In recent years, the microbiome has been recognized as a key regulator of immune responses. Evidence suggests that changes in the microbiome can lead to chronic disease and even exacerbation of the disease. Impairment of innate immunity resulting from microbial incompatibility may worsen host susceptibility to infection and exacerbate chronic lung diseases. Specific microbes play a key role in ...

We would like to emphasise to European Respiratory Society (ERS) members and to all physicians and researchers dealing with respiratory diseases the importance of the editorial written by Adoración Navarro-Torné and distinguished colleagues from the Health Directorate of DG Research and Innovation of the European Commission. The authors rightly note that chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) (par...

background: non-communicable diseases (ncds) annually kill over 35 million people worldwide. they are responsible for nearly two-thirds of the world's deaths. global health is facing a dramatic change. for the first time in human history, more than 80% of ncd-related deaths are in low- and middle-income countries. countries throughout the world are expected to lose significant amounts of nation...

BACKGROUND Work related dust exposure is a risk factor for acute and chronic respiratory irritation and inflammation. Exposure to dust and cigarette smoke predisposes to exogenous viral and bacterial infections of the respiratory tract. Respiratory infection can also act as a risk factor in the development of atherosclerotic and coronary artery disease. AIMS To investigate the association of ...

Pompe disease/glycogen storage disease type II, is a rare, lysosomal storage disorder associated with progressive proximal myopathy, causing a gradual loss of muscular function and respiratory insufficiency. Studies of patients with late-onset Pompe disease have used endpoints such as the 6-minute walking test (6MWT) and forced vital capacity (FVC) to assess muscular and respiratory function du...

BACKGROUND Early life exposure to respiratory diseases is associated with lung impairment in adulthood. The objective of this study was to investigate morbidity, and respiratory and other cause specific mortality, among people who reported a medical history of bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma early in life. METHODS We studied an historical cohort of male students who attended Glasgow Universi...

BACKGROUND While adverse effects of exposure to air pollutants on respiratory health are well studied, little is known about the effect of a reduction in air pollutants on chronic respiratory symptoms and diseases. We investigated whether different declines in air pollution levels in industrialised and rural areas in Germany were associated with changes in respiratory health over a period of ab...

Chronic respiratory diseases involve a heterogenous group of diseases, including, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, sleep apnea syndrome, pulmonary hypertension, and many occupational diseases. They affect more than one billion people worldwide. Their medical, social, and economic impacts are heavy, especially in developing countries such as Middle East and North Africa coun...