319 paediatric BAL samples for the presence of M.

Infectious Chlamydia pneumoniae is associated with elevated interleukin-8 and airway neutrophilia in children with refractory asthma.

Background: Neutrophilic asthma is thought to be less responsive than eosinophilic asthma to anti-inflammatory therapies including corticosteroids. Chlamydia pneumoniae has been implicated in asthma, possibly by induction of interleukin (IL-8). We hypothesized that IL-8 is increased in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from children with asthma and C.

The bronchial lavage of pediatric patients with asthma contains infectious Chlamydia.

There has been a worldwide increase in the incidence of asthma, and the disease has greatly impacted the public health care system. Chlamydia pneumoniae has been reported as a possible contributing factor in asthma. The organism has been detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in bronchial tissue, but there has been no direct evidence of viability.

Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication for reactive airway disease.

Background: Surgical management for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)-induced reactive airway disease in children has been shown to be superior to medical therapy. Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication is a safe and effective procedure in children.

Methods: The authors performed a retrospective review of 24 patients who underwent a laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication for documented GERD and reactive airway disease.