The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Oct 1998
Latex provocation tests in patients with spina bifida: who is at risk of becoming symptomatic?
Although there is accepted information on the prevalence rates of sensitization to latex in patients with spina bifida, little is known about the clinical relevance of this sensitization. ⋯ Our results indicate that an atopic disposition, number of operations, and presence of a shunt system increase the risk of becoming not only sensitized but also allergic to latex. Our results strongly support the necessity that patients with spina bifida as a high-risk group for latex allergy should remain latex-free from the first day of life.
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Sep 1998
Clinical TrialEvaluation and treatment of allergic fungal sinusitis. II. Treatment and follow-up.
Previous allergic fungal sinusitis case reports have speculated that oral corticosteroids might reduce the severity of disease and possibly forestall the high rate of recurrent sinus surgery. ⋯ Postoperative oral corticosteroids appear to be an effective treatment option for allergic fungal sinusitis, and monitoring of total serum IgE can be helpful in the clinical follow-up of these patients.
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Sep 1998
Comparative StudyDifferential regulation of allergen-specific T(H2)- but not T(H1)-type responses by alveolar macrophages in atopic asthma.
Previous studies have suggested that quantitative differences in TH2-type cytokine responses in the airways are of particular importance in the pathogenesis of asthma. In this study we investigated whether alveolar macrophages (AMs) and peripheral blood monocytes (PMNs) are able to significantly influence the profiles of allergen-induced TH1 (IFN-gamma) and TH2 (IL-4 and IL-5) cytokine production by CD4+ T cells in atopic asthmatic subjects versus atopic nonasthmatic subjects and nonatopic normal subjects. ⋯ These data suggest that AMs from atopic asthmatic subjects but not atopic nonasthmatic subjects, play a significant role in airway pathogenic immunity through enhancing TH2-type cytokine production.
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Aug 1998
Diisocyanate antigen-enhanced production of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha by peripheral mononuclear cells of workers with occupational asthma.
Previous studies have shown a significant association between confirmed diisocyanate-induced asthma (DOA) and in vitro production of diisocyanate antigen-stimulated histamine-releasing factors by PBMCs. Chemokines found in PBMC supernatants are known to express histamine-releasing factor activity. ⋯ Antigen stimulation of MCP-1 and TNF-alpha suggest that diisocyanate-specific cellular immune reactions result in activation of macrophages, which may be important in the pathogenesis of DOA.
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Jul 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialInhaled fluticasone propionate delivered by means of two different multidose powder inhalers is effective and safe in a large pediatric population with persistent asthma.
Inhaled corticosteroids are increasingly being used to treat mild-to-moderate asthma in children. However, data regarding therapy with this class of compounds, especially in children under age 6 years, is limited. Fluticasone propionate is a third generation inhaled corticosteroid with an optimal therapeutic index. Few large prospective clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fluticasone propionate powder in children. ⋯ This study demonstrated that fluticasone propionate powder, at the conventional recommended doses of up to 200 microg/day administered by means of Diskus or Diskhaler, was well tolerated and improved lung function in children even as young as 4 and 5 years old regardless of whether they were previously treated with inhaled corticosteroids or cromolyn or beta2-agonists alone.