Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology
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The mediators released during the allergic inflammatory reaction induce the clinical symptoms of the allergic disease and although there have been numerous studies investigating mediator release in allergen challenge models of allergic rhinitis very few have extended this approach to the study of natural disease. ⋯ These results indicate that in both naturally occurring seasonal allergic rhinitis and perennial allergic rhinitis mast cell and eosinophil activation occurs and this is accompanied by an increase in vascular permeability. These measurements in lavage fluid provide a method of monitoring the mucosal cellular events in response to therapy.
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Comparative Study
Allergic reactions to ampicillin. Studies on the specificity and selectivity in subjects with immediate reactions.
Ampicillin (AMP) is a drug that has been prescribed extensively. Reactions that have been reported include exanthema, desquamative contact eczema, urticaria and anaphylaxis. Experimental evidence indicates that the side chain of AMP is a structure that may induce a selective immune response either at the humoral or lymphocyte T-cell level. With regard to IgE reactions, the selectivity and specificity of the response needs to be studied in humans. ⋯ Although AMP can induce an immediate IgE response in subjects allergic to betalactams and the structure of the side chain may contribute to the specificity of the response, our results indicate that in most instances crossreactivity with the other penicillins exists and that in the groups studied selective reactions to just AMP derived determinants were uncommon.
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Infiltration of the airways mucosa with activated inflammatory cells appears to be a major factor in the pathogenesis of asthma and other airway diseases. Examination of sputum provides a direct method to investigate airway inflammation non-invasively. ⋯ The importance of this study is the confirmation, within important statistical guidelines for a study of reproducibility, that the methods examined are reproducible and valid.
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Editorial Comment
Childhood asthma--all that wheezes is not inflammation.
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Initial attempts to evaluate the association between allergic rhinitis and non-specific bronchial responsiveness has produced conflicting results. In fact, some studies showed a strong correlation and other failed to find an association. However, little is known about the effect of natural specific allergen exposure on the bronchial reactivity of mono-sensitive patients with rhinitis in the southern Mediterranean area, in relation to skin reactivity to allergens, total serum IgE levels and blood eosinophils. ⋯ Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that Parietaria is more important than Olea and Gramineae as a risk for developing non-specific bronchial hyperresponsiveness. On the whole, present observations provide further evidence that there is an interrelationship of allergen kind, total serum IgE, eosinophil and bronchial hyperresponsiveness suggesting that they may play a role in the development of bronchial asthma in rhinitis patients.