International archives of allergy and immunology
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Int. Arch. Allergy Immunol. · Jan 2001
Engineering, characterization and in vitro efficacy of the major peanut allergens for use in immunotherapy.
Numerous strategies have been proposed for the treatment of peanut allergies, but despite the steady advancement in our understanding of atopic immune responses and the increasing number of deaths each year from peanut anaphylaxis, there is still no safe, effective, specific therapy for the peanut-sensitive individual. Immunotherapy would be safer and more effective if the allergens could be altered to reduce their ability to initiate an allergic reaction without altering their ability to desensitize the allergic patient. ⋯ These modified allergen genes and proteins should provide a safe immunotherapeutic agent for the treatment of peanut allergy.
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Int. Arch. Allergy Immunol. · Jan 2001
Allergic sensitization and allergen exposure during pregnancy favor the development of atopy in the neonate.
Several studies have considered that the in utero environment plays an important role in the onset of the allergic phenotype. We assessed whether allergic sensitization and allergen exposure during pregnancy favor the postnatal onset of allergy in the neonate. ⋯ Our data suggest that Th-2/Th-0 immunity present during pregnancy has a decisive impact on shaping the Th-1/Th-2 T cell profile in response to postnatal allergen exposure.