Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma: Genetic Linkage Regions

allergic rhinitis asthma
Allergic rhinitis and asthma are common comorbidities. Like asthma, the presence of a genetic component in allergic rhinitis has been well established. To identify genetic linkage regions unique to allergic rhinitis, as well as those shared by allergic rhinitis and asthma, a genome screen study was conducted. A total of 295 families in the French Epidemiological Study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma (EGEA) containing 1317 subjects were genotyped for 396 microsatellite markers. The families included had two siblings with DNA available and at least one asthmatic subject. Three definitions of allergic rhinitis were used, two binary and one categorical. To investigate linkages specific to allergic rhinitis (without asthma), linkage analyses were also conducted in 185 families with at most one asthmatic sib. (more…)

Classification of Asthma & Chronic Airway Obstruction

Asthma Chronic Airway
Classification of bronchial asthma can be based on age, etiology, associated characteristics, or severity. Classifications based on severity have been primarily designed as an approach to asthma treatment. Thus, management of mild intermittent disease may require only bronchodilator treatment, but frequent attacks with or without persistent mild symptoms require a comprehensive approach to controlling inflammation as well as bronchodilator treatment. Severe asthma can become a major clinical problem that requires specialist care and many different approaches to asthma attack treatment. (more…)

Airway Inflammation and Progression of Asthma Respiratory Viral Infections

Airway Inflammation
Asthma is a continuing problem for healthcare, particularly in the industrialized world. Some 150 million people are estimated to suffer from asthma worldwide, with 5.2 million sufferers in the UK. Hospital admissions for asthma number 69 000 per annum in the UK, including 28 500 children. Approximately 1400 people die from asthma in the UK annually, of whom over 30% are under the age of 65. Asthma costs the UK National Health Service almost £90 million per annum (statistics from Asthma UK, http://www.asthma.org.uk). (more…)