Pulmonary & Respiratory Medicine

Lucia Leonardi

Publications

• Review Article
  Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis: Diagnostic and Treatment Challenges
  Author(s): Lucia Leonardi, Bianca Laura Cinicola, Rossella Laitano and Rossella LaitanoLucia Leonardi, Bianca Laura Cinicola, Rossella Laitano and Rossella Laitano
  
  Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a pulmonary disorder, occurring mostly in asthmatic and cystic fibrosis patients, caused by an abnormal T-helper 2 lymphocyte response of the host to Aspergillus fumigatus antigens. ABPA diagnosis is defined by clinical, laboratory and radiological criteria including active asthma, immediate skin reactivity to A. fumigatus antigens, total serum IgE levels>1000 IU/mL, fleeting pulmonary parenchymal opacities and central bronchiectases that represent an irreversible complication of ABPA. Despite advances in our understanding of the role of the allergic response in the pathophysiology of ABPA, pathogenesis of the disease is still not completely clear. In addition, the absence of consensus regarding its prevalence, diagnostic criteria and staging limits the possibility of diagnosing the.. Read More»
  DOI: 10.4172/2161-105X.1000361

  Abstract PDF