Browsing by Author "Crane J"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Enhanced airway sensory nerve reactivity in non-eosinophilic asthma
    (BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and the British Thoracic Society, 2/11/2021) Ali H; Brooks C; Crane J; Beasley R; Holgate S; Gibson P; Pattemore P; Tzeng Y-C; Stanley T; Pearce N; Douwes J
    BACKGROUND: Neural mechanisms may play an important role in non-eosinophilic asthma (NEA). This study compared airway sensory nerve reactivity, using capsaicin challenge, in eosinophilic asthma (EA) and NEA and non-asthmatics. METHODS: Thirty-eight asthmatics and 19 non-asthmatics (aged 14-21 years) underwent combined hypertonic saline challenge/sputum induction, fractional exhaled nitric oxide, atopy and spirometry tests, followed by capsaicin challenge. EA and NEA were defined using a sputum eosinophil cut-point of 2.5%. Airway hyperreactivity was defined as a ≥15% drop in FEV1 during saline challenge. Sensory nerve reactivity was defined as the lowest capsaicin concentration that evoked 5 (C5) coughs. RESULTS: Non-eosinophilic asthmatics (n=20) had heightened capsaicin sensitivity (lower C5) compared with non-asthmatics (n=19) (geometric mean C5: 58.3 µM, 95% CI 24.1 to 141.5 vs 193.6 µM, 82.2 to 456.0; p<0.05). NEA tended to also have greater capsaicin sensitivity than EA, with the difference in capsaicin sensitivity between NEA and EA being of similar magnitude (58.3 µM, 24.1 to 141.5 vs 191.0 µM, 70.9 to 514.0) to that observed between NEA and non-asthmatics; however, this did not reach statistical significance (p=0.07). FEV1 was significantly reduced from baseline following capsaicin inhalation in both asthmatics and non-asthmatics but no differences were found between subgroups. No associations with capsaicin sensitivity and atopy, sputum eosinophils, blood eosinophils, asthma control or treatment were observed. CONCLUSION: NEA, but not EA, showed enhanced capsaicin sensitivity compared with non-asthmatics. Sensory nerve reactivity may therefore play an important role in the pathophysiology of NEA.
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    He Kāinga Oranga: reflections on 25 years of measuring the improved health, wellbeing and sustainability of healthier housing
    (Taylor and Francis, on behalf of Te Aparangi, The Royal Society of New Zealand, 2023-02-06) Howden-Chapman P; Crane J; Keall M; Pierse N; Baker MG; Cunningham C; Amore K; Aspinall C; Bennett J; Bierre S; Boulic M; Chapman R; Chisholm E; Davies C; Fougere G; Fraser B; Fyfe C; Grant L; Grimes A; Halley C; Logan-Riley A; Nathan K; Olin C; Ombler J; O’Sullivan K; Pehi T; Penny G; Phipps R; Plagman M; Randal E; Riggs L; Robson B; Ruru J; Shaw C; Schrader B; Teariki MA; Telfar Barnard L; Tiatia R; Toy-Cronin B; Tupara H; Viggers H; Wall T; Wilkie M; Woodward A; Zhang W
    This paper reflects on the influences and outcomes of He Kāinga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme over 25 years, and their impact on housing and health policy in Aotearoa and internationally. Working in partnership particularly with Māori and Pasifika communities, we have conducted randomised control trials which have shown the health and broad co-benefits of retrofitted insulation, heating and remediation of home hazards, which have underpinned government policy in the Warm Up NZ-Heat Smart programme and the Healthy Homes Standards for rental housing. These trials have been included as evidence in the WHO Housing and Health Guidelines and led to our designation as a WHO Collaborating Centre on Housing and Wellbeing. We are increasingly explicitly weaving Māori frameworks, values and processes with traditional Western science.
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    Influence of management practice on the microbiota of a critically endangered species: a longitudinal study of kākāpō chick faeces and associated nest litter
    (BioMed Central, Ltd., 2022-09-30) West AG; Digby A; Lear G; Armstrong D; Armstrong-James D; Bromley M; Buckley E; Chatterton J; Cox MP; Cramer RA; Crane J; Dearden PK; Eason D; Fisher MC; Gago S; Gartrell B; Gemmell NJ; Glare TR; Guhlin J; Howard J; Lacap-Bugler D; Le Lec M; Lin XX; Lofgren L; Mackay J; Meis J; Morelli KA; Perrott J; Petterson M; Quinones-Mateu M; Rhodes J; Roberts J; Stajich J; Taylor MW; Tebbutt SJ; Truter-Meyer A; Uddstrom L; Urban L; van Rhijn N; Vercoe D; Vesely E; Weir BS; Winter DJ; Yeung J
    Background: The critically endangered kākāpō is a flightless, nocturnal parrot endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand. Recent efforts to describe the gastrointestinal microbial community of this threatened herbivore revealed a low-diversity microbiota that is often dominated by Escherichia-Shigella bacteria. Given the importance of associated microbial communities to animal health, and increasing appreciation of their potential relevance to threatened species conservation, we sought to better understand the development of this unusual gut microbiota profile. To this end, we conducted a longitudinal analysis of faecal material collected from kākāpō chicks during the 2019 breeding season, in addition to associated nest litter material. Results: Using an experimental approach rarely seen in studies of threatened species microbiota, we evaluated the impact of a regular conservation practice on the developing kākāpō microbiota, namely the removal of faecal material from nests. Artificially removing chick faeces from nests had negligible impact on bacterial community diversity for either chicks or nests (p > 0.05). However, the gut microbiota did change significantly over time as chick age increased (p < 0.01), with an increasing relative abundance of Escherichia-Shigella coli over the study period and similar observations for the associated nest litter microbiota (p < 0.01). Supplementary feeding substantially altered gut bacterial diversity of kākāpō chicks (p < 0.01), characterised by a significant increase in Lactobacillus bacteria. Conclusions: Overall, chick age and hand rearing conditions had the most marked impact on faecal bacterial communities. Similarly, the surrounding nest litter microbiota changed significantly over time since a kākāpō chick was first placed in the nest, though we found no evidence that removal of faecal material influenced the bacterial communities of either litter or faecal samples. Taken together, these observations will inform ongoing conservation and management of this most enigmatic of bird species.
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    Retrofitting home insulation reduces incidence and severity of chronic respiratory disease
    (John Wiley and Sons, Ltd, 21/08/2022) Fyfe C; Barnard LT; Douwes J; Howden-Chapman P; Crane J
    To assess whether retrofitting home insulation can reduce the risk of respiratory disease incidence and exacerbation, a retrospective cohort study was undertaken using linked data from a national intervention program. The study population was made up of 1 004 795 residents from 205 001 New Zealand houses that received an insulation subsidy though a national Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority program. A difference-in-difference model compared changes in the number of prescriptions dispensed for respiratory illness post- insulation to a control population over the same timeframe. New prescribing of chronic respiratory disease medication at follow-up was used to compare incidence risk ratios between intervention and control groups. Chronic respiratory disease incidence was significantly lower in the intervention group at follow-up: odds ratio 0.90 (95% CI: 0.86-0.94). There was also a 4% reduction in medication dispensed for treating exacerbations of chronic respiratory disease symptoms in the intervention group compared with the control group: relative rate ratio (RRR) 0.96 (95% CI: 0.96-0.97). There was no change in medication dispensed to prevent symptoms of chronic respiratory disease RRR: 1,00 (95% CI: 0.99-1.00). These findings support home insulation interventions as a means of improving respiratory health outcomes.