This book highlights five different sections of rhinosinusitis, namely allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, dental-related sinusitis, one airway disease, and surgical techniques in sino-nasal diseases. It ...incorporates new clinical and research developments as well as future perspectives in the ever-expanding upper and lower airway problems. I dedicate this book to those who provide continued research, high-quality clinical observations, and care, as well as selfless teaching and publications to advance knowledge in airway problems. ENT surgeons, rhinologists, allergologists, immunologists, pulmonologists, postgraduates, researches, trainees, and general practitioners with special interest in one airway disease will find this book useful and interesting.
Common ragweed is a highly allergenic invasive species in Europe, expected to become widespread under climate change. Allergy to ragweed manifests as eye, nasal and lung symptoms, and children may ...retain these throughout life. The dose-response relationship between symptoms and pollen concentrations is unclear. We undertook a longitudinal study, assessing the association between ragweed pollen concentration and allergic eye, nasal and lung symptoms in children living under a range of ragweed pollen concentrations in Croatia. Over three years, 85 children completed daily diaries, detailing allergic symptoms alongside daily location, activities and medication, resulting in 10,130 individual daily entries. The daily ragweed pollen concentration for the children's locations was obtained, alongside daily weather and air pollution. Parents completed a home/lifestyle/medical questionnaire. Generalised Additive Mixed Models established the relationship between pollen concentrations and symptoms, alongside other covariates. Eye symptoms were associated with mean daily pollen concentration over four days (day of symptoms plus 3 previous days); 61 grains/m3/day (95%CI: 45, 100) was the threshold at which 50% of children reported symptoms. Nasal symptoms were associated with mean daily pollen concentration over 12 days (day of symptoms plus 11 previous days); the threshold for 50% of children reporting symptoms was 40 grains/m3/day (95%CI: 24, 87). Lung symptoms showed a relationship with mean daily pollen concentration over 19 days (day of symptoms plus 18 previous days), with a threshold of 71 grains/m3/day (95%CI: 59, 88). Taking medication on the day of symptoms showed higher odds, suggesting responsive behaviour. Taking medication on the day prior to symptoms showed lower odds of reporting, indicating preventative behaviour. Different symptoms in children demonstrate varying dose-response relationships with ragweed pollen concentrations. Each symptom type responded to pollen exposure over different time periods. Using medication prior to symptoms can reduce symptom presence. These findings can be used to better manage paediatric ragweed allergy symptoms.
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•The dose-response between ragweed concentrations and allergy symptoms is unclear.•We used a longitudinal study to determine daily allergy symptoms in 85 children.•Associations between daily symptoms and ragweed concentrations were examined.•Symptom types showed different non-linear associations with ragweed concentration.•Symptom types responded to pollen exposure over differing time periods.
Allergic diseases are one of the most common chronic conditions and their prevalence is on the rise. Environmental exposure, primarily prenatal and early life influences, affect the risk for the ...development and specific phenotypes of allergic diseases via epigenetic mechanisms. Exposure to pollutants, microorganisms and parasites, tobacco smoke and certain aspects of diet are known to drive epigenetic changes that are essential for immune regulation (e.g., the shift toward T helper 2-Th2 cell polarization and decrease in regulatory T-cell (Treg) differentiation). DNA methylation and histone modifications can modify immune programming related to either pro-allergic interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 13 (IL-13) or counter-regulatory interferon γ (IFN-γ) production. Differential expression of small non-coding RNAs has also been linked to the risk for allergic diseases and associated with air pollution. Certain exposures and associated epigenetic mechanisms play a role in the susceptibility to allergic conditions and specific clinical manifestations of the disease, while others are thought to have a protective role against the development of allergic diseases, such as maternal and early postnatal microbial diversity, maternal helminth infections and dietary supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D. Epigenetic mechanisms are also known to be involved in mediating the response to common treatment in allergic diseases, for example, changes in histone acetylation of proinflammatory genes and in the expression of certain microRNAs are associated with the response to inhaled corticosteroids in asthma. Gaining better insight into the epigenetic regulation of allergic diseases may ultimately lead to significant improvements in the management of these conditions, earlier and more precise diagnostics, optimization of current treatment regimes, and the implementation of novel therapeutic options and prevention strategies in the near future.
