title: Pneumococcal vaccines for allergic airways diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is a common global health problem. Environmental exposures such as bacteria may protect against asthma development.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This review aims to examine the possible protective role of pneumococcal infection and vaccination in asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of known experimental biology and human epidemiology relating to asthma and pneumococcal infection was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pneumococcal infection can modulate components of allergic airways disease such as airways hyperresponsiveness and airway eosinophilia. Exposure to killed pneumococcus can reproduce these effects and the mechanism may involve control by T regulatory cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pneumococcal immunoregulatory therapy is a potentially important approach to asthma management that requires further evaluation in well-designed research studies.
authors.affiliation: The University of Newcastle, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Disease, Newcastle, Australia.
authors.forename: Alison N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Thorburn
authors.forename: Philip M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Hansbro
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Gibson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines