Main description:

An invaluable resource, this book covers the full range of respiratory infections and explores the techniques used to detect the pathogens involved in asthma. Fifteen international experts representing the range of specialties involved in treating asthma examine the relationship between asthma and infection. They provide authoritative, time-tested guidance clinicians and researchers can utilize and trust. They cover bacterial and viral respiratory infections and pathogen detection, examining how microbes, infections, and antibiotic and anti-inflammatory agents affect asthma. The book helps readers identify the basic, translational, clinical aspects of asthma bacterial infection, inflammation, and allergic response. Not only does it present the facts but raises questions that will stimulate the clinical and research communities to explore new avenues that may provide clear answers to old questions.

Contents:

Overview of the Infection, Allergy, and Asthma Relationship. Laboratory Diagnosis of Respiratory Infections. Hygiene Hypothesis for Allergy and Asthma. Asthma Exacerbation Induced by Virus and Bacteria. Interaction between Allergen and Bacteria in Chronic Asthma. Viral-Allergy Interactions. Viral Respiratory Infections in Infancy and Chronic Asthma. Bacterial Respiratory Infections and Asthma. Increased Susceptibility to Viral Infection at the Origins of Asthma. Pulmonary Surfactant, Innate Immunity, and Asthma. Host Defense Responses. Antimicrobial and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Antibiotics: A Role in Asthma Therapy.