Characteristics and mechanisms of persistent asthma after common cold virus infection

哮喘是澳大利亚社区的一个主要健康问题。最近的研究表明，越来越多的所有年龄段的人都患有哮喘，尽管哮喘死亡人数下降，但仍有大量的人继续患有需要住院治疗的严重发作。在大多数情况下，哮喘症状的恶化与感冒或流感样疾病有关。病毒是这些感染的主要原因，并且已知会使哮喘症状恶化。我们已经确定了病毒是如何通过触发气道中的一种炎症来做到这一点的。我们还发现，在严重的哮喘发作后，有些人不能完全康复。他们似乎有持续的问题，在某些情况下，病毒仍然可以从气道分离。这种情况如何以及为何发生尚不清楚。我们正在寻求了解这个问题，并描述它如何影响哮喘患者。我们计划通过测量痰液中的细胞和化学物质来研究某些病毒对哮喘患者肺部的影响。我们将使用最新开发的技术来准确地了解感染这些人的病毒，以及免疫系统是如何工作的。这项研究将揭示不稳定性哮喘的潜在原因以及病毒感染在其中的作用。它也可能为开发更有效地预防和控制哮喘的治疗方法带来新的机会。

Asthma is a major health problem for the Australian community. Recent studies have shown increasing numbers of people of all ages are developing asthma, and despite a fall in asthma deaths, large number of people continue to have severe attacks requiring hospitalisation. In most cases the deterioration in asthma symptoms is related to a cold or flu like illness. Viruses are the leading cause of these infections and are known to make asthma symptoms worse. We have identified how viruses do this by triggering a type of inflammation in the airways. We have also found that after a severe attack of asthma some people do not recover completely. They appear to have persistent problems, and in some cases the virus can still be isolated from the airways. How and why this occurs is not known. We are seeking to understand this problem and describe how it affects people with asthma. We plan to investigate what effect certain viruses have on the lungs of people with asthma by measuring cells and chemicals that are present in sputum. We will use recently developed technologies to accurately see what viruses are infecting these people, and how the immune system is working. This study will shed important light on potential causes of unstable asthma and the role that viral infection plays in this. It may also lead to new opportunities to develop treatments that are more effective in preventing and controlling asthma.