Publications by authors named "W Backaert"
There is growing evidence that neurogenic inflammation contributes to the pathophysiology of upper airway diseases, with nasal hyperreactivity (NHR) being a key symptom. The rare neuroendocrine cells (NECs) in the epithelium have been linked to the pathophysiology of bronchial and intestinal hyperreactivity, however their presence in the nasal mucosa and their potential role in NHR remains unclear. Therefore, we studied the presence of NECs in the nasal epithelium of controls, allergic rhinitis patients and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps patients, and their link to NHR.
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- Nasal hyperreactivity (NHR) is common in chronic upper airway conditions like allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, primarily driven by type 2 inflammation.
- In a study involving 18 healthy controls and 45 patients, cold dry air provocation tests showed that NHR significantly reduced nasal airflow in patients, correlating subjective experiences with objective measurements.
- Findings suggest that NHR varies in severity and is influenced by factors like neurogenic inflammation and increased histamine levels, indicating a spectrum of reactivity rather than a simple presence or absence.
We present a protocol for the rapid postmortem bedside procurement of selected tissue samples using an endoscopic endonasal surgical technique that we adapted from skull base surgery. We describe steps for the postmortem collection of blood, cerebrospinal fluid, a nasopharyngeal swab, and tissue samples; the clean-up procedure; and the initial processing and storage of the samples. This protocol was validated with tissue samples procured postmortem from COVID-19 patients and can be applied in another emerging infectious disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The skin prick test (SPT) is the gold standard for identifying allergic sensitization in individuals suspected of having an inhalant allergy. Recently, it was demonstrated that SPT using a novel skin prick automated test (SPAT) device showed increased reproducibility and tolerability compared to the conventional SPT, among other benefits.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate prick location bias using the novel SPAT device.