Related Articles Induced sputum and exhaled nitric oxide as noninvasive markers of airway inflammation from work exposures.
Related Articles Increased expression of ADAM33 and ADAM8 with disease progression in asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007 Mar 3; Authors: Foley SC, Mogas AK, Olivenstein R, Fiset PO, Chakir J, Bourbeau J, Ernst P, Lemière C, Martin JG, Hamid Q
Related Articles A systematic review of the diagnosis of occupational asthma. Chest. 2007 Feb;131(2):569-78 Authors: Beach J, Russell K, Blitz S, Hooton N, Spooner C, Lemiere C, Tarlo SM, Rowe BH
Related Articles New insights into occupational asthma. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007 Feb;7(1):96-101 Authors: Boulet LP, Lemière C, Gautrin D, Cartier A PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To examine recent publications on the types of agents involved in occupational asthma, the mechanisms by which they induce asthma, and how best to evaluate and treat workers suspected of this respiratory condition. RECENT FINDINGS: High rates of occupational asthma and inhalation accidents were found in workers in crafts and related occupations in the manufacturing industries, and in plant and machine operatives; cleaners and construction workers may also be at risk. Further data support a role for CD4 T cells in low-molecular-weight agent-induced asthma, such as with isocyanates, and neurogenic mechanisms may also be involved. The use of noninvasive measures of airway inflammation in the diagnosis and management of occupational asthma such as sputum eosinophils monitoring is promising, although this is less obvious for exhaled nitric oxide. Finally, the persistence of troublesome asthma even after withdrawal from relevant exposure has been re-emphasized and surveillance programs have been proposed. SUMMARY: Further data have been gathered on the prevalence of occupational asthma in various working populations, its mechanisms of development, the contribution of noninvasive measures of airway inflammation in the diagnosis and management of this condition, and its management and prevention.
Related Articles Assessment of impairment/disability due to occupational asthma through a multidimensional approach. Eur Respir J. 2006 Dec 20;
Related Articles Airway inflammation assessed by invasive and noninvasive means in severe asthma: Eosinophilic and noneosinophilic phenotypes. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006 Nov;118(5):1033-9 Authors: Lemière C, Ernst P, Olivenstein R, Yamauchi Y, Govindaraju K, Ludwig MS, Martin JG, Hamid Q BACKGROUND: Airway inflammation assessed by bronchial biopsies demonstrates distinct eosinophilic and noneosinophilic phenotypes in severe asthma, but their relationship to other biomarkers of disease (induced sputum and nitric oxide [NO]) is not clear. OBJECTIVES: We sought to compare airway inflammation using noninvasive (induced sputum, exhaled NO), and invasive (bronchial biopsies) methods in moderate and severe asthma and to assess whether induced sputum and exhaled NO would allow the identification of eosinophilic and noneosinophilic phenotypes in severe asthma. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study of 32 subjects with severe asthma and 35 subjects with moderate asthma, from whom we obtained bronchial biopsies, induced sputum, and exhaled NO measurements. RESULTS: Among subjects with severe asthma, we identified eosinophilic and noneosinophilic phenotypes using both bronchial biopsies and sputum cell counts. However, the vast majority of subjects with high sputum eosinophil counts did not have high mucosal eosinophil counts. Exhaled NO was increased in the eosinophilic phenotype as judged from bronchial biopsy findings, but not on the basis of induced sputum. Subjects with high sputum eosinophil counts experienced more asthma exacerbations than the subjects with low sputum eosinophil counts. In contrast, we did not find any differences in the clinical characteristics between eosinophilic and noneosinophilic phenotypes that were identified by bronchial biopsies. CONCLUSION: The use of sputum cell counts allowed the identification of a subgroup of subjects with severe asthma who were at risk of more frequent asthma exacerbations. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Monitoring sputum eosinophil counts in subjects with severe asthma may allow identifying the subjects with the greatest disease activity.
Related Articles Differences in proteoglycan deposition in the airway of moderate and severe asthmatics. Eur Respir J. 2006 Oct 18;
Related Articles Impact of CPAP on asthmatic patients with sleep apnoea. Eur Respir J. 2006 Oct 18; Authors: Lafond C, Sériès F, Lemière C
Related Articles [Use of induced sputum in the investigation of occupational asthma]
Related Articles Persistence, adherence, and effectiveness of combination therapy among adult patients with asthma.
Related Articles Diagnosing occupational asthma: insight from induced sputum.
Related Articles Outcome of subjects diagnosed with occupational asthma and work-aggravated asthma after removal from exposure.
Related Articles Predictors of loss of asthma control induced by corticosteroid withdrawal.
Related Articles Smoking and asthma: clinical and radiologic features, lung function, and airway inflammation.
Related Articles Increased glucocorticoid receptor-beta expression, but not decreased histone deacetylase 2, in severe asthma.
Related Articles Determining asthma treatment by monitoring sputum cell counts: effect on exacerbations.
Related Articles Validity of asthma diagnoses recorded in the Medical Services database of Quebec.
Related Articles What are the questionnaire items most useful in identifying subjects with occupational asthma?
Related Articles Occupational asthma due to bethabara wood dust.
Related Articles Occupational eosinophilic bronchitis.
Related Articles Differences in airway remodeling between subjects with severe and moderate asthma.
Related Articles Are inhaled corticosteroids taken during pregnancy harmless?
Related Articles Summary of recommendations from the Canadian Asthma Consensus guidelines, 2003.
Related Articles Are psychiatric disorders associated with worse asthma control and quality of life in asthma patients?
Related Articles Asthma caused by cyanoacrylate used in a leisure activity.
Related Articles Clinical features and airway inflammation in mild asthma versus asymptomatic airway hyperresponsiveness.
Related Articles Cigarette smoking and asthma: a dangerous mix.
Related Articles Steroid naive eosinophilic asthma: anti-inflammatory effects of fluticasone and montelukast.
Related Articles A cohort study showed that health insurance databases were accurate to distinguish chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from asthma and classify disease severity.
Related Articles Leukotrienes and isocyanate-induced asthma: a pilot study.