Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease with symptoms such as expiratory airflow narrowing and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). Millions of people suffer from asthma and are at risk of life-threatening conditions. Lactoferrin (LF) is a glycoprotein with multiple physiological functions, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antitumoral activities. LF has been shown to function in immunoregulatory activities in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) in mice. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of LF in AHR and the functions of dendritic cells (DCs) and Th2-related responses in asthma. Twenty 8-week-old male BALB/c mice were divided into normal control (NC), ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized, and OVA-sensitized with low dose of LF (100 mg/kg) or high dose of LF (300 mg/kg) treatment groups. The mice were challenged by intranasal instillation with 5% OVA on the 21st to 27th day after the start of the sensitization period. The AHR, cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and pulmonary histology of each mouse were measured. Serum OVA-specific IgE and IgG1 and OVA-specific splenocyte responses were further detected. The results showed that LF exhibited protective effects in ameliorating AHR, as well as lung inflammation and damage, in reducing the expression of Th2 cytokines and the secretion of allergen-specific antibodies, in influencing the functions of DCs, and in decreasing the level of Th2 immune responses in a BALB/c mouse model of OVA-induced allergic asthma. Importantly, we demonstrated that LF has practical application in reducing DC-induced Th2 cell responses in asthma. In conclusion, LF exhibits anti-inflammation and immunoregulation activities in OVA-induced allergic asthma. These results suggest that LF may act as a supplement to prevent asthma-induced lung injury and provide an additional agent for reducing asthma severity.

(1) Background: No association between air pollution and periodontitis has yet been shown. Thus, we merged two nationwide databases to evaluate the risk of periodontitis in Taiwanese residents with long-term exposure to air pollution. (2) Methods: We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study using the Longitudinal Generation Tracking Database and the Taiwan Air Quality-Monitoring Database. The daily average air pollutant concentrations were categorized into quartiles (Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4). We carried out Cox proportional hazards models to compute the hazard ratios of periodontitis, with 95% confidence intervals, in Q2–Q4 of the daily average air pollutant concentrations, compared with Q1. (3) Results: the adjusted HR (95 CI%) for periodontitis in Q2–Q4 increased with increased exposure to SO₂, CO, NO, NO₂, NO_X, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀ from 1.72 (1.70, 1.76) to 4.86 (4.78–4.94); from 1.89 (1.85–1.93) to 2.64 (2.59–2.70); from 1.04 (1.02–1.06) to 1.52 (1.49–1.55); from 1.61 (1.58–1.64) to 2.51 (2.47–2.56); from 1.48 (1.45–1.51) to 2.11 (2.07–2.15); from 2.02 (1.98–2.06) to 22.9 (22.4–23.4, and from 2.71 (2.66–2.77) to 17.2 (16.8–17.6), respectively, compared to Q1. (4) Conclusions: Residents in Taiwan with long-term exposure to higher levels of air pollutants had a greater risk of periodontitis.

Air pollution triggers a tissue-specific inflammatory response. However, studies on the association between exposure to air pollutants and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) risk remain limited. Thus, we conducted this nationwide study to define the association between air pollution and CRS. We used the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID) and Taiwan Air Quality-Monitoring Database (TAQMD) to conduct a population-based cohort study. Study participants were recruited from the LHID, a data subset of the National Health Insurance Research Database that randomly sampled one million individuals. TAQMD has been an air pollutant database since 1998. In univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models, adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% CIs of CRS in five air pollutants were accounted. We adjusted for age, sex, urbanization level, insurance fee, comorbidities, and pollutant levels in the multivariate model. The total number of participants enrolled in this study was 160,504. The average age was 40.46 ± 14.62 years; males constituted 43.8% of the total participants. The percentages of alcoholism, tobacco dependence, and COPD were 1.5%, 2.8%, and 28.3%, respectively. After adjustment for age, sex, urbanization level, insurance fee, and comorbidities, the highest levels of air pollutants, including PM_2.5 (aHR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.06–1.22), NO₂ (aHR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.00–1.15), and PM₁₀ (aHR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.05–1.21) had a significantly greater CRS risk; we selected the lower concentration as the reference but did not correlate with CO. We found a significantly increased risk of CRS in residents with air pollutant exposure.

