K-H. Carlsen

Recommendations on the use of exercise testing in clinical practice

Evidence-based recommendations on the clinical use of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in lung and heart disease are presented, with reference to the assessment of exercise intolerance, prognostic assessment and the evaluation of therapeutic interventions (e.g. drugs, supplemental oxygen, exercise training). A commonly used grading system for recommendations in evidence-based guidelines was applied, with the grade of recommendation ranging from A, the highest, to D, the lowest. For symptom-limited incremental exercise, CPET indices, such as peak O2 uptake (V′O2), V′O2 at lactate threshold, the slope of the ventilation–CO2 output relationship and the presence of arterial O2 desaturation, have all been shown to have power in prognostic evaluation. In addition, for assessment of interventions, the tolerable duration of symptom-limited high-intensity constant-load exercise often provides greater sensitivity to discriminate change than the classical incremental test. Field-testing paradigms (e.g. timed and shuttle walking tests) also prove valuable. In turn, these considerations allow the resolution of practical questions that often confront the clinician, such as: 1) “When should an evaluation of exercise intolerance be sought?”; 2) “Which particular form of test should be asked for?”; and 3) “What cluster of variables should be selected when evaluating prognosis for a particular disease or the effect of a particular intervention?”

Asthma in every fifth child in Oslo, Norway: a 10‐year follow up of a birth cohort study*

Background:  The western worlds increase in childhood asthma is suggested to level off. We aimed to investigate asthma prevalence in 10‐year‐old children within the prospective birth cohort Environment and Childhood Asthma (ECA) Study in Oslo established in 1992/1993.

Prioritised research agenda for prevention and control of chronic respiratory diseases

The 2008–2013 World Health Organization (WHO) action plan on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) includes chronic respiratory diseases as one of its four priorities. Major chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) include asthma and rhinitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, occupational lung diseases, sleep-disordered breathing, pulmonary hypertension, bronchiectiasis and pulmonary interstitial diseases. A billion people suffer from chronic respiratory diseases, the majority being in developing countries. CRDs have major adverse effects on the life and disability of patients. Effective intervention plans can prevent and control CRDs, thus reducing morbidity and mortality. A prioritised research agenda should encapsulate all of these considerations in the frame of the global fight against NCDs. This requires both CRD-targeted interventions and transverse NCD programmes which include CRDs, with emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention.

Severe asthma in childhood: assessed in 10 year olds in a birth cohort study.

Background: Limited information is available regarding the prevalence of severe asthma in children. The present study aimed at investigating the prevalence of severe asthma in an urban child population; secondarily evaluating the applicability of the chosen definition by clinical characteristics.

How to design and evaluate randomized controlled trials in immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis: an ARIA-GA(2) LEN statement

To cite this article: Bousquet J, Schünemann HJ, Bousquet PJ, Bachert C, Canonica GW, Casale TB, Demoly P, Durham S, Carlsen K‐H, Malling H‐J, Passalacqua G, Simons FER, Anto J, Baena‐Cagnani CE, Bergmann K‐C, Bieber T, Briggs AH, Brozek J, Calderon MA, Dahl R, Devillier P, Gerth van Wijk R, Howarth P, Larenas D, Papadopoulos NG, Schmid‐Grendelmeier P, Zuberbier T. How to design and evaluate randomized controlled trials in immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis: an ARIA‐GA2LEN statement. Allergy 2011; 66: 765–774.

A case-control study of the relation between plasma selenium and asthma in European populations : a GAL2EN project

Background:  There is evidence that selenium levels are relatively low in Europe and may be falling. Low levels of selenium or low activity of some of the enzymes dependent on selenium have been associated with asthma.

A TLR2 polymorphism is associated with type 1 diabetes and allergic asthma

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and allergic asthma are immune-mediated diseases. Pattern recognition receptors are proteins expressed by cells in the immune system to identify microbial pathogens and endogenous ligands. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and CD14 are members of this family and could represent a molecular link between microbial infections and immune-mediated diseases. Diverging hypotheses regarding whether there exists a common or inverse genetic etiology behind these immune-mediated diseases have been presented. We aimed to test whether there exist common or inverse associations between polymorphisms in the pattern recognition receptors TLR2, TLR4 and CD14 and T1D and allergic asthma. Eighteen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped in TLR2 (2), TLR4 (12) and CD14 (4) in 700 T1D children, 357 nuclear families with T1D children and 796 children from the ‘Environment and Childhood Asthma’ study. Allele and haplotype frequencies were analyzed in relation to diseases and in addition transmission disequilibrium test analyses were performed in the family material. Both T1D and allergic asthma were significantly associated with the TLR2 rs3804100 T allele and further associated with the haplotype including this SNP, possibly representing a susceptibility locus common for the two diseases. Neither TLR4 nor CD14 were associated with T1D or allergic asthma.

Norwegian adolescents with asthma are physical active and fit

Background:  Evidence regarding habitual physical activity levels and aerobic fitness of asthmatic compared to nonasthmatic children and adolescents is contradictory, and it is unclear if low physical activity levels can contribute to asthma development. The present study therefore aimed to determine whether adolescents with asthma have reduced physical activity levels and aerobic fitness, or increased energy intake and body fat compared to controls.

Medicines used in respiratory diseases only seen in children

Detailed literature searches were carried out in seven respiratory disease areas. Therapeutic evidence for efficacy of medicinal products was assessed using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology, as well as an assessment of safety and side-effects. Systemic corticosteroids may reduce the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia but have serious side-effects. Antioxidants need further study to demonstrate whether they have long-term benefits. Treatments for acute bronchiolitis have shown little benefit but new antiviral and monoclonal antibodies need further assessment. Well-constructed studies are needed to confirm the value of inhaled corticosteroids and/or montelukast in the management of viral-induced wheeze. Corticosteroids are the treatment of choice in croup. Minimal or no information is available for the treatment of congenital lung abnormalities, bronchiolitis obliterans and interstitial lung disease.

HLA Dr‐Dq haplotypes and the TNFA‐308 polymorphism: associations with asthma and allergy

Background:  The HLA (human leukocyte antigen) class II genes DQB1 and DRB1 and the Tumor Necrosis Factor α gene (TNFA) within the HLA complex (chromosome 6p21) have been associated with asthma and allergy. Due to the strong linkage disequilibrium characterizing this complex and the multiple asthma/allergy expressions, we aimed to determine which of these genes were primarily involved in specific asthma/allergy traits.