The atopic march encompasses a sequence of allergic conditions, including atopic dermatitis, food allergy, allergic rhinitis, and asthma, that frequently develop in a sequential pattern within the ...same individual. It was introduced as a conceptual framework aimed at elucidating the developmental trajectory of allergic conditions during childhood. Following the introduction of this concept, it was initially believed that the atopic march represented the sole and definitive trajectory of the development of allergic diseases. However, this perspective evolved with the emergence of new longitudinal studies, which revealed that the evolution of allergic diseases is far more intricate. It involves numerous immunological pathological mechanisms and may not align entirely with the traditional concept of the atopic march. The objective of our review is to portray the atopic march alongside other patterns in the development of childhood allergic diseases, with a specific emphasis on the potential for a personalized approach to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of atopic conditions.
The prevalence of allergic diseases, including food allergy, is increasing, especially in developed countries. Implementation of an elimination diet is not a sufficient therapeutic strategy in ...patients with food allergy, whose quality of life is significantly impaired. In recent years, new effective therapeutic strategies have been developed, such as the application of oral, sublingual, and epicutaneous immunotherapy. Oral immunotherapy is the most often applied strategy because of its effectiveness and ease of application, with an acceptable safety profile. The effectiveness of oral immunotherapy in patients with egg, cow's milk, and peanut allergy has been proven both in terms of raising of the threshold and the development of tolerance, and in some patients, the development of sustainable unresponsiveness. Although oral immunotherapy is an effective treatment for food allergy, several limitations, including a long duration and a significant rate of reported adverse events, reduces its success. Therefore, new therapeutic options, such as treatment with biologicals, either as combinations with food allergen immunotherapy or as monotherapy with the aim of improving the efficacy and safety of treatment, are being investigated.
Nasal nitric oxide (nNO) is a gas synthesized by the inducible and constitutive NO synthase (NOS) enzyme in the airway cells of the nasal mucosa. Like lung nitric oxide, it is thought to be ...associated with airway inflammation in various respiratory diseases in children. The aim of our review was to investigate the current state of use of nNO measurement in children. A comprehensive search was conducted using the Web of Science and PubMed databases specifically targeting publications in the English language, with the following keywords: nasal NO, children, allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, acute rhinosinusitis, primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), and cystic fibrosis (CF). We describe the use of nNO in pediatric allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, acute rhinosinusitis, PCD, and CF based on the latest literature. nNO is a noninvasive, clinically applicable test for use in pediatric allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, acute rhinosinusitis, PCD, and CF. It can be used as a complementary method in the diagnosis of these respiratory diseases and as a monitoring method for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and acute and chronic rhinosinusitis.
Maternal nutrition and lifestyle in pregnancy are important modifiable factors for both maternal and offspring's health. Although the Mediterranean diet has beneficial effects on health, recent ...studies have shown low adherence in Europe. This study aimed to assess the Mediterranean diet adherence in 266 pregnant women from Dalmatia, Croatia and to investigate their lifestyle habits and regional differences. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed through two Mediterranean diet scores. Differences in maternal characteristics (diet, education, income, parity, smoking, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), physical activity, contraception) with regards to location and dietary habits were analyzed using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. The machine learning approach was used to reveal other potential non-linear relationships. The results showed that adherence to the Mediterranean diet was low to moderate among the pregnant women in this study, with no significant mainland-island differences. The highest adherence was observed among wealthier women with generally healthier lifestyle choices. The most significant mainland-island differences were observed for lifestyle and socioeconomic factors (income, education, physical activity). The machine learning approach confirmed the findings of the conventional statistical method. We can conclude that adverse socioeconomic and lifestyle conditions were more pronounced in the island population, which, together with the observed non-Mediterranean dietary pattern, calls for more effective intervention strategies.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease accompanied by pain and loss of function. Adipose tissue harbors mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC), or medicinal signaling cells as suggested by ...Caplan (Caplan, 2017), used in autologous transplantation in many clinical settings. The aim of the study was to characterize a stromal vascular fraction from microfragmented lipoaspirate (SVF-MLA) applied for cartilage treatment in OA and compare it to that of autologous lipoaspirate (SVF-LA). Samples were first stained using a DuraClone SC prototype tube for the surface detection of CD31, CD34, CD45, CD73, CD90, CD105, CD146 and LIVE/DEAD Yellow Fixable Stain for dead cell detection, followed by DRAQ7 cell nuclear dye staining, and analyzed by flow cytometry. In SVF-LA and SVF-MLA samples, the following population phenotypes were identified within the CD45
fraction: CD31
CD34
CD73
CD90
CD105
CD146
endothelial progenitors (EP), CD31
CD34
CD73
CD90
CD105
CD146
mature endothelial cells, CD31
CD34
CD73
CD90
CD105
CD146
pericytes, CD31-CD34
CD73
CD90
CD105-CD146
transitional pericytes, and CD31
CD34
CD73
CD90
CD105
CD146
supra-adventitial-adipose stromal cells (SA-ASC). The immunophenotyping profile of SVF-MLA was dominated by a reduction of leukocytes and SA-ASC, and an increase in EP, evidencing a marked enrichment of this cell population in the course of adipose tissue microfragmentation. The role of EP in pericyte-primed MSC-mediated tissue healing, as well as the observed hormonal implication, is yet to be investigated.
