Asthma in the elderly: the effect of choline supplementation

Effects of carbon black nanoparticles and high humidity on the lung metabolome in Balb/c mice with established allergic asthma

In respiratory diseases, the induction of allergic asthma has gradually aroused public concerns. Co-exposures of environmental risk factors such as nanoparticles and high humidity could play important roles in the development of allergic asthma. However, the relevant researches are still lacking and the involved mechanisms, especially metabolic changes, remain unclear. We took the lead in studying the combined induction effect and underlying mechanisms of carbon black nanoparticles (CB NPs) and high humidity on allergic asthma. In this work, murine models of allergic asthma were established with ovalbumin under the single and combined exposures of 15 μg/kg CB NPs and 90% relative humidity. The two risk factors, particularly their co-exposure, exhibited adjuvant effect on airway hyperresponsiveness, remodeling, and inflammation in Balb/c mice. Untargeted metabolomics identified the potential biomarkers in lung for asthma occurrence and for asthma exacerbation caused by CB NPs and high humidity. The significantly dysregulated metabolic pathways in asthmatic mice were proposed, and the disturbed metabolic pathways under the exposures of CB NPs and/or high humidity were mainly implicated in asthma symptoms. This work sheds light on the understanding for health risks of NP pollutions and high environmental humidity and contributes to useful biomarker identification and asthma control.

Asthma in the elderly: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effect of montelukast

Background

Little is known about asthma in the elderly as most studies of this condition have not included this patient group. It is unclear whether leukotriene antagonists benefit older asthmatics. We studied the effect of adding montelukast to the asthma treatment of elderly subjects.

Methods

Twenty-five subjects 65 years old and older with asthma were evaluated at week 0, 1, 5, 9, 13, and 17. Each subject received montelukast 10 mg and placebo each for 8 weeks in a cross-over design.

Results

Montelukast for 4 or 8 weeks did not significantly affect ACT, daily symptom scores, number of puffs of albuterol, spirometric values, peripheral blood eosinophils, or serum IgE vs. baseline or placebo. Similar results were obtained when analyzing subgroups of patients with lower ACT, lower FEV1, and higher eosinophils.

Conclusions

In this study of elderly asthmatics, montelukast had no effect on asthma symptoms, number of puffs of albuterol, spirometric values, peripheral blood eosinophils or serum IgE. These results will require confirmation in larger patient cohorts and in patients with uncontrolled asthmatic symptoms.

Allergy and Aging: An Old/New Emerging Health Issue

Allergy reactions are the most common immunological diseases and represent one of the most widespread and fast growing chronic human health problems among people over 15 years of age in developed countries. As populations get older worldwide, allergy manifestations in aged persons will occur more often in the future. To date, there has been much more studies on allergies in children than in adults. As the population ages, clinicians must be prepared to meet all the elderly's health care needs, including these new and emerging health issue. Allergic diseases represent an old/new emerging health issue. Because many common illnesses masquerade as atopic disease, the differential diagnosis of suspected allergic diseases becomes more expanded in an aging population. Research in the field needs to focus on both human and animal model systems to investigate the impact of the aging process on the immunologic pathways underpinning allergy and its different facets.