The respiratory epithelium functions as a central orchestrator to initiate and organize
responses to inhaled stimuli. Proteases and antiproteases are secreted from the respiratory …

The respiratory epithelium functions as a central orchestrator to initiate and organize
responses to inhaled stimuli. Proteases and antiproteases are secreted from the respiratory …

Introduction: We have previously shown that cigarette smoking increases the susceptibility to
influenza A virus (IAV) infections. One potential reason for this increase in susceptibility to …

Methods: We utilized our model of differentiated primary human nasal epithelial cells (NEC)
to determine the role inflammation in vitro plays in disrupting the protease/antiprotease …

Exposure to oxidant air pollution is associated with increased respiratory morbidities and
susceptibility to infections. Ozone is a commonly encountered oxidant air pollutant, yet its …

A hallmark of cigarette smoking is a shift in the protease/antiprotease balance, in favor of
protease activity. However, it has recently been shown that smokers have increased …

Airway inflammation, observed in a variety of airway diseases and following exposure to
environmental agents such as ozone, is associated with increases in inflammatory cell …

Background Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) is a protein with anti-protease and
antimicrobial properties that is constitutively secreted from the airway epithelium. The …

The role of oxidative stress in inactivating antiproteases is the object of debate. To address
this question, we developed an in vivo model of pulmonary oxidative stress induced by …

Organs such as the lung that are continuously exposed to inhaled microbes must be
carefully guarded against excessive inflammation. A new study by Taggart and colleagues …