Cystic Fibrosis

Study results from Northwestern University, Medical Department in the area of aspergillosis published

Cystic Fibrosis Library Library Home This article was published in Disease Prevention Week, which you can subscribe to online.

"Some barriers to biobehavioral research are related to performing biobehavioral research along the natural history of an illness, limitations in existing methodologies to assess the biological impact of behavior, the unknowns relating to impact of behavior on biology, and lack of valid and reliable biobehavioral methods to assess outcomes. A rare disease, such as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) can be used as a model of biobehavioral research. ABPA complicates asthma and cystic fibrosis. It is a hypersensitivity reaction to Aspergillus fumigatus in most cases. ABPA can be classified into five stages: acute, remission, exacerbation, steroid-dependent asthma, and fibrotic or end stage. Because of its rarity, there can be delays in diagnosis. Treatment has used oral corticosteroids and antifungal agents in addition to management of asthma or cystic fibrosis. The National Institute Of Nursing Research held an invitational 2-day working group meeting on July 15-16, 2004 with biobehavioral, biological, and immunologic science experts to examine current knowledge of biobehavioral research and to provide recommendations for additional research. Thefocus was on biobehavioral methods of measurement and analysis with interdisciplinary/biobehavioral approaches," wrote P.A. Greenberger and colleagues, Northwestern University, Medical Department.

The researchers concluded: "This article is an outcome of this meeting."

Greenberger and colleagues published the results of their research in Allergy and Asthma Proceedings (Using rare diseases as models for biobehavioral research: Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. Allergy and Asthma Proceedings, 2007;28(4):489-496).

For additional information, contact P.A. Greenberger, Northwestern University, Feinberg School Medical, Dept. of Medical, Division Allergy Immunology, 676 N St. Clair, 14018, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.

The publisher of the journal Allergy and Asthma Proceedings can be contacted at: Ocean Side Publications Inc., 95 Pitman St., Providence, RI 02906, USA.

Keywords: United States, Chicago, Aspergillosis, Northwestern University, Medical Department.

This article was prepared by Disease Prevention Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2007, Disease Prevention Week via NewsRx.com.