Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology
-
To determine if there is seasonal variation in acute asthmatic visits to accident and emergency (A&E) facilities in Trinidad and to identify the climatic variables associated with such visits. ⋯ There is seasonal variation in acute asthma visits to A&E facilities in Trinidad, which remains significant after controlling for climate variables. However, while climate has a role, there are other factors that may also be responsible for increased visits during the wet season. More research is needed to identify these factors.
-
Mould extract inhalation challenges have been used extensively in the investigation of heaves. Such challenges have induced pulmonary neutrophilic inflammation and dysfunction, consistent with, but less severe than the natural disease. However, the method of mould extract production is likely to result in endotoxin contamination. ⋯ This study supports a role for other inhalants, in addition to soluble components of A. fumigatus, in the aetiopathogenesis of heaves. Also the amplification in response to LPS when inhaled with A. fumigatus extract, suggests that the role of inhaled endotoxin in the pulmonary inflammation and dysfunction in naturally occurring heaves may currently be underestimated.
-
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Thresholds of clinical reactivity to milk, egg, peanut and sesame in immunoglobulin E-dependent allergies: evaluation by double-blind or single-blind placebo-controlled oral challenges.
The prevalence of food anaphylaxis due to masked allergens has increased within the last 10 years. Contamination of manufactured products by food allergens is a key concern for food industries. ⋯ The risk of asthma and anaphylactic shock to sesame and peanut is confirmed. Minimal reactive quantities show that, in order to guarantee a 95% safety for patients who are allergic to egg, peanut and milk, and on the basis of consumption of 100 g of food, the detection tests should ensure a sensitivity of 10 p.p.m. for egg, 24 p.p.m. for peanut and 30 p.p.m. for milk proteins. Oil allergies being considered, the limit of sensitivity should fall to 5 p.p.m.
-
Childhood wheezing illnesses are characterized into different phenotypes. However, severity of the disease associated with these phenotypes has not been extensively studied. ⋯ Persistent wheezing with early childhood onset is associated with substantial morbidity in the first decade of life in association with high levels of atopy, bronchial hyper-responsiveness and impaired lung function at 10 years of age. Late-onset wheezing in the first decade of life could harbour potential for similarly significant disease subsequently.
-
Basophil activation is associated with the expression of CD63. Because allergens can induce basophil activation by cross-linking specific IgE, increased CD63 expression has been proposed as a novel in vitro test for immediate type allergy. ⋯ Quantification of basophil activation by CD63 expression is a valuable new in vitro method for diagnosis of immediate type food sensitization. Although double-blind placebo-controlled food challenges remain the gold standard, the CD63-based BAT may supplement routine diagnostic tests such as SPT or allergen-specific IgE in the future.