The nose and lung are both part of the respiratory tract. Often the diseases affecting the nose and/or the bronchi are treated separately. However, in recent years, numerous studies have highlighted the fact that the respiratory system is a single entity and the concept of "united airway disease" has become more and more important. The unity of the respiratory tract is confirmed both from a morphological and from a functional point of view. Nevertheless, this concept is also confirmed for the respiratory immune system, innervation and vascularization interesting all along the tract, from the nose to the bronchioles. When treating rhinitis, it is often necessary to assess the presence of asthma. Patients with sinusitis should be evaluated for a possible concomitant asthma. Conversely, patients with asthma should always be evaluated for possible nasal disease. The medications that treat nasal diseases appear to be useful in improving control of asthma and in reducing bronchial hyperresponsiveness as well. Physicians should always keep these notions in mind, and evaluate and treat respiratory diseases taking into account the unity of the respiratory tract.
Asthma ; Bronchi ; Bronchioles ; Humans ; Immune System ; Lung ; Nose ; Nose Diseases ; Respiratory System ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; Sinusitis

Several studies have shown the mechanisms and importance of immune responses against Toxoplasma gondii infection and the notable role of cholinesterases in inflammatory reactions. However, the association between those factors has not yet been investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in blood and lymphocytes and the activity of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in serum of rats experimentally infected with T. gondii during the acute phase of infection. For that, an in vivo study was performed with evaluations of AChE and BChE activities on days 5 and 10 post-infection (PI). The activity of AChE in blood was increased on day 5 PI, while in lymphocytes its activity was enhanced on days 5 and 10 PI (P<0.05). No significant difference was observed between groups regarding to the activity of BChE in serum. A positive (P<0.01) correlation was observed between AChE activity and number of lymphocytes. The role of AChE as an inflammatory marker is well known in different pathologies; thus, our results lead to the hypothesis that AChE has an important role in modulation of early immune responses against T. gondii infection.
Acetylcholinesterase/blood/*metabolism ; Animals ; Butyrylcholinesterase/blood/*metabolism ; Humans ; Lymphocytes/enzymology/parasitology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Toxoplasma/*physiology ; Toxoplasmosis/*enzymology/genetics/parasitology