Pediatric allergy and immunology : official publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
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Pediatr Allergy Immunol · Sep 2012
Review Meta AnalysisExposure to farming environments in childhood and asthma and wheeze in rural populations: a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder that has become substantially more common over the past decades. One environmental factor for which particularly strong associations with asthma and allergic diseases have been described is exposure to farming environments in childhood. The aim of this systematic review was to update and extend existing narrative reviews, test for heterogeneity of effect across studies, and conduct a meta-analysis to report a summary effect measure. ⋯ The protective 'farm-effect' on asthma was reported in numerous studies. Its underlying factors ought to be studied, and promising efforts have been already made. However, the heterogeneity of the effect across studies should also be investigated because whatever causes it is a potential threat to valid synthesis of evidence and to the detection of specific protective factors.
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Pediatr Allergy Immunol · Dec 2011
Review Case ReportsEducational case series: β-lactam allergy and cross-reactivity.
Penicillins and cephalosporins are the most widely used antibiotics for the treatment of common infections, and they are the two main classes of β-lactams. On the basis of the time of appearance of the reaction after drug intake and for diagnostic purposes, hypersensitivity reactions to β-lactams have been classified as immediate or non-immediate. The diagnostic evaluation of allergic reactions to β-lactams has changed over the last decade, for several reasons. ⋯ The drug provocation test is still necessary for diagnosis. In this education review series, we described three cases of β-lactam allergy: first, a child with an IgE-mediated allergy to benzyl-penicillin; second, a child with a non-allergic hypersensitivity to amoxicillin; and in the third patient, we will discuss about cross-reactivity between penicillins and cephalosporins. These cases are correlated with the practical management of evaluating β-lactam allergy.
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Pediatr Allergy Immunol · May 2011
ReviewDyskeratosis congenita: a combined immunodeficiency with broad clinical spectrum--a single-center pediatric experience.
Dyskeratosis Congenita (DKC) is a syndrome characterized by immunodeficiency, bone marrow failure, somatic abnormalities, and cancer predisposition resulting from defective telomere maintenance. The immunologic features of DKC remain under diagnosed and under treated despite the fact that immunodeficiency is a major cause of premature mortality in DKC. ⋯ In DKC, development of immunologic abnormalities can precede bone marrow failure, highlighting the importance of proper immunodeficiency management to minimize morbidity and premature mortality in this disease.
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Pediatr Allergy Immunol · May 2008
Editorial ReviewImmunotherapy in children and adolescents with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis: a systematic review.
Allergen-specific immunotherapy is one of the cornerstones of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis treatment. Since the development of non-invasive administration forms with better safety profiles, there is an increasing tendency to prescribe immunotherapy in youngsters. However, no overview is available on the efficacy of immunotherapy in all its different administration forms in youngsters. ⋯ Analysis of the SLIT subgroup showed no evidence of effect. The evidence for the perennial and seasonal allergen trials within the subgroups varied from moderate evidence of effect to no evidence of effect. In conclusion, there is at present insufficient evidence that immunotherapy in any administration form has a positive effect on symptoms and/or medication use in children and adolescents with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.
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Pediatr Allergy Immunol · May 2008
Editorial ReviewImmunotherapy in children and adolescents with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis: a systematic review.
Allergen-specific immunotherapy is one of the cornerstones of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis treatment. Since the development of non-invasive administration forms with better safety profiles, there is an increasing tendency to prescribe immunotherapy in youngsters. However, no overview is available on the efficacy of immunotherapy in all its different administration forms in youngsters. ⋯ Analysis of the SLIT subgroup showed no evidence of effect. The evidence for the perennial and seasonal allergen trials within the subgroups varied from moderate evidence of effect to no evidence of effect. In conclusion, there is at present insufficient evidence that immunotherapy in any administration form has a positive effect on symptoms and/or medication use in children and adolescents with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.