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Glossary of terms

Following is a list of basic descriptions for terms and abbreviations that you may come across when reading about our work:

p38 MAP K p38 mitogen activated protein kinase

ACAM Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring

AHR Airway Hyperresponsiveness

AIHW Australian Institute of Health & Welfare

ARC Australian Research Council

ASTN Australasian Sleep Clinical Trials Network

BOLD Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease

BSMC bronchial smooth muscle cells

Budenoside Corticosteroid used in inhalant form to treat asthma

BVS bi-level positive airway pressure

CAPS Childhood Asthma Prevention Study

CBT Cognitive Behavioural Treatment

CCAAT CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins (C/EBPs) are a family of leucine zipper, transcription factors that bind to DNA as homodimers and heterodimers.

CCRE Centre for Clinical Research Excellence

CDC/NIOSH Center for Disease Control/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (USA)

C/EBP CCAAT-Enhancer Binding Protein

C/EBP-α CCAAT-Enhancer Binding Protein- Alpha

C/EBP-ß CCAAT-Enhancer Binding Protein- Beta

C/EBP-δ CCAAT-Enhancer Binding Protein- Delta

C/EBP-ε CCAAT-Enhancer Binding Protein- Epsilon

CF Cystic Fibrosis

CHATA Community Health and Tuberculosis Australia

CHERE Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation

Cohort A defined population group followed prospectively in an epidemiological study

COPD Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

COL4A1 human protein coding DNA

CPAP Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

CRC Cooperative Research Centre

CRCA Cooperative Research Centre for Asthma

CRCAA Cooperative Research Centre for Asthma & Airways Disease

CT Computed Tomography

CTGF Connective Tissue Growth Factor

CTU Clinical Trials Unit

DOI Digital Object Identifier

EAACI European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology

EBM Evidence Based Medicine

ECM Extracellular Matrix

EEG Electroencephalogram

EMSA electrophoretic mobility shift assay, a technique that is central to studying gene regulation and determining protein:DNA interactions

EMU Electron Microscope Unit

eNO exhaled Nitric Oxide

ENT Ear Nose & Throat

FEV1 Forced Expiratory Volume in one second

Fli1 Friend leukemia integration 1 (Fli-1) is a member of the Ets family of transcriptional activators that has been shown to be an important regulator during megakaryocytic differentiation.

FMLP Formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine

Formoterol Long-acting β2-agonist used in the management of asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

FOT Forced Oscillation Technique

FVC Forced Vital Capacity

GINA Global Initiative for Asthma

GP General Practitioner

GR glucocorticoid receptor

HFA hydrofluoroalkane, a propellant in asthma aerosol inhalations

HFSP Human Frontier in Science Program

HRCT High Resolution Computed Tomography

Hsp47 Hsp47 is a heat-shock protein that interacts transiently with rocollagen during its folding, assembly and transport from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of mammalian cells

IBG Informatiebeheergroep

ICS Inhaled Corticosteroid

IgE Immunoglobulin E

IGP Infrastructure Grant Program

IL- Inter lukin-

LABA Late acting beta agonists

LAM Lymphangioleiomyomatosis

L-NMMA A competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthetase

MBNW Multiple Breath Nitrogen Washout

Micro-CT Micro-Computed Tomography

MMP Matrix Metalloproteinases

MR Magnetic Resonance

MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging

mRNA messenger Ribonucleic Acid

MRS Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

MRSP Medical Research Support Program

MT1 Metallothionein 1 gene

NEPC National Environment Protection Council

NHMD National Hospital Morbidity Database

NHMRC National Health & Medical Research Council

NHSCF National Hypertonic Saline Cystic Fibrosis

NHPA National Health Priorities Areas

NHS National Health System

NIH National Institute of Health (USA)

NIV Non-invasive ventilation

NO Nitric Oxide

NRT Nicotine Replacement Therapy

OSA Obstructive Sleep Apnea

PACE Physician Asthma Care Education

PCR Polymerase Chain Reaction

PDGF-BB Platelet Derived Growth Factor-BB

PhD Doctorate of Philosophy

PND post-nasal drip

PPL post-prandial lipidemia

Ps.a Pseudomonas aeruginosa

RLS Restless Legs Syndrome

RNA Ribonucleic Acid

RNSH Royal North Shore Hospital

RPAH Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

SCG Sleep & Circadian Group

SIG Special Interest Group

SPECT Single Photon Emission Computer Tomography

SSWAHS Sydney South Western Area Health Service

TB Tuberculosis

TGF Transforming Growth Factor

TGFß Transforming Growth Factor Beta

TIMP-2 Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2

TNF Tumour Necrosis Factor

TNF-α Tumour Necrosis Factor-Alpha

TSANZ Thoracic Society of Australia & New Zealand

V/Q Ventilation Perfusion

UCLA University of California, Los Angeles

µm micro moules