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Research
Association between socioeconomic status and the development of asthma: analyses of income trajectoriesUsing data on 2868 children born in the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study, we examined the association between changes in family...
The Respiratory Environmental Health team conducts research in early life determinants of lung growth and development, respiratory environmental health, and mechanisms of airway dysfunction in asthma and other respiratory disease.
The Foundations of Lung Disease Team is focused on improving the diagnosis, treatment, and lifelong care of childhood lung disease.
Research
ACE2 expression is elevated in airway epithelial cells from older and male healthy individuals but reduced in asthmaCOVID-19 is complicated by acute lung injury, and death in some individuals. It is caused by SARS-CoV-2 that requires the ACE2 receptor and serine proteases to enter AEC. We determined what factors are associated with ACE2 expression particularly in patients with asthma and COPD. We obtained lower AEC from 145 people from two independent cohorts, aged 2-89 years, Newcastle (n = 115) and Perth (n = 30), Australia. The Newcastle cohort was enriched with people with asthma (n = 37) and COPD (n = 38). Gene expression for ACE2 and other genes potentially associated with SARS-CoV-2 cell entry was assessed by qPCR, and protein expression was confirmed with immunohistochemistry on endobronchial biopsies and cultured AEC.
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Childhood vaccination and allergy: A systematic review and meta-analysisAs the rise in prevalence of allergic diseases worldwide corresponds in time with increasing infant vaccination, it has been hypothesized that childhood vaccination may increase the risk of allergic disease. We aimed to synthesize the literature on the association between childhood vaccination and allergy.
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Real world effectiveness of early ensitrelvir treatment in patients with SARS-CoV-2, a retrospective case seriesEnsitrelvir, a 3C-like protease inhibitor, received emergency approval in Japan in November 2022 for treating non-hospitalized patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. However, confirmation of its real-world clinical effectiveness is limited.
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Global change, climate change, and asthma in children: Direct and indirect effects - A WAO Pediatric Asthma Committee ReportThe twenty-first century has seen a fundamental shift in disease epidemiology with anthropogenic environmental change emerging as the likely dominant factor affecting the distribution and severity of current and future human disease. This is especially true of allergic diseases and asthma with their intimate relationship with the natural environment.
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Reduced Type-I Interferon by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells and Asthma in School-Aged ChildrenAllergic sensitization and reduced ability to respond to viral infections may contribute to virus-induced wheeze and asthma development in young children. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) are rare immune cells that produce type I interferons (IFN-I) and play a key role in orchestrating immune responses against viruses.
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Accumulation mode particles and LPS exposure induce TLR-4 dependent and independent inflammatory responses in the lungWe aimed to delineate the effects of LPS and AMP on airway inflammation, and potential contribution to airway disease by measuring airway inflammatory responses
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Identifying pediatric lung disease: A comparison of forced oscillation technique outcomesThese findings suggest the utility of specific FOT outcomes is dependent on the respiratory disease being assessed