Nasal secretions trace epithelial type 2 response to allergen-specific immunotherapy.

Background: Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is a disease-modifying therapy and is effective to reduce the symptoms of grass pollen-allergy. The airway epithelium of these patients releases inflammatory mediators including type-2 cytokines, which are associated with cellular processes involved in the symptomatic response of the affected tissue. Aim of the study was to identify epithelial biomarkers indicating AIT progress.

Mild COVID-19 imprints a long-term inflammatory eicosanoid- and chemokine memory in monocyte-derived macrophages.

Monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) drive the inflammatory response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and they are a major source of eicosanoids in airway inflammation. Here we report that MDM from SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals with mild disease show an inflammatory transcriptional and metabolic imprint that lasts for at least 5 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. MDM from convalescent SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals showed a downregulation of pro-resolving factors and an increased production of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids, particularly 5-lipoxygenase-derived leukotrienes.

Early reduction of SARS-CoV-2-replication in bronchial epithelium by kinin B receptor antagonism.

SARS-CoV-2 has evolved to enter the host via the ACE2 receptor which is part of the kinin-kallikrein pathway. This complex pathway is only poorly understood in context of immune regulation but critical to control infection. This study examines SARS-CoV-2-infection and epithelial mechanisms of the kinin-kallikrein-system at the kinin B receptor level in SARS-CoV-2-infection that is of direct translational relevance.

Sputum microRNA-screening reveals Prostaglandin EP3 receptor as selective target in allergen-specific immunotherapy.

Background: Several microRNAs (miRs) have been described as potential biomarkers in liquid biopsies and in the context of allergic asthma, while therapeutic effects on the airway expression of miRs remain elusive. In this study, we investigated epigenetic miR-associated mechanisms in the sputum of grass pollen-allergic patients with and without allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT).

Methods: Induced sputum samples of healthy controls (HC), AIT-treated and -untreated grass pollen-allergic rhinitis patients with (AA) and without asthma (AR) were profiled using miR microarray and whole-transcriptome microarray analysis of the same samples.

Occupational rhinitis.

Occupational rhinitis (OR) has so far received little attention even though it shares common pathophysiological features and trigger factors and is closely associated with occupational asthma (OA). Work-related exposure to certain substances, such as animal dander, is considered to be the main factor for the development of OR. The new EAACI definition of OR stresses the causal relationship between workplace exposure and onset of rhinitis symptoms as opposed to previous definitions that mainly focused on a temporal relationship between workplace exposure and occurrence of nasal symptoms.

X-ray microanalysis of cryopreserved human skin to study the effect of iontophoresis on percutaneous ion transport.

Purpose: To study at the ultrastructural level which part of the skin is associated with percutaneous iodide transport by passive diffusion and iontophoresis.

Methods: Following passive diffusion or iontophoresis of iodide, the morphology and the ion distribution of the skin was preserved by rapid freezing. The skin was kept frozen until and during examination by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray microanalysis (XRMA).

Characterization of the stratum corneum lipid matrix using fluorescence spectroscopy.

Using fluorescence techniques, we studied the dynamics of the lipid bilayer matrix of human stratum corneum (SC) and compared the results with that of distearoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DSPC). We employed a series of 9-anthroyloxy fatty acids (AF) that partitioned into the bilayer, enabling us to evaluate this structure as a function of depth within the lamellae. With AF probes, the re-orientation of the fluorophore is known to be affected by the polarity, hydrogen bonding, and rigidity of the surrounding medium, altering the emission maximum and lifetime in the excited state.

The influence of an electric field on ion and water accessibility to stratum corneum lipid lamellae.

Purpose: To study ion transport through stratum corneum (SC) lipid lamellae under passive and iontophoretic conditions.

Methods: Iodide ion transport was measured by fluorescence quenching. Since the process involves diffusion of an iodide ion to the fluorophore located within the SC lamellae, the accessibility of iodide ions was measured.