Air pollutants include toxic particles and gases emitted in large quantities from many
different combustible materials. They also include particulate matter (PM) and ozone, and …

The application of recently developed sensitive, specific, culture-independent tools for
identification of microbes is transforming concepts of microbial ecology, including concepts …

Background Molecular microbiological analysis of airway samples in asthma has
demonstrated an altered microbiome in comparison to healthy controls. Such changes may …

Background Compositional differences in the bronchial bacterial microbiota have been
associated with asthma, but it remains unclear whether the findings are attributable to …

Rationale: The macrolide antibiotic azithromycin reduces exacerbations in adults with
persistent symptomatic asthma. However, owing to the pleotropic properties of macrolides …

The etiology of disease pathogenesis can be largely explained by genetic variations and
several types of environmental factors. In genetically disease-susceptible individuals …

Macrophages are tissue‐resident myeloid cells with essential roles in host defense, tissue
repair, and organ homeostasis. The lung harbors a large number of macrophages that …

Background Patients with asthma and healthy controls differ in bacterial colonization of the
respiratory tract. The upper airways have been shown to reflect colonization of the lower …

The hygiene hypothesis, which describes the protective influence of microbial exposures in
early life on the development of allergy and asthma, has continued its swell of academic …

Prior exposure to microenvironmental signals could fundamentally change the response of
macrophages to subsequent stimuli. It is believed that T helper-2 (Th2)-cell-type cytokine …