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Biomedical subjects

Sejal Saglani

Publications and source records attributed to Sejal Saglani.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Manipulation of signaling to control allergic inflammation.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Inflammatory mediators produced from activated mast cells and T helper type 2 cells drive allergic inflammation. The pathways required for mast and T helper type 2 cell activation and the effects of their products are being defined in order to identify new therapeutics. We focus on recent findings on the chief inducer of mast cell activation, the IgE receptor-signaling cascade, and the development of new inhibitors of this pathway. We also summarize work that examines the molecular mechanisms utilized by the interleukin IL-4/13 receptors and characterizes therapeutic compounds that target these pathways. RECENT FINDINGS: The tyrosine kinases Lyn, Fyn and Syk have complex roles in IgE receptor signaling. Biochemical analysis and gene expression profiling have shed light on both the positive and negative functions of these proteins and establish additional connections with downstream pathways. Syk inhibitors were identified that may prove useful as antiinflammatory agents. Progress has been made in characterizing how IL-4/13 interact with their cognate receptors that will aid in the design of inhibitors of these interactions. SUMMARY: Recent studies have advanced our understanding of how the IgE receptor and IL-4/13 receptors function. This new knowledge may lead to the development of novel and highly specific inhibitors of allergic inflammation.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Airway remodeling and inflammation in symptomatic infants with reversible airflow obstruction.

RATIONALE: We hypothesized that the epithelial reticular basement membrane (RBM) thickening and eosinophilic inflammation characteristic of asthma would be present in symptomatic infants with reversible airflow obstruction. METHODS: RBM thickness and numbers of inflammatory cells were determined in ultrathin sections of endobronchial biopsies obtained from 53 infants during clinical bronchoscopy for severe wheeze and/or cough. Group A: 16 infants with a median age of 12 months (range 3.4-26 months), with decreased specific airway conductance (sGaw) and bronchodilator reversibility; Group B: 22 infants with a median age of 12.4 months (5.1-25.9 months), with decreased sGaw but without bronchodilator reversibility; and Group C: 15 infants with a median age of 11.5 months (3.4-24.3 months) with normal sGaw. Additional comparisons were made with the following groups. Group D: 17 children, median age 10.3 years (6-16 years), with difficult asthma; Group E: 10 pediatric control subjects without asthma, median age 10 years (6-16 years); and Group F: nine adult normal, healthy control subjects, median age 27 years (21-42 years). MAIN RESULTS: There were no significant differences in RBM thickness or inflammatory cell number between the infant groups. RBM thickness was similar in the infants and Groups E and F. However, the RBM in all infant groups (Group A: median 4.3 microm [range 2.8-9.2 microm]; Group B: median 4.15 microm [range 2.7-5.8 microm]; Group C: median 3.8 microm [range 2.7-5.5 microm]) was significantly less thick than that in the older children with asthma (Group D: median 8.3 microm [range 5.3-12.7 microm]; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: RBM thickening and the eosinophilic inflammation characteristic of asthma in older children and adults are not present in symptomatic infants with reversible airflow obstruction, even in the presence of atopy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Difficult asthma in the pre-school child.

The most important aspect of dealing with a pre-school child suspected of having difficult asthma, is to ensure that the diagnosis is correct, in order to avoid the inappropriate use of therapies such as inhaled corticosteroids. After exclusion of other diagnoses, if a pre-school child is thought to have asthma, difficult or otherwise, the corollary is, what sort of asthma? Is it a syndrome with airway inflammation susceptible to treatment, or one in which there is no inflammation and time alone will result in resolution of symptoms? Probably the most common mistake in this age group is to fail to recognise the latter and institute ever more aggressive and useless therapies. An approach to excluding other diagnoses, appropriate investigations to elicit the presence of airway inflammation and suggestions for subsequent management have been detailed in this review.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2003

An alternative to lung transplantation.

Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) has been used increasingly in adults for treatment of breathlessness caused by severe emphysema.1 It is of particular benefit to patients with a heterogenous anatomic distribution of emphysema, with obvious target areas for resection,2 as it allows an improved chance of reclaiming function from surrounding compressed lung.3 We report on an 8-year-old male with obliterative bronchiolitis in whom LVRS has been used as a measure to significantly improve quality of life and avoid the immediate need for lung transplantation.

Bronchiolitis Obliterans↗
PubMed2002

Environmental factors relevant to difficult asthma.

Symptom persistence in difficult asthmatics may be related to their home environment. If sensitised asthmatics are to benefit from indoor allergen avoidance measures, these must be rigorous and drug adherence satisfactory. This is difficult for many families. The relationship between traffic pollution, asthma diagnosis and symptom severity is persuasive but requires objective validation. Overall, it seems that house dust mite control and tobacco smoke avoidance are important for asthmatics and advice about how to avoid these adverse factors must be given. Whether these measures are effective in difficult asthmatics and whether moving house makes any difference is unknown.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