The development of the biotech industry is in full swing, and consumers have begun to value biotech brands. Since biotech products often focus on the future or special benefits, consumers inevitably bear certain risks when purchasing biotech products, and their trust in the biotech brand will have an important impact on their purchase intention. Previous studies have lacked a targeted understanding of consumer trust in biotech brands and a discussion of cultural viewpoints. This study introduced the concept of personal connections in Chinese relationalism and trust strategies in Chinese society to address this gap. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted in collaboration with Company X, a listed Taiwanese cord blood company, to extract the key factors influencing consumer trust and purchase intention of biotech brands. After constructing the structure model, the study was validated using a structural equation model through investigation and survey. The findings indicated that consumer trust in biotech brands was constructed by a combination of kinship trust transfer and emergent trust transfer within the consumer relationship network, as well as institutional trust and professional trust outside the relationship network and that a significant positive correlation existed between consumer trust in biotech brands and purchase intention. The acquaintances within the consumer relationship network include not only relatives and friends but also health care workers and netizens that consumers come into contact with. In addition, kinship trust transfer and emergent trust transfer within the consumer relationship network have a greater impact on trust in biotech brands than the institutional trust and professional trust outside the relationship network. The findings of this study deepen the understanding of consumer trust in biotech brands across cultures, and suggest that future marketing communication should be expanded to include key players within the consumer relationship network.

With an increasing aging population, the prevalence of chronic comorbidities is on the rise. The potential relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and osteoporosis has garnered significant attention. Most studies examining the association between these two conditions have relied on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD). Although DXA is considered the gold standard for BMD assessment, it does not reflect overall skeletal health. The limitations of conventional measurements are particularly pronounced in patients with multisystemic diseases, such as OSA. To address these limitations, we applied VeriOsteo™OP software to predict lumbar spine BMD and T-scores from chest X-ray (CXR) images. In addition, we examined the relationship between these bone health metrics and OSA. A total of 70,395 patients who underwent CXR examinations at Tungs’ Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital from 2017 to 2022 were included. Eligible samples were selected based on the presence of an OSA ICD-10-CM diagnosis code along with DXA results. By incorporating variables, such as gender, age, Body Mass Index (BMI), and T-score, we used multiple machine learning models, including logistic regression, random forest, and XGBoost, to analyze the risk for OSA. The results indicated that when the BMI range was controlled, the predictive contribution of the T-score became significant. For some models, the area under the curve (AUC) reached over 85% in both the training and validation datasets. This suggests a notable association between T-score and OSA, which is maintained when confounding variables such as BMI are controlled. This study highlights the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) technology using CXR imaging for osteoporosis screening. Combining CXR with machine learning models enables the assessment of OSA risk and offers a cost-effective, radiation-free screening tool with promising clinical applications.

Air pollution, particularly particulate matter (PM), poses a significant health risk worldwide, with rhinitis emerging as a prevalent respiratory condition. This review explores the association between air pollution and rhinitis, focusing on PM-induced inflammation and the potential preventive role of nutritional supplements. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the PubMed and Scopus databases, covering studies from inception to 2024 that investigated air pollution, rhinitis, and nutritional interventions. This review synthesizes evidence linking PM exposure to increased prevalence and exacerbation of rhinitis through various inflammatory mechanisms. We further examine the potential of nutritional supplements, including kefir peptides, lactoferrin, vitamin D, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and probiotics, in mitigating PM-induced inflammation and rhinitis symptoms. However, the evidence regarding the role of these supplements in modulating immune responses and reducing inflammation related to PM-induced rhinitis is limited. This review highlights the potential efficacy of nutritional interventions in preventing and managing air pollution-associated rhinitis, offering a complementary approach to environmental regulations in addressing this public health challenge.