American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
-
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · May 2014
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyPathway From Central Obesity to Childhood Asthma: Physical Fitness and Sedentary Time Are Leading Factors.
Available prospective studies of obesity and asthma have used only body mass index (BMI) as an indicator for adiposity; studies using detailed obesity measures are lacking, and the role of physical fitness level and sedentary time remains unexplored in the link between obesity and asthma. ⋯ Central obesity measures should be incorporated in childhood asthma risk predictions. Children are encouraged to increase their physical fitness levels and reduce their sedentary time to prevent central obesity-related asthma.
-
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · May 2014
Density and Duration of Pneumococcal Carriage is Maintained by TGFB1 and T Regulatory Cells.
Nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae is a prerequisite for invasive disease, but the majority of carriage episodes are asymptomatic and self-resolving. Interactions determining the development of carriage versus invasive disease are poorly understood but will influence the effectiveness of vaccines or therapeutics that disrupt nasal colonization. ⋯ These data explain the mechanisms by which S. pneumoniae colonize the human nasopharynx without inducing damaging host inflammation and provide insight into the role of bacterial and host constituents that allow and maintain carriage.