OBJECTIVE To investigate the prevalence and trends of sensitisation to common aeroallergens among outpatients with allergic rhinitis (AR) in Guangzhou, China, over the past decade. DESIGN A retrospective study; linear-by-linear association and simple linear regression were used to determine the trends in the prevalence of aeroallergen sensitisation. SETTING One grade-A hospital in Guangzhou...

BACKGROUND Th2-dominated inflammatory response in the airway is an integral component in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma. Accumulating evidence supports the notion that the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway is involved in the process. We previously reported that SHIP-1, a negative regulator of the PI3K pathway, is essential in maintaining lung immunohomeostasis, potentially through r...

Alternaria alternata spores are considered a well-known biological contaminant and a very common potent aeroallergen source that is found in environmental samples. The most intense exposure to A. alternata allergens is likely to occur outdoors; however, Alternaria and other allergenic fungi can colonize in indoor environments and thereby increase the fungal aeroallergen exposure levels. A conse...

PURPOSE Recent data indicate that sensitization to mold contributes to the severity and persistence of asthma. In this study, we investigated the relationships between sensitization to mold and lung function parameters in children with asthma. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed clinical data from 551 asthmatic subjects. We selected subjects who met clinical diagnostic criteria of asthma. The...