Children with food allergies are at higher risk for severe anaphylactic reactions and for key nutrient deficiency. In order to address these concerns, enable early detection, and improve the ...monitoring of children with food allergies, an innovative IT platform will be developed by IT experts (IN2 Ltd. Zagreb, Croatia, part of Constellation Software Inc. (Toronto, ON, Canada)) and Srebrnjak Children’s Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia (SCH) for the effective implementation of personalized balanced nutrition in preschool institutions in Croatia. Additionally, the data obtained through this research, including epidemiological data on allergic diseases, clinical data (diagnostic allergy tests and others), anthropometry, and physical activity status, will be used to create a national Allergy registry. Other than being a tool for personalized and balanced nutrition for children, especially those with special dietary requirements (including food allergy and intolerance), the IT platform developed in this study will enable the continuous monitoring of these children as a part of their clinical management plan and earlier detection of food allergies, intolerance, and other conditions, even outside of the healthcare system. This research also aims at optimizing current and developing novel personalized therapeutic regimes, detecting novel early biomarkers in children with food allergies and intolerances, and involving all key stakeholders (caregivers, preschool institutions, etc.) in the shared-care approach in the management of food allergies in children.
Sleep disordered breathing is common in obese people. One of the main characteristics of patients with PWS is excess body weight. In this population study we aimed to investigate the differences in ...sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in overweight and obese children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and obese children.
27 children previously diagnosed with PWS and 24 obese peers, matched by age and gender were recruited and underwent a 12-channel overnight polysomnography (PSG) with oxygen saturation, snoring and body position recorded. Patient (caregiver) reported data on sleep abnormalities and data on other chronic, perinatal and bihevioural conditions were also collected.
Mean apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) was higher in the PWS group than in the control obese children (5.37±7.47 and 1.97±5.35, respectively, p<0.001). REM latency was lower in the PWS group compared to obese controls (89.22 ± 49.92 vs 164.62 ± 91.05, p=0.001). Both the duration of longest apnoeic episodes and the average duration of apnoeic episodes were higher in the PWS group compared to obese controls (21.04 ± 14.78 vs 8.79 ± 5.6, p=0.002 and 12.15 ± 3.13 vs 8.79 ± 5.5, p=0.003, respectively). Total awakeness time and the microarousal index were also higher in the PWS group compared to control obese children (56.59 ± 4.14 vs 29.54 ± 30.67, p=0.002 and 3.45 ± 3.55 vs 2.36 ± 1.49, p=0.046, respectively). Both average and lowest oxygen saturation rates were lower in children with PWS compared to obese controls (96.16 ± 1.55 vs 97.87 ± 2.11, p=0.002 and 84.74 ± 5.67 vs 88.87 ± 4.63, p= 0.007). Slow wave sleep time was also significantly lower in the PWS group compared to obese controls (24.20 ± 7.75 vs 30.07 ± 6.93, p=0.003). Parent/caregiver reported.
SDB was more common in children with PWS, suggesting that the aetiology of SDB in patients with PWS is multifactorial, likely related to the clinical manifestations of the syndrome and cannot be attributed solely to obesity.
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