Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology
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The extent of epithelial injury in asthma is reflected by expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is increased in proportion to disease severity and is corticosteroid refractory. Although the EGFR is involved in epithelial growth and differentiation, it is unknown whether it also contributes to the inflammatory response in asthma. ⋯ These results suggest that in severe asthma, epithelial damage has the potential to contribute to neutrophilic inflammation through enhanced production of IL-8 via EGFR- dependent mechanisms.
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Multicenter Study
Prevalence and severity of allergic rhinitis in house dust mite-allergic patients with bronchial asthma or atopic dermatitis.
Allergic rhinitis, asthma and atopic dermatitis are closely associated. Although population-based studies report a high prevalence of rhinitis among asthma patients, less is known of the association between rhinitis and atopic dermatitis and the severity of concomitant rhinitis. ⋯ The prevalence of nasal symptoms in patients with bronchial asthma or atopic dermatitis and sensitized to house dust mites is high. Although the majority of patients experience mild to moderate symptoms, the presence of nasal disease needs to be examined in all patients with atopic disorders.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Pets and vermin are associated with high endotoxin levels in house dust.
Previous studies have shown that the risk for allergic sensitization is lower in children who grew up on farms and in young adults who were exposed to dogs in early childhood. A higher microbial exposure in general and in particular to endotoxin in early childhood might contribute to this lower risk of atopy. ⋯ Keeping a dog or a cat in the home is consistent with higher exposure to endotoxin and might therefore contribute to the lower risk of atopy in later life.
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Comparative Study
Elevated serum concentrations of beta-tryptase, but not alpha-tryptase, in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). An investigation of anaphylactic mechanisms.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, (SIDS) or cot death, remains the most common category of post-perinatal death in the UK. By definition, the cause of death is unknown, but a long-standing theory is that some of these deaths could be the result of anaphylaxis. ⋯ In a proportion of SIDS victims there may be increased serum levels of beta-like tryptase, a marker for anaphylaxis. The failure to detect an increase in alpha-tryptase would suggest that mast cell hyperplasia is not a feature of cot death. The nature of the inciting agents remains unclear, but anaphylaxis deserves serious consideration as a possible cause of sudden death in infancy.
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Comparative Study
Age, sex, geographical and socio-economic variations in admissions for anaphylaxis: analysis of four years of English hospital data.
Although the most severe of the allergic disorders, the epidemiology of anaphylaxis remains poorly described. Hospital admissions for anaphylaxis in England more than doubled during the 1990s. ⋯ This study identifies striking national age, sex, geographical and socio-economic variations in the incidence of inpatient admissions for anaphylaxis in England, affording important opportunities to generate and test aetiological hypotheses. Risk of anaphylaxis admission is considerably increased in females of child-bearing age and those residing in southern, rural, and affluent areas are independent risk factors for anaphylaxis admission.