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Increased nasal Streptococcus pneumoniae presence in Western environment associated with allergic conditions in Chinese immigrants

Chinese immigrants living in Australia experience increased allergic conditions: asthma, eczema, hay fever and wheeze. Recently we reported diminished innate cytokine responses in long-term immigrants, potentially increasing their pathogenic viral load and microbial carriage. We hypothesise that a Western environment changes the nasal microbiome profile, and this altered profile may be associated with the development of allergic conditions. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to examine the loading of viral and microbial respiratory pathogens in the upper airway.

Pulmonary microRNA profiles identify involvement of Creb1 and Sec14l3 in bronchial epithelial changes in allergic asthma

In this study, we aimed to use microRNAs-which are critical regulators of signaling cascades-to identify so far uncharacterized asthma pathogenesis pathways

Protocol for a study of the psychosocial determinants of health in early childhood among children with cystic fibrosis

This protocol outlines the study aims to investigate the causal effect of psychosocial functioning, parenting and attachment on physical health outcomes in...

Conservation of gene expression patterns between the amniotic and nasal epithelium at birth

Amniotic epithelial cells are fetal-derived stem cells, capable of differentiating into all three germ layers, including mature epithelial cell populations. Here, we hypothesised that the amniotic epithelium might serve as a surrogate tissue source for investigating transcriptional profiles in the respiratory epithelium of newborns.

LPS binding protein and activation signatures are upregulated during asthma exacerbations in children

Asthma exacerbations in children are associated with respiratory viral infection and atopy, resulting in systemic immune activation and infiltration of immune cells into the airways. The gene networks driving the immune activation and subsequent migration of immune cells into the airways remains incompletely understood. Cellular and molecular profiling of PBMC was employed on paired samples obtained from atopic asthmatic children during acute virus-associated exacerbations and later during convalescence.

Bacterial Reservoirs in the Middle Ear of Otitis-prone Children Are Associated With Repeat Ventilation Tube Insertion

Presence of bacterial otopathogen in the middle ear during ventilation tube insertion was a predictor of children at-risk of repeat ventilation tube insertion

Evidence of functional cell-mediated immune responses to nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae in otitis-prone children

These data provide evidence that otitis-prone children do not have impaired functional cell mediated immunity

Otitis-prone children produce functional antibodies to pneumolysin and pneumococcal polysaccharides

The production of functional antipneumococcal antibodies in otitisprone children demonstrates that they respond to the current pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)and are likely to respond to pneumolysin-based vaccines as effectively as healthy children.

Improved diagnosis, treatment and prevention of recurrent tonsillitis

Strep A causes over 775 million infections each year world-wide, including over 615 million cases of tonsil infection (Strep throat).

High tidal volume ventilation is not deleterious in infant rats exposed to severe hemorrhage

Both high tidal volume (V(T)) ventilation and hemorrhage induce acute lung injury in adult rodents. It is not known whether injurious ventilation augments lung