Advances in environmental and occupational respiratory diseases in 2009
Received 5 January 2010; accepted 6 January 2010. published online 08 February 2010.
The year 2009 led to a number of significant advances in environmental and occupational allergic diseases. The role of exposure to environmental pollutants, respiratory viruses, and allergen exposure showed significant advances. New allergens were identified. Occupational asthma and the relationship of complementary and alternative medicine to allergic diseases were extensively reviewed. New approaches to immunotherapy, novel vaccine techniques, and methods to reduce risks for severe allergic disease were addressed.
aDivision of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology Rheumatology and Infectious Diseases and the Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma, and Lung Biology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
bSection of Allergy, Immunology, Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis
Reprint requests: David B. Peden, MD, Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, EPA Human Studies Facility, 104 Mason Farm Road, CB# 7310, Chapel Hill, NC 27599.
Disclosure of potential conflict of interest: D. B. Peden is a consultant to GlaxoSmthKline and Funcxional Therapeutics. R. K. Bush has declared that he has no conflict of interest.
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