Understanding the outcomes of a home nursing programme for patients with epidermolysis bullosa: an Australian perspective.

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) consists of a spectrum of genodermatoses characterised by skin fragility and various degrees of skin and mucous membrane blistering. Minimal trauma and friction can cause extensive blistering in patients with EB, resulting in a number of complications. However, wound management is the main challenge for these patients because of a high risk of infection, fluid loss and potential development of aggressive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

A cross-sectional study of patterns of airway dysfunction, symptoms and morbidity in primary care asthma.

Background: Most patients with asthma are managed exclusively in primary care. Little is known about the patterns of airway dysfunction in these patients and how these relate to other aspects of the disease.

Aims: We set out to assess this in a cross-sectional study of 262 patients.

Mannitol and AMP do not induce bronchoconstriction in eosinophilic bronchitis: further evidence for dissociation between airway inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness.

Background And Objective: Eosinophilic bronchitis (EB) shares many pathological features with asthma. However, patients with EB do not develop the characteristic physiological abnormalities of asthma: variable airflow obstruction and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) to a direct bronchial challenge with methacholine. Indirect bronchial challenges with AMP and mannitol are dependent on the presence of airway inflammation, and positive in 10% of asthmatic subjects who have a negative response to methacholine.

Vascular remodeling is a feature of asthma and nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis.

Rationale: Increased vascularity and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are recognized features of the asthmatic airway. The association of vascular remodeling with airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is unclear.

Objective: To assess vascular remodeling and sputum VEGF concentration in subjects with asthma, subjects with nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis (EB), and healthy controls.

Detection of an activating c-kit mutation by real-time PCR in patients with anaphylaxis.

A well-characterised gain-of-function point mutation within exon 17 of the c-kit proto-oncogene known as Asp816Val is present in patients with mastocytosis. Activation of mast cells through this receptor primes them for IgE-dependent activation, and patients with mastocytosis are at increased risk of anaphylaxis. We hypothesised that the Asp816Val mutation is associated with a history of anaphylaxis in the general population.