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Our findings confirm the induction of Treg cells and reduction in inflammation by climate therapy. They indicate a synergistic effect of water aerosols resulting in a long-lasting beneficial effect on asthma symptoms, lung function, and airway inflammation.

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PurposeSeveral studies over the past 4 decades have indicated a significant reduction in house dust mite (HDM) and HDM allergen concentration in areas higher than 1,500 m above sea level. These have served as basis of allergen avoidance therapies for HDM allergy and asthma. However, modern construction techniques used in the insulation, heating, and glazing of buildings as well as global warming have changed the environmental parameters for HDM living conditions. The present study revisits the paradigm of decreasing HDM allergen concentrations with increasing altitude in the alpine region of Germany and Austria.MethodsA total of 122 dust samples from different abodes (hotels, privates and mountain huts) at different altitudes (400-2,600 m) were taken, and concentrations of HDM allergens were analyzed. Humidity and temperature conditions, and numerous indoor environmental parameters such as fine dust, type of flooring, age of building, and frequency of cleaning were determined.ResultsHDM allergen concentrations did not significantly change with increasing altitude or relative humidity. At the level of indoor parameters, correlations could be found for different flooring types and the concentration of HDM allergens.ConclusionsIn contrast to the widespread view of the relationship between altitude and HDM allergen concentrations, clinically relevant concentrations of HDM allergens could be detected in high-lying alpine regions in Austria and Germany. These results indicate that improvement in conditions of asthmatic patients sensitized against HDMs during a stay at high altitude can no longer be ascribed to decreased levels of HDM allergens, instead, other mechanisms may trigger the beneficial effect.

The photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX, endogenously accumulated from the precursor aminolevulinic acid (ALA) as well as other less photodynamically effective intermediates, is a successful agent in photodynamic therapy. Despite encouraging clinical results, the basic mechanisms leading to cell death are not fully understood. To elucidate these fundamentals, the alteration of the gene expression pattern in the squamous cell carcinoma cell line A-431 was studied at different time-points after photodynamic treatment with ALA by cDNA-array technique. Cells were incubated for 16 h with 100 μg/ml ALA and irradiated with a fluence of 3.5 J/cm 2 resulting in 50% survival until 8 h post treatment. RNA was isolated at 1.5, 3, 5 and 8 h post treatment and from 3 controls (untreated, light only and dark), radioactively labeled by reverse transcription with 33 P-dCTP and hybridized onto macroarray PCR filters containing PCR products of 2135 genes, which were selected for relevance in carcinogenesis, stress response and signal transduction. Verification of observed expression changes was carried out by real-time RT-PCR. We found a strong induction of expression of the immediate early genes c-jun and c-fos as well as decreased expression of genes involved in proliferation such as myc, genes involved in apoptosis such as Fas associated via death domain (FADD) and the fibronectin gene for cell adhesion. An apoptosis induction rate of not more than 30% as proved by apoptosis detection assays and caused by PpIX localization in the membrane was reflected by the expression profile.

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