Severe pediatric asthma is a very challenging type of asthma for both physicians and patients. Precision medicine in severe pediatric asthma has undergone important developments in recent years. This therapeutic approach requires an adequate diagnosis and clinical phenotyping of patients and is useful for predicting the prognosis and response to treatment in this type of patient. This article summarizes the scientific information of the last five years in the diagnosis of severe pediatric asthma, focusing on topics such as genetic markers, biomarkers, lung function, radiological techniques, and bronchoscopy.

Numerous methods for functional diagnostics of nasal obstruction provide various information on nasal airway resistance and may aim to replace physically based methods by so-called simplifications or solely on subjective score systems. This may lead to nonsatisfying results in nasal surgery and prolonged postoperative care. An interdisciplinary analysis of contemporary methods for measurement was the task of the German-Austrian research program “Rhinodiagnost”. This review is intended to discuss basic and wide-spread errors playing a significant role during daily practice and proposes a step program for functional rhinological diagnostics with some modifications to be applied in case of allergic nasal disease. With regard to the content of “position paper on the standardization of nasal allergen challenges (2018)” of the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) and the results of the consensus conference of Riga in 2016, the differences between of “classic” and 4-phase-rhinomanometry (4PR) and their differences are clarified. The parameters of logarithmic effective resistance (LReff) allow a classification of the obstruction obtained during 36,500 measurements which are correlated to the subjective sensing of obstruction. The classification can be adapted for age and size and is valid for the Caucasian and Chinese populations.

Indoor air pollution (IAP) is an important cause of concern for human health, leading to millions of deaths worldwide each year. Since people spend most of their time indoor the quality of the air inhaled during routine activities is of primary importance. IAP include particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemical gases, heavy metals, and biological contaminants. Unfortunately, their sources are various and widespread all over the household and other indoor environments, causing relevant health consequences. This narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive framework of the indoor pollutants effects on subjects affected by asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. As pivotal barriers against pollutants, in fact, respiratory and cutaneous districts can be particularly affected by IAP, especially in case of atopic diseases. On the other hand, the application of targeted adjustments, such as the avoidance of cigarette smoking, the use of hoods while cooking, the choice of adequate ventilation systems, and the use of low-emitting building materials and furniture may result in the improvement of indoor quality.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. Despite the availability of therapies and the adoption of security measures, the most effective method to fight COVID-19 remains the induction of immunity through vaccines. Scientific communities have developed several types of COVID-19 vaccines since the beginning of the pandemic, including those with innovative messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. Patients with a history of allergic reactions may have an increased risk of hypersensitivity reactions to COVID-19 vaccines. Therefore, it is important that these patients are evaluated by an allergist to help monitor immediate-type adverse reactions and identify what vaccine component may elicit an allergic reaction. Various strategies have been suggested to prevent hypersensitivity reactions, including performing skin tests or in vitro tests before vaccination in high-risk patients, administering a different vaccine for the second dose in subjects reporting adverse reactions to the first dose, fractional dosing, or pretreating with anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) monoclonal antibody. The scope of this review is to evaluate, through current evidence available in the literature, the accuracy of skin testing to the excipients of COVID-19 vaccines, especially polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polysorbate, in predicting allergic reactions to vaccination, despite the existing discordance of data and approaches to the question from the various clinical experiences, as to permit the safe administration of COVID-19 vaccines to populations around the globe.

Over the last two decades, the emergence of lethal virulent strains of coronavirus (CoV), including the severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has become a matter of great attention to the scientific community. Despite the implementation of preventive measures throughout the world, the spread of this disease and associated co-morbidities and mortality continue in all countries, continents, and populations of all ages. COVID-19 is highly contagious. Clinical manifestations are diverse and range from asymptomatic, mild to severe, life-threatening complications in the elderly and patients with underlying conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and asthma. In addition, viral infections can trigger asthma attacks. To date, there is no specific treatment schema to combat COVID-19 disease. Current patient care revolves around disease severity and supportive treatment of symptoms from home-rest in mild disease to anti-viral therapy, oxygen support, anti-inflammatories, and anti-coagulants in severe COVID-19. Regarding prevention, the World Health Organization recommends vaccination, social distancing, quarantine, the wearing of surgical masks, and handwashing. In many countries, vaccination is optional, and given that parents are often reluctant to vaccinate themselves and their children for fear of side effects, identifying ways to enhance or support the immune system to prevent infection or improve recovery in vulnerable populations is worth investigating. Furthermore, research has focused on the pharmacological management of COVID-19 symptoms and much less has been published on nutrition therapy. Therefore, the scope of this review is to summarize the latest evidence on the use of vitamin D to support the metabolism and the immune system of asthma patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. A brief overview of asthma and COVID-19 pathophysiology, COVID-19 treatment guidelines for asthma patients, and the role of vitamin D in lung health, including the optimal blood level required to enhance immunity, will be suggested.

Atopic dermatitis (AD), also referred to eczema, is a common inflammatory skin disease that usually presents during infancy or childhood but affects patients of all ages. It is a pruritic, chronic/relapsing condition that may significantly impact the patients’ quality of life and can be associated with other atopic comorbidities including asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis. Inflammation in AD is mostly sustained by type 2 inflammation. Most patients are satisfactorily managed with a combination of emollients, avoidance of triggering factors, topical glucocorticoids, and/or topical calcineurin inhibitors. However, a proportion of patients with moderate or severe AD might require phototherapy or systemic immunosuppressants, which are limited in time due to possible safety concerns and progressive efficacy loss. In recent years, the availability of T helper 2 (Th2)-blocking agents dupilumab and tralokinumab has revolutionized the long-term treatment of moderate-to-severe AD. Here are discussed recent advances in the clinical development of biologic treatments for AD. The clinical implementation of these novel drugs has the potential not only to greatly improve the quality of life of patients with this chronic and disabling condition but also to clarify the biological processes underlying AD, in turn enabling further development of more effective, safer treatments. This research paper aims to provide an overview of biological therapies currently in use and under investigation in the setting of AD.

