Ian M. Adcock

Activation of NF-κB transcription factor in asthma death

examples of extravascular atypical endothelial proliferation described in the thyroid, but no previous report of similar occurrences in the soft tissues. Three of the thyroid lesions followed a fine-needle aspiration procedure, which presumably resulted in the haematoma accompanied by atypical endothelial proliferation. It is likely that the present lesions represent a reactive process similar to papillary endothelial hyperplasia and may be interpreted as an exuberant endothelial proliferation occurring within an organizing haematoma ⁄ seroma. Adjuvant radiotherapy may contribute to the development of haematoma ⁄ seroma by rendering the soft tissues non-compliant and therefore creating the potential space for fluid collection, and by creating vascular damage. By analogy with radiodermatitis, where atypical fibroblasts are characteristic of delayed injury, the presence of atypia in the present cases could be due to cellular radiation damage. Annarita Palomba Giovanni Beltrami Domenico Campanacci Rodolfo Capanna Alessandro Franchi

Chapter 33 – Transcription Factors

Publisher Summary nAsthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are characterized by an increased expression of the components of the inflammatory cascade. Inflammation is the central feature of both the diseases as both involve the recruitment and activation of inflammatory cells and changes in the structural cells of the lung. The increased expression of these proteins is due to enhanced gene transcription. Changes in gene transcription are regulated by transcription factors, which are proteins that bind to DNA and modulate the transcriptional apparatus. This chapter reviews the physiological functions of transcription factors and highlights their role relevant to the pathogenesis of asthma and COPD. Transcription factors regulate the expression of many genes—including inflammatory genes—thus playing a key role in the pathogenesis of asthma and COPD. The abnormal functioning of transcription factors essentially determines the disease severity and response to treatment because these factors amplify and perpetuate the inflammatory process. With recent advances and increased understanding of the transcription factors in the pathogenesis of asthma and COPD, several opportunities have been opened, thereby leading to the development of new potential anti-inflammatory drugs. The role of transcription factors and the genetic regulation of their expression are crucial aspects of research in asthma and COPD because there are critical mechanisms that regulate the expression of clinical phenotypes and their responsiveness to therapy.