Reviews and feature articleAdvances in environmental and occupational respiratory disease in 2010

2010 found a number of significant advances in environmental and occupational respiratory disease. The role of sensitization and the subsequent production of allergic disease have been explored. New allergens and their T- and B-cell epitopes have been characterized. Novel approaches to the diagnosis and evaluation of food allergy have been described. The role of pollutants as they affect respiratory disease and the effects of age extremes on sensitization and asthma have been addressed. Significant advances in the understanding of inflammatory changes in both the upper and lower respiratory systems occurred. Novel therapeutic approaches have been explored, including the development of hypoallergens from improved molecular biology techniques. New effective approaches to asthma therapy have been identified. Exposure reduction through air filtration and novel immunotherapy approaches, such as sublingual therapy, have made significant advances.