Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology最新文献

Background: Knowledge of the effectiveness of house dust mite (HDM) sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma associated sleep disorders remains incomplete. A noninterventional study was conducted to assess the effect of the standardized quality (SQ) HDM SLIT tablet on safety and symptoms in adults with respiratory allergies caused by HDM. The study also assessed the status of insomnia and daytime sleepiness in patients with AR and/or asthma-associated sleep disorders treated with the SQ HDM SLIT tablet.

Methods: This was a 12-month multicenter, longitudinal, and prospective study. Participants started the SQ HDM SLIT tablet for moderateto-severe HDM-induced AR that was persistent despite the use of symptom relieving medication or HDM-induced asthma-associated sleep disorders that were not well controlled with inhaled corticosteroids and were associated with mild-to-severe HDM-induced AR. Sleep symptoms were measured using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) questionnaire and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).

Results: A total of 1526 adult patients were enrolled, and 1483 were eventually included in the analysis. At baseline, 41.5% of patients reported sleep disorders; of these, 77.0% had insomnia and 28.9% experienced excessive daytime sleepiness. Insomnia was significantly more frequent among patients with uncontrolled AR (83.1%) than among those with controlled AR (52.6%) (P<.0001). Over time, 48.3% and 59.7% of patients, respectively, reported an improvement greater than the minimal clinically important difference in the ISI and ESS scales.

Conclusion: In patients with HDM-induced AR and/or asthma-associated sleep disorders, an improvement in subjective insomnia and sleepiness was observed after 1 year of treatment with the SQ HDM SLIT tablet in a real-life setting.

Nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis is characterized by persistent dry or barely productive cough and bronchial eosinophilia without airway obstruction or bronchial hyperreactivity. It is primarily a chronic disease, in which some patients have clinical and pathophysiological relapses, while others progress to asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It accounts for 5% to 30% of cases referred for chronic cough. Exposure to common inhalants and occupational sensitizers has been proposed as a possible cause of the disease, although the etiology and underlying mechanisms are uncertain. Some features are similar to those of asthma, such as airway eosinophilia, inflammatory mediator levels, and airway remodeling. Differences in airway pathophysiology, such as the location of airway inflammation and levels of IL-13 and PGE-2, have been reported. Sputum cell count is the gold standard test for diagnosis, and other biomarkers, such as exhaled nitric oxide, could support the diagnosis. A systematic review of treatments for the disease shows that while inhaled corticosteroids are the primary option, the appropriate dose, the type of corticosteroid, and the duration of treatment remain unknown. Treatment duration is inversely correlated with the relapse rate. Increased doses of inhaled corticosteroids, oral corticosteroids, and leukotriene receptor antagonists are recommended in persistent disease. Anti-IL-5 biologics could be promising in this disease. Studies that investigate biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis are necessary, as are randomized controlled studies for second-line treatments.

The airway epithelium is the first line of defense of the respiratory system against the external environment. It plays an active role in the initiation of immune and allergic responses against potential hazards. Among the various specialized cells and cytokines that participate in epithelium-induced responses, alarmins are particularly interesting, given their ample role in mediating T2 and non-T2 inflammatory mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is an alarmin with broad effects in asthma that result from its widespread action on multiple cell types, including eosinophils, mast cells, dendritic cells, and group-2 innate lymphoid cells. Its role in allergy-mediated responses, eosinophilic inflammation, airway hyperresponsiveness, mucus hyperproduction, viral tolerance, and airway remodeling is of the utmost importance, as more comprehensive asthma assessments have been developed to explore these pathogenic features. Therefore, blockade with targeting molecules, such as monoclonal antibodies, has emerged as a promising therapeutic option, particularly in patients with multiple pathogenic pathways. In this review, we examine the roles of alarmins (mainly TSLP) in the pathogenesis of asthma and clinical expression and discuss the effects of inhibiting TSLP on several inflammatory and clinical outcomes. We also review the literature supporting treatment with anti-TSLP biologics and the unanswered questions and unmet needs associated with targeting alarmins in asthma.