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Research
Examining relationships between vitamin D over the first decade of life and development of asthma and allergyThis study shows for the first time the importance of considering vitamin D levels over a prolonged period during childhood, rather than at just one or two ages
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Developmental-associated dysregulation of innate anti-microbial immunity in early life as a determinant of susceptibility to atopic asthmaOne of the strongest risk factors for asthma is having chest infections during infancy that are so severe that they trigger symptoms of fever & wheeze

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.
Research
Developmental regulation of type 1 and type 3 interferon production and risk for infant infections and asthma developmentType 1 and 3 interferon response capacity appears strongly developmentally constrained at birth
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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
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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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Basophil counts in PBMC populations during childhood acute wheeze/asthma are associated with future exacerbationsOur findings suggest that the proportion of degranulated basophils can also be associated with recurrent exacerbations
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Insights into respiratory disease through bioinformaticsHere, we review the basic concepts in bioinformatics and genomic data analysis and illustrate the application of these tools to further our understanding of lung diseases
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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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Respiratory infection- and asthma-prone, low vaccine responder children demonstrate distinct mononuclear cell DNA methylation pathwaysnfants with frequent viral and bacterial respiratory infections exhibit compromised immunity to routine immunizations. They are also more likely to develop chronic respiratory diseases in later childhood. This study investigated the feasibility of epigenetic profiling to reveal endotype-specific molecular pathways with potential for early identification and immuno-modulation.