Allergy
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Omalizumab is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). Markers and predictors of response are largely unknown, but needed to optimize omalizumab treatment. Omalizumab targets IgE, and IgE levels may be linked to the effects of treatment. We evaluated whether response rates to treatment with omalizumab in patients with CSU are linked to their baseline IgE levels, their IgE levels after omalizumab treatment, and the ratio of on treatment IgE and baseline IgE levels. ⋯ In CSU, total IgE levels and their change predict the response to treatment with omalizumab. The assessment of pre- and post-treatment IgE levels and their ratio may help to improve the management of CSU in patients who require omalizumab treatment.
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Microbial colonization of the airway plays a role in the pathogenesis of asthma; however, the effect of the upper airway microbiome on childhood asthma is not fully understood. We analyzed the metagenome of airway microbiome to understand the associated role of upper airway microbiome with the natural course of childhood asthma. ⋯ These data suggest that alterations in the composition and function of the upper airway microbiome could be related with the natural course of asthma in children.
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The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) is developing guidelines for allergen immunotherapy (AIT) for the management of allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, IgE-mediated food allergy and venom allergy. To inform the development of clinical recommendations, we undertook systematic reviews to critically assess evidence on the effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of AIT for these conditions. This study focusses on synthesizing data and gaps in the evidence on the cost-effectiveness of AIT for these conditions. ⋯ Overall, the evidence to support the cost-effectiveness of AIT is limited and of low methodological quality, but suggests that AIT may be cost-effective for people with allergic rhinitis with or without asthma and in high-risk subgroups for venom allergy. We were unable to draw any conclusions on the cost-effectiveness of AIT for food allergy.
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Art v 1, Amb a 4, and Par h 1 are allergenic defensin-polyproline-linked proteins present in mugwort, ragweed, and feverfew pollen, respectively. We aimed to investigate the physicochemical and immunological features underlying the different allergenic capacities of those allergens. ⋯ Despite structural similarity, different IgE-binding profiles and proteolytic processing impacted the allergenic capacity of defensin-polyproline-linked molecules. Based on the fact that Amb a 4 demonstrated distinct IgE-binding epitopes, we suggest inclusion in molecule-based allergy diagnosis.
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The Future of the Allergists and Specific Immunotherapy (FASIT) workshop provides a regular platform for global experts from academia, allergy clinics, regulatory authorities and industry to review developments in the field of allergen immunotherapy (AIT). The most recent meeting, held in February 2017, had two main themes: advances in AIT and hot topics in AIT from the regulatory point of view. ⋯ Finally, the group highlighted the forthcoming EAACI guidelines and their particular importance for the standardization of practice in the treatment of allergies. This review presents a comprehensive insight into those panel discussions and highlights unmet needs and also possible solutions to them for the future.