Allergy/Immunology News & Articles

1 Safety of multiple aeroallergen rush immunotherapy using a modified schedule Allergy and Asthma Proceedings, May 9, 2013
Temino VM et al. - Rush immunotherapy (RIT) accelerates the build-up phase of traditional IT. The biggest potential benefit of using RIT is decreased time to symptomatic improvement. However, aeroallergen RIT carries an increased risk of systemic reaction (SR) compared with traditional IT. This study was designed to assess the safety of a modified 1-day multiple aeroallergen RIT protocol. Modification of RIT to end at one 10-fold dilution below the maintenance vial for ...

2 Discordance between aeroallergen specific serum IgE and skin testing in children younger than 4 years Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, May 30, 2013
de Vos G et al. - To assess the yield of skin prick test (SPT) compared with allergen specific serum IgE (sIgE) testing at identifying aeroallergen sensitization in atopic children younger than 4 years. The study revealed a significant discordance between allergen-specific SPT and sIgE testing results for common aeroallergens, suggesting that both SPT and sIgE testing should be performed when diagnosing allergic sensitization in young children at high risk of asthma.

3 Limited role of allergy testing in patients with eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, March 26, 2013
Ishimura N et al. - The aim of this study is to investigate the possible involvement of food and/or aeroallergen factors in EGID. Consistent with higher levels of serum total IgE antibodies, patients with EoE and EGE were frequently sensitized to several different allergens. Reactions to aeroallergens were more prevalent in these groups, though no particular antigen causing EoE and/or EGE was detected by measuring serum antigen specific IgE antibodies.

4 Can patients with common variable immunodeficiency have allergic rhinitis? The American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy, April 9, 2013
Agondi RC et al. – Rhinosinusitis is highly prevalent in patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), and probably allergic rhinitis (AR) may be masked by a history of repeated respiratory infections. The diagnosis of AR is based on the patient’s symptoms and detection of specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) to aeroallergens. This study was designed to identify rhinitis of probable allergic cause in patients with CVID. In CVID patients, chronic rhinitis may be allergic, because many ...

5 A comparison of subject room dust with home vacuum dust for evaluation of dust-borne aeroallergens Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, May 2, 2013
Barnes C et al. - Assessment of indoor allergen is valuable in exposure research and evaluation of allergic individuals. To test the hypothesis that house dust collected from the family vacuum is equivalent to house dust collected by a technician following standard protocol. Allergens and antigens tested from samples collected by protocol and by grab sampling from the home vacuum were highly positively correlated. Grab samples taken from the family vacuum may be a good surrogate for ...

6 Caustic Ingestion: A Possible Cause of Eosinophilic Esophagitis Pediatrics, April 10, 2013
Homan M et al. - Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an emerging disease in both pediatric and adult patients. It is a chronic disease of the esophagus and refers to intense eosinophilic infiltration limited to the esophageal epithelium in the absence of gastroesophageal reflux disease. In most patients, EoE is thought to be part of an allergic response to food antigens or aeroallergens. One such trigger could be caustic damage of the mucosa.

7 The combined effects of family size and farm exposure on childhood hay fever and atopy Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, April 4, 2013
Genuneit J et al. – Exposure to farming environments and siblings is associated with reduced risks of childhood hay fever and atopy. The authors explored the independence and interaction of these protective effects in the GABRIELA study. The inverse association of exposure to farming environments with hay fever is found in all sizes of family, with no substantial tendency to saturation or synergism. This suggests that different biological mechanisms may underlie these two protective factors. ...

8 Childhood allergic rhinitis, traffic-related air pollution, and variability in the GSTP1, TNF, TLR2, and TLR4 genes: Results from the TAG Study The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, May 3, 2013
Fuertes E et al. - In a pooled analysis of 6 birth cohorts (Ntotal = 15,299), the authors examined whether TRAP and genetic polymorphisms related to inflammation and oxidative stress predict allergic rhinitis and sensitization. The generally null effect of TRAP on allergic rhinitis and aeroallergen sensitization was not modified by the studied variants in the GSTP1, TNF, TLR2, or TLR4 genes. Children carrying a minor rs1800629 (TNF) or rs1927911 (TLR4) allele may be at a higher risk of ...

9 Factors associated with degree of atopy in Latino children in a nationwide pediatric sample: The Genes-environments and Admixture in Latino Asthmatics (GALA II) study The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, May 22, 2013
Kumar R et al. - The authors sought to examine risk factors for atopy within a nationwide study of US Latino children with and without asthma. Puerto Rican ethnicity and mixed origin were associated with degree of atopy within US Latino children with asthma. African ancestry was not associated with degree of atopy after adjusting for recruitment site. Local environment variation, represented by site, was associated with degree of sensitization.