The parasitic worm-derived immunomodulator, ES-62 and its drug-like small molecule analogues exhibit therapeutic potential in a model of chronic asthma

Chronic asthma is associated with persistent lung inflammation and long-term remodelling of the airways that have proved refractory to conventional treatments such as steroids, despite their efficacy in controlling acute airway contraction and bronchial inflammation. As its recent dramatic increase in industrialised countries has not been mirrored in developing regions, it has been suggested that helminth infection may protect humans against developing asthma. Consistent with this, ES-62, an immunomodulator secreted by the parasitic worm Acanthocheilonema viteae, can prevent pathology associated with chronic asthma (cellular infiltration of the lungs, particularly neutrophils and mast cells, mucus hyper-production and airway thickening) in an experimental mouse model. Importantly, ES-62 can act even after airway remodelling has been established, arresting pathogenesis and ameliorating the inflammatory flares resulting from repeated exposure to allergen that are a debilitating feature of severe chronic asthma. Moreover, two chemical analogues of ES-62, 11a and 12b mimic its therapeutic actions in restoring levels of regulatory B cells and suppressing neutrophil and mast cell responses. These studies therefore provide a platform for developing ES-62-based drugs, with compounds 11a and 12b representing the first step in the development of a novel class of drugs to combat the hitherto intractable disorder of chronic asthma

Helping Low-Income Families Manage Childhood Asthma: Solutions for Healthcare & Beyond

Asthma is the most common childhood chronic illness, affecting more than seven million children nationwide. Managing chronic illness in a child is challenging for any family. Among the challenges is constant fear of an acute episode, a complex regimen of medications given daily or many times each day, frequent changes in prescriptions or dosages, coordinating multiple healthcare providers, and helping a child have as "normal" and active a childhood as his/her condition allows. Low-income children of color bear a heavier asthma burden than their white or more affluent peers. Those low-income children who live in urban areas such as Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York are particularly vulnerable. Families with limited resources struggle to provide their children with asthma the support that these children need

Acute severe childhood asthma

Asthma is the most common chronic disease of South African children, affecting 10-20% of the population. Correct treatment of chronic asthma with regular antiinflammatory controller therapy prevents symptoms, asthma exacerbations, hospitalisation and mortality. Modern treatment of asthma focuses on an assessment of asthma control in order to enable the child to lead a normal life by: • Growing and developing normally • Attending school regularly • Sleeping well at night • Participating in sport and activities • Staying out of hospital. With good controller treatment, less acute attacks of severe asthma will take place. However, to ensure fewer hospitalisations and less mortality, optimal treatment of acute attacks by families and health care professionals is critical

Short and long term treatment of asthma with intravenous nutrients

BACKGROUND: Asthma is an increasing problem in this country and others. Although medications for the treatment of asthma abound and are improving, there are inherent risks and side effects with all of them. Intravenous magnesium has been employed in the treatment of acute asthma, but its use has not become universal, nor has it been studied for the treatment of chronic asthma. It is known to be a safe drug with minimal side effects. In this study, the author investigates the use of magnesium and other nutrients in the treatment of both acute and chronic asthma. METHODS: In this non-blinded outcome study, following informed consent, forty-three (43) randomly selected volunteer patients with both acute and chronic asthma were treated with IV infusions described herein. All patients were observed with spirometry 10 minutes post-infusion; two sub-groups of patients were also observed after multiple infusions over a short period of time (less than one month) and a longer period of time (average 5.8 months). Pulmonary function was analyzed by spirometric testing with pre- and post-infusion spirometric measurements with the pre/post group. For longer term (Trend) patients, baseline spirometry measurements were compared to spirometry measurements after patients had received multiple infusions over a period of time. Eight (8) patients were measured for both pre/post and Trend data. RESULTS: The 38 pre-infusion/post-infusion patients with acute and chronic asthma demonstrated an overall average improvement (percentage improvement in percent predicted) of 45%. The 13 patients measured for improvement over time (Trend data, average duration 5.82 months), demonstrated an overall average improvement (percentage improvement in percent predicted) of 57%. Of the 13 patients in the multiple infusion group, 9 patients who received longer-term therapy (average duration of 12.58 months) for chronic asthma demonstrated an overall average improvement of 95% (percentage improvement in percent predicted). CONCLUSION: The use of intravenous treatment with multiple nutrients, including magnesium, for acute and chronic asthma may be of considerable benefit. Pulmonary function improved progressively the longer patients received treatment

Role of antileukotrienes in acute asthma exacerbations

Acute asthma exacerbations are one of the most frequent reasons to visit the emergency department or general practitioner. Although current standard treatments for acute asthma – including supplemental oxygen, short-acting β2-agonists, systemic corticosteroids and anticholinergics – are quite effective in most patients, they are inadequate for rapid and sustained improvement in a significant proportion. The antileukotrienes, a relatively new class of drugs, have a role in the treatment of chronic asthma. Their relatively rapid onset of action after endovenous or oral administration and their additive effect to β2-agonists led to the hypothesis that they might be of benefit in acute asthma. This review examines the efficacy of antileukotrienes in the treatment of acute asthma

