澳博达文献集60.pdfVIP

New millennium: The conquest of allergy (Supported by a grant from Novartis Pharmaceutical Corp., East Hanover, NJ) Series editors: Donald Y. M. Leung, MD, PhD, Stanley J. Szefler, MD, and Harold S. Nelson, MD The role of viral infections in the natural history of asthma James E. Gern, MD,a and William W. Busse, MDb Madison, Wis Viral infections have been related to the inception of recurrent wheezing illnesses and asthma in infants and are probably the Abbreviations used most frequent cause of exacerbations of established disease in ECP: Eosinophil cationic protein older children and adults. The well-recognized clinical effects ICAM: Intercellular adhesion molecule of viral infections are mainly caused by virus-induced immune IL1-ra: IL-1 receptor antagonist responses. Clinical studies of natural and experimentally NO: Nitric oxide induced viral infections have led to the identification of mecha- RSV: Respiratory syncytial virus nisms of inflammation that could be involved in producing air- RV: Rhinovirus way obstruction and lower airway symptoms. In addition, host factors that are associated with more vigorous viral replication or severe clinical illness are beginning to be identified. Advances in molecular virology and our understanding of immune responses to viral i