Pediatric allergy and immunology : official publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
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Pediatr Allergy Immunol · Jan 2021
Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders and allergen immunotherapy: Lights and shadows.
Allergic diseases, such as IgE-mediated food allergy, asthma, and allergic rhinitis, are relevant health problems worldwide and show an increasing prevalence. Therapies for food allergies are food avoidance and the prompt administration of intramuscular epinephrine in anaphylaxis occurring after accidental exposure. However, allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is being investigated as a new potential tool for treating severe food allergies. ⋯ In this regard, eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs), mainly eosinophilic esophagitis, have been reported as putative complications of OIT for food allergy and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for allergic asthma and rhinitis. Fortunately, these complications are usually reversible and the patient recovers after AIT discontinuation. This review summarizes current knowledge on the possible causative link between eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders and AIT, highlighting recent evidence and controversies.
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Pediatr Allergy Immunol · Jan 2021
ReviewIs there a role for childhood vaccination against COVID-19?
Tremendous efforts are undertaken to quickly develop COVID-19 vaccines that protect vulnerable individuals from severe disease and thereby limit the health and socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic. Potential candidates are tested in adult populations, and questions arise of whether COVID-19 vaccination should be implemented in children. ⋯ This work summarizes currently tested vaccine platforms and debates practical and ethical considerations for their potential use in children. It also discusses the already deleterious effect of the pandemic on routine childhood vaccine coverage, calling for action to limit the risks for a rise in vaccine-preventable diseases.
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The clinical spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 infection is mixed. It ranges from asymptomatic cases, medium-intensity forms with mild to moderate symptoms, to severe ones with bilateral lung involvement and respiratory distress, which can require transfer to ICUs and intubation. In most cases, the clinical picture is characterized by a persistent fever, cough, dyspnoea, expectoration, myalgias, arthralgias, headache, gastrointestinal symptoms, nasal congestion, and pharyngodynia. ⋯ There is ample evidence that COVID-19 is significantly less severe in children than in adults. However, due to difficulties in assessing the disorder in children, especially among very young patients, the olfaction and gustatory dysfunctions remain open issues. This article sheds light on the upper airway involvement in pediatric COVID-19 subjects.
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The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, causing COVID-19, is rapidly spread across the world, by posing novel challenges for all physicians. Cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 may be present in 20% of patients, but they are still now poorly characterized. ⋯ We provided an overview of all the various cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 described in the literature today, to improve our knowledge and lead a more prompt and accurate diagnosis, especially in asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic cases.
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Pediatr Allergy Immunol · Oct 2020
Symptoms and immunoglobulin development in hospital staff exposed to a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak.
Worldwide, the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections is increasing. Serological immunoglobulin tests may help to better understand the development of immune mechanisms against SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 cases and exposed but asymptomatic individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate exposure to SARS-CoV-2, symptoms, and antibody responses in a large sample of healthcare workers following a COVID-19 outbreak. ⋯ We found that a significant number of diseased did not develop relevant antibody responses three weeks after symptom onset. Our data also suggest that exposure to COVID-19 positive co-workers in a hospital setting is not leading to the development of measurable immune responses in a significant proportion of asymptomatic contact persons.