Efficacy of ciclesonide in the treatment of patients with asthma exacerbation.

Introduction: Progressing deterioration of the lung function, dyspnoea, cough, wheezing and chest tightness are the main features of asthma exacerbations. The first step in the prevention of severe asthma exacerbations is to intensify the anti-inflammatory treatment with high doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS).

Aim: To assess the efficacy of ciclesonide in patients who have been losing control of asthma despite being treated with medium doses of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β-agonists (LABA) as the second controller.

Asthma and exercise-induced respiratory disorders in athletes. The position paper of the Polish Society of Allergology and Polish Society of Sports Medicine.

Exercise-induced respiratory symptoms describe acute airway narrowing that occurs as a result of exercise. It includes exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) and exercise-induced asthma (EIA) issues. To provide clinicians with practical guidelines, a multidisciplinary panel of stakeholders was convened to review the pathogenesis of EIB/EIA and to develop evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment.

Changes in blood eosinophilia during omalizumab therapy as a predictor of asthma exacerbation.

Introduction: Omalizumab is a monoclonal anti-immunoglobulin E antibody developed for the treatment of severe allergic asthma. The number of exacerbations used as a parameter of omalizumab therapy efficacy may be insufficient in many cases due to a relatively short time to first evaluation (16 weeks). Therefore, it is advisable to look for parameters of more prognostic value while continuing omalizumab therapy.

Omalizumab treatment in brittle asthma.

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease with variable characteristics such as lung function, symptoms and control, body weight, pattern of inflammation, and response to treatment. Brittle asthma is one of clinical phenotypes of asthma with unclear pathogenic mechanisms and appropriate treatment. Analysis of 2 described cases suggests that omalizumab could be useful in the treatment of brittle allergic asthma.

Inflammatory markers and acid-base equilibrium in exhaled breath condensate of stable and unstable asthma patients.

Background: Nitrosative and acid stress play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether, in asthmatics, a link exists between the concentrations of nitrite/nitrate, ammonia and pH values in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and asthma severity, lung function, exhaled nitric oxide (F(ENO)), total IgE, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and blood eosinophilia.

Methods: The above-mentioned parameters were measured in 19 healthy volunteers and 91 allergic asthmatics divided into three groups, i.

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness and airway inflammation in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Background: Allergic rhinitis is a chronic inflammatory disease induced by an immunoglobulin (Ig) E-mediated reaction after exposure to an allergen. Many patients with allergic rhinitis and no clinical evidence of asthma show a heightened response to histamine.

Objectives: The aims of the study were to measure changes in markers of airway inflammation in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis and estimate changes in bronchial reactivity before and during the pollen season.

Airway inflammation and eotaxin in exhaled breath condensate of patients with severe persistent allergic asthma during omalizumab therapy.

Purpose: The central role of IgE in allergic inflammation in asthma has provided a rationale for the development of omalizumab, the humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of omalizumab treatment on changes in airway inflammatory process and eotaxin in exhaled breath condensate in patients with persistent severe allergic asthma.

Material And Methods: The study was performed on a group of 19 patients with severe persistent allergic asthma treated with conventional therapy (according to GINA 2006) and with or without omalizumab (9 vs 10 patients).

[Statins and asthma].

Statins are drugs widely used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular diseases. They decrease cholesterol synthesis by inhibiting 3-hydroxy-methylglutaryl reductase of coenzyme A (HMG-CoA). It was shown that statins are characterized by a wider spectrum of activity, which was attributed as an extralipid (pleiotropic) one.

Eotaxin in exhaled breath condensate of allergic asthma patients with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

Background: Eosinophils are the key inflammatory cells in asthma, and more and more evidence suggests their crucial role in exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). Eotaxin, as the most important chemotactic factor for eosinophils, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the changes in eotaxin levels in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) following intensive exercise in allergic asthmatics.

Eotaxin-1 in exhaled breath condensate of stable and unstable asthma patients.

Background: Airway eosinophilia is considered a central event in the pathogenesis of asthma. Eotaxin plays a key role in selective eosinophil accumulation in the airways and, subsequently, their activation and degranulation. The study was undertaken to evaluate eotaxin-1 levels in the exhaled breath condensate (EBC) of asthmatics with different degrees of asthma severity and to establish the possible correlation of these measurements with other recognized parameters of airway inflammation.

RANTES in exhaled breath condensate of patients with severe persistent allergic asthma during omalizumab therapy.

Background: Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody developed for the treatment of IgE-mediated diseases, including asthma. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of omalizumab treatment on changes in RANTES in exhaled breath condensate and other inflammatory markers in patients with persistent severe asthma.

Methods: The study was conducted on a group of 19 patients with severe persistent allergic asthma treated with conventional therapy (according to GINA 2006) and with or without omalizumab (9 vs.

Anti-IgE therapy with omalizumab decreases endothelin-1 in exhaled breath condensate of patients with severe persistent allergic asthma.