The Finnish Asthma Program, which ran between 1994 and 2004, has long been heralded as a benchmark of success in how to improve management and reduce asthma-related health service utilization. In Australia, there were 38,792 asthma hospitalizations in 2017–18, and 80% of these were considered avoidable (J Asthma Allergy. 2021;14:797–808. doi: 10.2147/JAA.S311721). To address this issue, Asthma Australia has set a strategic objective of halving avoidable asthma presentations to hospital by 2030. This article provides an overview of the Finnish Asthma Program, including an evaluation of critical success factors, outputs, and outcomes, followed by a synthesis of these findings for relevance and applicability to the contemporary Australian context that will inform policy and practice recommendations. Early diagnosis, effective anti-inflammatory medication, guided self-management, and monitoring disease control are still the keys to mitigating asthma burden. In the spirit of the Finnish Program, the digital transformation of healthcare and social media is enabling a new kind of systematic approach, both for patients and professionals.

Recent data has resulted in an interest in the metabolic shift in cellular metabolism to aerobic glycolysis, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitochondrial dysfunction associated with asthma. There has been a push to better understand the immune and metabolic changes in allergy to improve understanding of disease pathology and treatment. Aerobic glycolysis seen in epithelial cells in asthma promotes chronic inflammation and the production of inflammatory cytokines. Asthma epithelial cells share a number of features proposed in the stages of cancer initiation including aerobic glycolysis and increased apoptosis with proliferation, all within a chronic inflammatory microenvironment. Metabolic reprogramming in malignant cells has been widely investigated since the glycolytic characteristics were first described last century. It is still debated whether these metabolic changes are the cause or consequence of carcinogenesis and oncogenic cell-selective pressures. Although historic results have been conflicting, recent data has found an increased lung cancer risk in asthma patients, independent of risk factors. A review of emerging research on the metabolic changes seen in asthma helps us to propose a pathway between the initiation of aerobic glycolysis and the selective pressures of the epithelial microenvironment and resulting malignant transformation risk.

Telemedicine (TM) is rapidly gaining recognition as a valuable tool for accessing medical treatments globally. The article aimed to review the latest literature on the role of TM in asthma care. It has been shown that TM offers numerous advantages for patients and clinicians, facilitating an easier access to healthcare resulting in higher patient satisfaction. Telemedicine technology, pushed by the COVID-19 pandemic, has improved asthma management, notably treatment adherence. Smart inhalers, wearable gadgets, and smartphone apps allow doctors to make data-driven decisions and empower patients to manage their diseases. Real-world research shows that TM is effective and patient-friendly. Infrastructure constraints, data security issues, and long-term patient engagement must be addressed. In conclusion, a hybrid strategy combining TM and in-person visits, enabled by AI and secure digital solutions, can provide equal, efficient, and comprehensive asthma management.

It is well known that adolescent patients often have less than optimal outcomes. Adolescence is a time of much transition, physically, emotionally, and socially all of which have effects on asthma management and outcomes. Pubertal changes affect asthma, but mostly it is the move towards independence from the parents, peer pressures, stigma of illness, and adherence issues that cause the issue. It is thus important to learn to treat the patient directly, wherein currently often children are treated through the parent, to ensure success.

Bronchiectasis is a heterogeneous chronic lung disease, characterised by irreversible dilatation of the airways and attributed to a wide spectrum of other underlying conditions, usually underdiagnosed and inadequately treated with a high burden for both the patients and the healthcare system. The way bronchiectasis is viewed by physicians has drastically changed over the last decades, with the topic of eosinophilia in the context of the disease being one of the substantially highlighted. Eosinophilia was traditionally considered as a means for distinguishing bronchiectasis from asthma, whereas bronchiectasis was primarily associated with neutrophilic inflammation. However, eosinophilic bronchiectasis is nowadays identified as a distinct disease endotype and is associated with a specific clinical course and response to treatment. Further research is needed to better characterise this endotype and improve its personalised investigation and management in daily clinical practice.

This review delves into the complex role of 12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LOX) in asthma pathogenesis, focusing on its contributions to mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, epithelial injury, and airway remodeling. We provide new insights into potential therapeutic strategies aimed at improving asthma management. Additionally, we examine the pro-inflammatory functions of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and its regulatory mechanisms that upregulate 12/15-LOX, leading to increased oxidative stress and airway remodeling. Key interventions such as vitamin E, esculetin, and baicalein are highlighted for their potential to inhibit 12/15-LOX activity, reduce oxidative stress, and restore mitochondrial function. Vitamin E suppresses IL-4 transcription, reducing 12/15-LOX expression and its inflammatory metabolites, while esculetin and baicalein directly inhibit 12/15-LOX, mitigating inflammation and oxidative damage. These antioxidants also promote mitochondrial biogenesis, protect mitochondrial DNA, and enhance respiratory efficiency, contributing to improved cellular metabolism and reduced apoptosis. This comprehensive approach emphasizes the therapeutic potential of targeting 12/15-LOX pathways to alleviate asthma symptoms and improve patient outcomes, paving the way for novel treatment strategies that significantly enhance asthma therapy.