National Jewish Health

About: National Jewish Health is a healthcare organization based out in Denver, Colorado, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Asthma & T cell. The organization has 883 authors who have published 833 publications receiving 79201 citations. The organization is also known as: National Jewish Medical and Research Center.

Airway Lipoxin A4 Generation and Lipoxin A4 Receptor Expression Are Decreased in Severe Asthma

Abstract: Rationale: Airway inflammation is common in severe asthma despite antiinflammatory therapy with corticosteroids. Lipoxin A4 (LXA4) is an arachidonic acid–derived mediator that serves as an agonist for resolution of inflammation.Objectives: Airway levels of LXA4, as well as the expression of lipoxin biosynthetic genes and receptors, in severe asthma.Methods: Samples of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were obtained from subjects with asthma and levels of LXA4 and related eicosanoids were measured. Expression of lipoxin biosynthetic genes was determined in whole blood, bronchoalveolar lavage cells, and endobronchial biopsies by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and leukocyte LXA4 receptors were monitored by flow cytometry.Measurements and Main Results: Individuals with severe asthma had significantly less LXA4 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (11.2 ± 2.1 pg/ml) than did subjects with nonsevere asthma (150.1 ± 38.5 pg/ml; P < 0.05). In contrast, levels of cysteinyl leukotrienes were increased in both asthm...

Activation changes the spectrum but not the diversity of genes expressed by T cells.

Abstract: During activation T cells are thought to change their patterns of gene expression dramatically. To find out whether this is true for T cells activated in animals, the patterns of genes expressed in resting T cells and T cells 8 and 48 hr after activation were examined by using Affymetrix gene arrays. Gene arrays gave accurate comparisons of gene expression in the different cell types because the expression of genes known to vary during activation changed as expected. Of the approximately 6,300 genes assessed by the arrays, about one-third were expressed to appreciable extents in any of the T cells tested. Thus, resting T cells express a surprisingly large diversity of genes. The patterns of gene expression changed considerably within 8 hr of T cell activation but returned to a disposition more like that of resting T cells within 48 hr of exposure to antigen. Not unexpectedly, the activated T cells expressed genes associated with cell division at higher levels than resting T cells. The resting T cells expressed a number of cytokine receptor genes and some genes thought to suppress cell division, suggesting that the state of resting T cells is not a passive failure to respond to extant external stimuli.

Polarized expression of cytokines in cell conjugates of helper T cells and splenic B cells

Abstract: We describe the intracellular localization, by double immunofluorescence microscopy, of four cytokines that were produced during the prolonged interaction of cloned helper T cells with resting splenic B cells. When two rabbit immunoglobulin-specific helper-T-cell clones were mixed, either separately or together, with splenic B cells in the presence of the antigen rabbit anti-mouse immunoglobulin antibodies, stable T-cell-B-cell conjugates were seen up to 29 hr later. Microscopic observations of these cells revealed that interferon gamma and interleukin 2, inside one of the T-cell clones, and interleukins 4 and 5, inside the other T-cell clone, were concentrated very close to the T-cell-B-cell contact area. The cytokines were not seen in the T cells prior to their interaction with the B cells and their production was strictly antigen-specific. These studies show, at the single-cell level, that helper-T-cell clones can remain bound to splenic B cells long enough for the T cells to produce cytokines, which are synthesized near the bound B cells. We propose that the polarized synthesis of the cytokines may result in their directed secretion toward the bound B cells. By locally secreting the cytokines, which are not antigen-specific, at the contacting T-cell-B-cell membranes, where T- and B-cell surface receptors are engaged and clustered, the helper T cells can induce selective and specific B-cell responses.

Idiopathic interstitial pneumonia: do community and academic physicians agree on diagnosis?

Abstract: Rationale: Treatment and prognoses of diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (DPLDs)varies by diagnosis.Obtainingauniform diagnosis among observers is difficult. Objectives: Evaluate diagnostic agreement between academic and community-based physicians for patients with DPLDs, and deter- mine if an interactive approach between clinicians, radiologists, and pathologists improved diagnostic agreement in community and academic centers. Methods: Retrospective review of 39 patients with DPLD. A total of 19 participants reviewed cases at 2 community locations and 1 academic location. Information from the history, physical examina- tion,pulmonaryfunctiontesting,high-resolutioncomputedtomog- raphy, and surgical lung biopsy was collected. Data were presented in the same sequential fashion to three groups of physicians on separate days. Measurements and Main Results: Each observer'sdiagnosiswascoded into one ofeight categories. A statistic allowingfor multiple raters was used to assess agreement in diagnosis. Interactions between clinicians, radiologists, and pathologists improved interobserver agreement at both community and academic sites; however, final agreementwasbetterwithinacademic centers(0.55-0.71)than within community centers ( 0.32-0.44). Clinically significant disagreement was present between academic and community- based physicians(0.11-0.56).Community physicianswere more

Practice parameters for behavioral treatment of bedtime problems and night wakings in infants and young children.

Abstract: Bedtime problems and frequent night wakings are highly prevalent in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Evidence suggests that sleep disruption and/or insufficient sleep have potential deleterious effects on children's cognitive development, regulation of affect, attention, health outcomes, and overall quality of life, as well as secondary effects on parental and family functioning. Furthermore, longitudinal studies have demonstrated that sleep problems first presenting in infancy may become chronic, persisting into the preschool and school-aged years. A solid body of literature now exists supporting the use of empirically-based behavioral management strategies to treat bedtime problems and night wakings in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The following practice parameters present recommendations for the use of behavioral (i.e., non-pharmacological) treatments of bedtime problems and night wakings in young children (aged 0 - 4. years 11 months). A companion review paper on which the recommendations are based was prepared by a taskforce appointed by the Standards of Practice Committee (SPC) of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), and summarizes the peer-reviewed scientific literature on this topic. The authors of the review paper evaluated the evidence presented by the reviewed studies according to modified Sackett criteria. Using this information and a grading system described by Eddy (i.e., standard, guideline or option), the Standards of Practice Committee and Board of Directors of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine determined levels of treatment recommendation presented in the practice parameters below. These practice parameters provide 3 types of recommendations. First, recommendations are provided indicating that behavioral interventions are effective in the treatment of bedtime problems and night wakings in young children, producing reliable and significant clinical improvement in sleep parameters. Second, recommendations are made regarding specific behavioral therapies, including: (1) unmodified extinction, extinction with parental presence, and preventive parent education are all rated as individually effective therapies in the treatment of bedtime problems and night wakings (Standards), and (2) graduated extinction, bedtime fading/positive routines and scheduled awakenings are rated as individually effective therapies in the treatment of bedtime problems and night wakings but with less certainty (Guidelines). There was insufficient evidence to recommend standardized bedtime routines and positive reinforcement as single therapies. In addition, although behavioral therapies for bedtime problems and night wakings are often combined, there was insufficient evidence available to recommend one individual therapy over another or to recommend an individual therapy over a combination of therapies. Finally, recommendations are provided regarding the beneficial effects of behavioral treatments on secondary outcomes, including daytime functioning (child) and parental well-being.