Pearls and pitfalls of bathing in atopic dermatitis.

The latest guidelines of the American Academy of Dermatology suggest bathing as an advantageous nonpharmacologic intervention for regular skin care of patients with atopic dermatitis. Regular bathing with water can hydrate the skin, remove scale, crust, irritants, and allergens, enhance penetration of topical agents, and potentially reduce bacterial colonization. However, it is still unclear whether the addition of oils, emollients, and other additives to bath water may produce further benefits for the management of atopic dermatitis.

Immune regulatory cytokines in the milk of lactating women from farming and urban environments.

Children living on farms have fewer allergies. It is unclear whether breastfeeding in different environments contributes to preventing allergies by exposing offspring to different cytokines that can modulate immune responses. The aim of this study was to quantify and compare levels of Transforming Growth Factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and Interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the colostrum and mature milk of mothers living in towns at sea level (references) and mothers on farms.

Transforming growth factor-beta is elevated in unpasteurized cow's milk.

Unpasteurized milk consumption was associated with less atopy prevalence. Not only microbial load but also fatty acids and cytokines such as transforming growth factor-beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)) may play a role on the effect of unpasteurized milk. Levels of TGF-beta(1) in different cow's milk samples were evaluated: we consider raw unpasteurized milk before and after boiling, commercial pasteurized and micro-filtrated cow's milk and different commercially available cow's milk formulas.

Nasal nitric oxide for early diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia: practical issues in children.

Background: Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a genetic disease characterized by abnormally beating cilia. In these patients, levels of nasal nitric oxide (nNO) are lower than those observed in healthy subjects.

Objectives: We identify the nNO levels in healthy pre-school uncooperative children and in PCD patients, in order the application of nNO measurement in the early identification of young children with PCD.

Exhaled nitric oxide daily evaluation is effective in monitoring exposure to relevant allergens in asthmatic children.

Background: Though asthma is an airway inflammatory disease, the assessment of treatment efficacy is mainly based on symptom monitoring and the evaluation of lung function parameters. This study was aimed to evaluate the feasibility of exhaled nitric oxide monitoring in allergic asthmatic children who were exposed to relevant allergens in their homes.

Methods: Twenty-two children allergic to mites underwent twice-daily fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) therapy using a portable device (NIOX MINO; Aerocrine AB; Stockholm, Sweden) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) measurements before, during, and after periods of natural exposure to mite allergens.

Azithromycin reduces bronchial hyperresponsiveness and neutrophilic airway inflammation in asthmatic children: a preliminary report.

Macrolide antibiotics have immunomodulatory effects that may be beneficial to patients with chronic inflammatory pulmonary conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of azithromycin on lung function, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), and airway inflammation in asthmatic children. Sixteen asthmatic children were treated with either azithromycin or placebo for 8 weeks.