Siglec-7 is expressed at comparable levels on blood eosinophils from normal and eosinophilic subjects. Absolute eosinophil counts correlate with surface expression of Siglec-7 on blood eosinophils and soluble Siglec-7 levels in serum. Siglec-7 inhibits eosinophil activation but does not affect survival. EOS: eosinophil, EPX: eosinophil peroxidase, GM-CSF: granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, GM-CSF-R: GM-CSF receptor, IL-8: interleukin-8, MAPK: mitogen-activated protein kinase, Siglec-7: sialic acid binding Ig-like lectin-7, SHP-1: Src homology-2 (SH2) domain-containing protein-tyrosine phosphatase-1, TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor alpha.

Desquamation of airway epithelial cells is one of the consequences of airway inflammation in asthma. MC chymase released from MC activation contributes to desquamations of epithelium in asthmatic airway. MC chymase degrades epithelial cell junction proteins, disrupting the connections between cell-cell and cell-ECM; MC chymase decreases intracellular cell structure protein cytokeratin and FAK expressions and reduces cell viability and adhesion. Dysregulated epithelium barrier function and damages of airway wall are prominent features of chronic asthma; MC chymase inhibits wound healing by activating pro-MMP-2 and inducing ECM remodelling.

Exposure to low levels of EDCs have an effect on asthma, current symptoms and obesity in school-age children. Individual or combined EDCs also associate with ANS changes, that may possibly mediate the interaction between EDCs and childhood asthma and obesity. Our findings may contribute to action plans to reduce exposures to EDCs and to promote a healthy indoor school environment.

ANS: autonomic nervous system; BHT: butylated hydroxytoluene; EDCs: endocrine-disrupting chemicals; The circles represent the Odds ratio (OR) values, being the size proportional do the OR.

Circles: OR <1; square: OR  >1.

*Positive bronchodilatation; **Obese asthma; ^┴ Nasal obstruction; ^{┴ ┴} Breathing difficulties

Over 100 mobile applications were identified that support patients with chronic respiratory diseases via self-monitoring, personalized feedback, and/or patient education. A newly designed “patient empowerment index through mobile technology” was developed to support patients and physicians in respectively choosing or recommending mobile applications for the patients’ self-management of the disease.

Increased expression of L-plastin, the leukocyte-specific actin-bundling protein, co-expressed with TF in eosinophils in NERD nasal polyp tissue. L-plastin translocate TF to eosinophil cell surface, which in turn initiates extrinsic coagulation cascade by binding to FVIIa and induces subsequent excessive fibrin deposition in the nasal submucosa. L-plastin is also implicated in cytokine release or migration of eosinophils. TF, tissue factor; NERD, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-exacerbated respiratory disease; FVIIa, clotting factor VIIa.

• Patients having received grass pollen sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) tablets over at least 2 successive years were compared with control patients having received symptomatic medications only. After treatment, the dispensing of symptomatic allergic rhinitis medication (a proxy for disease burden) fell by 50% in the SLIT group and increased by 30% in the control group. When judged with regard to medication dispensing, the risk of new asthma and the progression of existing asthma were lower in the SLIT group than in the control group.

FlgHrnr^−/− mice develop a transient flaky phenotype at young ages, but no overt skin phenotype in adulthood. The epidermis of FlgHrnr^−/− mice exhibit structural (loss of keratohyalin granula), metabolic (loss of natural moisturizing factor), and functional (increased inside-out penetration) abnormalities resulting in skin barrier deficiency. FlgHrnr^−/− mice show increased susceptibility to allergic contact dermatitis (increased effector cell infiltration/hampered regulatory mechanisms). FlgHrnr-/-, Filaggrin-Hornerin double-deficient mice; KHG, keratohyalin granula; NMF, natural moisturizing factor

UK-born adults can develop Lipid Transfer Protein (LTP) allergy. Allergen sensitisation patterns in UK LTP allergic subjects are not significantly different to matched Italians with LTP allergy. Skin prick testing (SPT) with peach reagent is a useful diagnostic tool; the majority of UK LTP allergic subjects tested positive to peach, whereas none of those with Pollen Food Syndrome (PFS) did so.

Commercial skin prick test (SPT) extracts often contain insufficient amounts of important fish allergens, resulting in low IgE reactivity. Collagen, tropomyosin and aldolase A are of under-recognized importance for the diagnosis of fish allergy. Understanding the molecular allergology of SPT allergen extracts is essential for best diagnostics.

Statistical learning on immunological, genetic, and environmental data classifies asthma well. Risk estimation is most precise when incorporating all given data with the novel multi-modality strategy (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve = 0.81). Best predictors are three target genes of microarray data, comprising novel identified genes protein kinase N2, protein tyrosine kinase 2, and alkaline phosphatase, placental. These show the highest importance for childhood asthma classification. ALPP-alkaline phosphatase, placental; AUC-area under the receiver-operator-characteristics curve; CLARA-clinical asthma research association; PKN2-protein kinase N2; PTK2-protein tyrosine kinase 2; SNP-single nucleotide polymorphism.