BALBI , Francesco

The recent advances in the knowledge of immunological aspects of many pulmonary diseases, allowed to identify cells, biological functions, cytokines, and receptors that are preferentially involved in each disease. This is the case of asthma, where IL-13 (together with IL-4) is recognized as a central mediator. The role of IL-13 is strictly...

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disorder characterized by poorly reversible airway obstruction and its pathogenesis remains largely misunderstood. Local changes of regulatory T-cell populations in the lungs of COPD patients have been demonstrated although data concerning their pathologic role are...