Validity of the Common Cold Questionnaire (CCQ) in Asthma Exacerbations

Background: The common cold questionnaire (CCQ) is used to discriminate those with and without a viral infection. Its usefulness in people with acute asthma is unknown. Our aim was to asess the ability of the CCQ to detect viral infection and to monitor recovery during a viral induced asthma exacerbation and confirmed by virological testing. Methodology/Principal Findings: We studied subjects (≥7 yrs) admitted to hospital with acute asthma and diagnosed as positive (n=63), or negative to viral infection (n=27) according to molecular and virological testing from respiratory samples. CCQ asthma history and asthma control questionaire were completed and repeated 4-6 weeks later. Sensitivity specificity, and response to change of the CCQ were assessed by receiver operator curve (ROC) analysis and effect size calculation respectively. The CCQ did not discriminate between viral and non-viral infection for subjects with asthma (sensitivity = 76.2%; specificity = 29.6%). ROC analysis could not differentiate between positive or negative virus in subjects with asthma. The CCQ had a large responce to change following recovery (effect size = 1.01). 39% of subjects recovering from viral exacerbation remained positive to virological testing at follow-up despite improvement in clinical symptoms. The CCQ reflected clinical improvement in these subjects, thus providing additional information to complement virological testing. Conclusions/Significance: The CCQ is a useful instrument for monitorong response to viral infection in people with asthma. Reliable differentiation between viral and non-viral asthma exacerbations was not achieved with the CCQ and requires specific virological testing. When combined with virological testing, the CCQ should be a useful outcome measure for evaluating therapies in viral-induced asthma

Can the understory affect the Hymenoptera parasitoids in a Eucalyptus plantation?

The understory in forest plantations can increase richness and diversity of natural enemies due to greater plant species richness. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the presence of the understory and climatic season in the region (wet or dry) can increase the richness and abundance of Hymenoptera parasitoids in Eucalyptus plantations, in the municipality of Belo Oriente, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. In each eucalyptus cultivation (five areas of cultivation) ten Malaise traps were installed, five with the understory and five without it. A total of 9,639 individuals from 30 families of the Hymenoptera parasitoids were collected, with Mymaridae, Scelionidae, Encyrtidae and Braconidae being the most collected ones with 4,934, 1,212, 619 and 612 individuals, respectively. The eucalyptus stands with and without the understory showed percentage of individuals 45.65% and 54.35% collected, respectively. The understory did not represent a positive effect on the overall abundance of the individuals Hymenoptera in the E. grandis stands, but rather exerted a positive effect on the specific families of the parasitoids of this order

Mouse models of rhinovirus-induced disease and exacerbation of allergic airway inflammation

Rhinoviruses cause serious morbidity and mortality as the major etiological agents of asthma exacerbations and the common cold. A major obstacle to understanding disease pathogenesis and to the development of effective therapies has been the lack of a small-animal model for rhinovirus infection. Of the 100 known rhinovirus serotypes, 90% (the major group) use human intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) as their cellular receptor and do not bind mouse ICAM-1; the remaining 10% (the minor group) use a member of the low-density lipoprotein receptor family and can bind the mouse counterpart. Here we describe three novel mouse models of rhinovirus infection: minor-group rhinovirus infection of BALB/c mice, major-group rhinovirus infection of transgenic BALB/c mice expressing a mouse-human ICAM-1 chimera and rhinovirus-induced exacerbation of allergic airway inflammation. These models have features similar to those observed in rhinovirus infection in humans, including augmentation of allergic airway inflammation, and will be useful in the development of future therapies for colds and asthma exacerbations

Viruses exacerbating chronic pulmonary disease: the role of immune modulation

Chronic pulmonary diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality and their impact is expected to increase in the future. Respiratory viruses are the most common cause of acute respiratory infections and it is increasingly recognized that respiratory viruses are a major cause of acute exacerbations of chronic pulmonary diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis. There is now increasing evidence that the host response to virus infection is dysregulated in these diseases and a better understanding of the mechanisms of abnormal immune responses has the potential to lead to the development of new therapies for virus-induced exacerbations. The aim of this article is to review the current knowledge regarding the role of viruses and immune modulation in chronic pulmonary diseases and discuss avenues for future research and therapeutic implications

Hymenoptera “parasitica” no estado do Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil

A checklist composed of 105 species of parasitic Hymenoptera, which includes the non-aculeate Apocrita, recorded in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), Brazil, is presented. A new list, containing 153 genera obtained in recent surveys is also presented; out of these 131 are new records. The major knowledge gaps for these organisms in the State and the prospects for future studies for these organisms are discussed. © 2017, Fundacao Zoobotanica do Rio Grande do Sul. All rights reserved

Tbet Deficiency Causes T Helper Cell Dependent Airways Eosinophilia and Mucus Hypersecretion in Response to Rhinovirus Infection

Current understanding of adaptive immune, particularly T cell, responses to human rhinoviruses (RV) is limited. Memory T cells are thought to be of a primarily T helper 1 type, but both T helper 1 and T helper 2 memory cells have been described, and heightened T helper 2/ lessened T helper 1 responses have been associated with increased RV-induced asthma exacerbation severity. We examined the contribution of T helper 1 cells to RV-induced airways inflammation using mice deficient in the transcription factor T-Box Expressed In T Cells (Tbet), a critical controller of T helper 1 cell differentiation. Using flow cytometry we showed that Tbet deficient mice lacked the T helper 1 response of wild type mice and instead developed mixed T helper 2/T helper 17 responses to RV infection, evidenced by increased numbers of GATA binding protein 3 (GATA-3) and RAR-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt), and interleukin-13 and interleukin-17A expressing CD4+ T cells in the lung. Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) and interleukin-10 expressing T cell numbers were unaffected. Tbet deficient mice also displayed deficiencies in lung Natural Killer, Natural Killer T cell and γδT cell responses, and serum neutralising antibody responses. Tbet deficient mice exhibited pronounced airways eosinophilia and mucus production in response to RV infection that, by utilising a CD4+ cell depleting antibody, were found to be T helper cell dependent. RV induction of T helper 2 and T helper 17 responses may therefore have an important role in directly driving features of allergic airways disease such as eosinophilia and mucus hypersecretion during asthma exacerbations