Background: Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody, especially useful for the treatment of severe persistent allergic asthma, inadequately controlled despite regular therapy.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the effect of omalizumab treatment on changes in endothelin-1 (ET-1), which plays an important role in the development of airway inflammation and remodeling in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in patients with severe asthma.

Methods: The study was conducted in a group of 19 patients with severe persistent allergic asthma treated with conventional therapy (according to the Global Initiative for Asthma, 2006) and with or without omalizumab (9 vs.

Changes in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in serum and exhaled breath condensate after intensive exercise in patients with allergic asthma.

Background: Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in asthmatics depends on the presence of allergic inflammation. This study was performed to assess the possible association of EIB with low-grade systemic inflammation, whose presence was revealed in asthmatic patients.

Methods: The study was conducted in a group of 24 asthmatics (14 with EIB, 10 without EIB) and 8 healthy volunteers.

[The role of interleukin 13 and interleukin 5 in asthma].

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways in which many cells and cellular elements play roles. Interleukins 5 (IL-5) and 13 (IL-13) are cytokines which play important roles in the pathophysiology of asthma. Selective accumulation and activation of eosinophils in the bronchial mucosa is considered a central event in the pathogenesis of asthma.

[Beta-blockers and statins in the context of asthma].

Asthma is a disease with a complex pathogenesis and differentiated clinical picture with airway inflammation in its background. Many cells and cell-released substances are engaged in the course of the disease. The basic treatment strategy in asthma is based on chronic administration of inhaled glucocorticosteroids (with a strong anti-inflammatory effect) and beta2-adrenoreceptor agonists (bronchodilatory effect).

[Significance of C-reactive protein in asthma].

C-reactive protein (CPR) has been showed to be a specific and sensitive marker in diagnosing and monitoring of many inflammatory diseases. High-sensitive CRP is also a useful diagnostic tool to asses subclinical systemic inflammation in circulatory system diseases and diabetes. There is increasing evidence confirming the presence of systemic inflammation in asthma and the possibility of using hs-CRP in diagnosis and treatment monitoring of this disease.

RANTES in exhaled breath condensate of allergic asthma patients with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

Background: The response of asthmatics to exercise differs from that of healthy subjects, and the mechanisms responsible for exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) remain to be elucidated.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in RANTES levels in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) following intensive exercise in allergic asthmatics.

Methods: The study was conducted in a group of 19 asthmatics (11 with EIB and 8 without EIB) and 7 healthy volunteers.

[Anti-IgE therapy in persistent allergic asthma].

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of airways. Approximately 40% of asthma cases can be attributed to atopy. An increased immunoglobulin E (IgE) production is the strongest predisposing factor for the development of asthma.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein in the exhaled breath condensate and serum in stable and unstable asthma.

Background: Asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease. Measurement of serum high- sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels has suggested the involvement of low-grade systemic inflammation in several disorders, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. In recent years, there have been some reports concerning hs-CRP assessment as a useful tool for detecting systemic inflammation in asthma.

Changes in RANTES and beta-thromboglobulin after intensive exercise in patients with allergic asthma.

Background: There is increasing evidence that exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is associated with eosinophilic airway inflammation. In the pathogenesis of EIB the role of chemokines - responsible for promoting the migration and activation of inflammatory cells - as well as blood platelets, a potential source of those chemokines, remains unclear.

Methods: The study was conducted in a group of 19 asthmatics (11 with EIB, 8 without EIB) and 8 healthy volunteers.

Soluble CD40 ligand and soluble P-selectin in allergic asthma patients during exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

Background: The interactions between CD40 and its ligand, CD40L, control humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. CD40 ligation may promote asthma-associated inflammatory responses in the airways. Many reports confirm the inflammatory basis of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in asthmatics.

RANTES in exhaled breath condensate of stable and unstable asthma patients.

RANTES has been implicated in the allergic inflammation of asthma by promoting the migration and activation of the inflammatory cells, including eosinophils. The study was undertaken to evaluate RANTES levels in the exhaled breath condensate (EBC) of asthmatics with different degrees of asthma severity. EBC was collected from 33 patients with allergic asthma (11 with steroid-naïve mild asthma, 10 with ICS-treated, stable mild-to-moderate asthma, 12 with ICS-treated unstable, severe asthma) and seven healthy volunteers.

Endothelin-1 in exhaled breath condensate of stable and unstable asthma patients.

Endothelins are proinflammatory, profibrotic, broncho- and vasoconstrictive peptides, which play an important role in the development of airway inflammation and remodeling in asthma. The study was undertaken to evaluate the endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) of asthmatics with different degree in asthma severity. EBC was collected from 31 patients with allergic asthma (11 with steroid-naïve mild asthma, 10 with ICS-treated, stable mild-to-moderate asthma, 10 with ICS-treated unstable, severe asthma) and 7 healthy volunteers.