Role of antileukotrienes in acute asthma exacerbations

Acute asthma exacerbations are one of the most frequent reasons to visit the emergency department or general practitioner. Although current standard treatments for acute asthma – including supplemental oxygen, short-acting β2-agonists, systemic corticosteroids and anticholinergics – are quite effective in most patients, they are inadequate for rapid and sustained improvement in a significant proportion. The antileukotrienes, a relatively new class of drugs, have a role in the treatment of chronic asthma. Their relatively rapid onset of action after endovenous or oral administration and their additive effect to β2-agonists led to the hypothesis that they might be of benefit in acute asthma. This review examines the efficacy of antileukotrienes in the treatment of acute asthma

Smoking in asthma is associated with elevated levels of corticosteroid resistant sputum cytokines—an exploratory study

<p>Background: Current cigarette smoking is associated with reduced acute responses to corticosteroids and worse clinical outcomes in stable chronic asthma. The mechanism by which current smoking promotes this altered behavior is currently unclear. Whilst cytokines can induce corticosteroid insensitivity in-vitro, how current and former smoking affects airway cytokine concentrations and their responses to oral corticosteroids in stable chronic asthma is unclear.</p> <p>Objectives: To examine blood and sputum cytokine concentrations in never, ex and current smokers with asthma before and after oral corticosteroids.</p> <p>Methods: Exploratory study utilizing two weeks of oral dexamethasone (equivalent to 40 mg/day prednisolone) in 22 current, 21 never and 10 ex-smokers with asthma. Induced sputum supernatant and plasma was obtained before and after oral dexamethasone. 25 cytokines were measured by multiplex microbead system (Invitrogen, UK) on a Luminex platform.</p> <p>Results: Smokers with asthma had elevated sputum cytokine interleukin (IL) -6, -7, and -12 concentrations compared to never smokers with asthma. Few sputum cytokine concentrations changed in response to dexamethasone IL-17 and IFNα increased in smokers, CCL4 increased in never smokers and CCL5 and CXCL10 reduced in ex-smokers with asthma. Ex-smokers with asthma appeared to have evidence of an ongoing corticosteroid resistant elevation of cytokines despite smoking cessation. Several plasma cytokines were lower in smokers wi</p> <p>Conclusion: Cigarette smoking in asthma is associated with a corticosteroid insensitive increase in multiple airway cytokines. Distinct airway cytokine profiles are present in current smokers and never smokers with asthma and could provide an explanatory mechanism for the altered clinical behavior observed in smokers with asthma.</p&gt

Approach to asthma in adults

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes hyper-responsiveness of the bronchial tree, with reversible airflow obstruction. The condition places a significant burden on our healthcare system. Chronic asthma can cause remodelling of the airway. Patients suffering from asthma should be aware of its signs and symptoms, as well as factors that can precipitate an asthmatic attack. Asthma is mostly classified as either acute or chronic. The diagnosis of asthma is based on identification of both a characteristic pattern of  respiratory symptoms and variable expiratory airflow limitation. Treatment is based on how the patient presents, and includes bronchodilators, inhaled corticosteroids and mast cell stabilisers. This article provides an overview of the diagnosis, characterisation and treatment of asthma.Keywords: asthma, bronchodilator, inhaled corticosteroid, β2 agonist, peak expiratory flow, spirometry, SABA, LAB

Asthma is a risk factor for acute chest syndrome and cerebral vascular accidents in children with sickle cell disease

BACKGROUND: Asthma and sickle cell disease are common conditions that both may result in pulmonary complications. We hypothesized that children with sickle cell disease with concomitant asthma have an increased incidence of vaso-occlusive crises that are complicated by episodes of acute chest syndrome. METHODS: A 5-year retrospective chart analysis was performed investigating 48 children ages 3–18 years with asthma and sickle cell disease and 48 children with sickle cell disease alone. Children were matched for age, gender, and type of sickle cell defect. Hospital admissions were recorded for acute chest syndrome, cerebral vascular accident, vaso-occlusive pain crises, and blood transfusions (total, exchange and chronic). Mann-Whitney test and Chi square analysis were used to assess differences between the groups. RESULTS: Children with sickle cell disease and asthma had significantly more episodes of acute chest syndrome (p = 0.03) and cerebral vascular accidents (p = 0.05) compared to children with sickle cell disease without asthma. As expected, these children received more total blood transfusions (p = 0.01) and chronic transfusions (p = 0.04). Admissions for vasoocclusive pain crises and exchange transfusions were not statistically different between cases and controls. SS disease is more severe than SC disease. CONCLUSIONS: Children with concomitant asthma and sickle cell disease have increased episodes of acute chest syndrome, cerebral vascular accidents and the need for blood transfusions. Whether aggressive asthma therapy can reduce these complications in this subset of children is unknown and requires further studies