International archives of allergy and immunology
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Nonallergic drug hypersensitivities, also referred to as pseudoallergic or anaphylactoid reactions, have clinical manifestations that are often indistinguishable from allergic reactions. ⋯ Diagnostic methods exist to distinguish allergic from nonallergic drug hypersensitivity reactions. The best option in nonallergic drug hypersensitivity is avoidance. If that is not possible, premedication protocols have been developed, although the success of premedication varies amongst drugs and patients.
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Int. Arch. Allergy Immunol. · Jan 2012
Diagnosis of immediate hypersensitivity to β-lactam antibiotics can be made safely with current approaches.
Diagnosing immediate hypersensitivity to β-lactam antibiotics is still a significant problem. Recently, a new penicillin testing reagent was introduced to the market. In this study, the recommendations of the European Network of Drug Allergy (ENDA) for the diagnosis of immediate reactions to β-lactams were followed, and the negative predictive value of this approach with currently available reagents was assessed. ⋯ Although currently available new penicillin tests provide sufficient allergy data, all the steps recommended by ENDA should be followed in the diagnosis of immediate reactions to β-lactams. If these steps are negative, the patients usually tolerate β-lactams and only a few develop mild, non-life-threatening reactions in the long term.
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Int. Arch. Allergy Immunol. · Jan 2012
Airway hyperresponsiveness is negatively associated with obesity or overweight status in patients with asthma.
Obesity is a risk factor for asthma in the general population, but the effect of obesity on airway hyperresponsiveness (AFHR) or airway inflammation in asthma is not clear. This study evaluated the relationship between obesity and asthma, assessing aspects of symptoms, AHR, and severity. ⋯ Obesity is a risk factor for asthma in the general population, but obesity in asthmatic patients is negatively correlated with the intensity of AHR and is not related to asthma severity. Obesity is positively related with the prevalence of wheezing but negatively related to AHR in asthmatic patients.
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Int. Arch. Allergy Immunol. · Jan 2012
Vitamin D deficiency as a strong predictor of asthma in children.
Epidemiological studies suggest a link between vitamin D deficiency in early life and development of asthma in later life. ⋯ The present study revealed that the majority of asthmatic children had vitamin D deficiency compared to control children. Vitamin D deficiency was the major predictor of asthma in Qatari children.
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Int. Arch. Allergy Immunol. · Jan 2012
Allergic airway inflammation in mice deficient for the antigen-processing protease cathepsin E.
Allergic asthma is a Th2-type chronic inflammatory disease of the lung. It is characterized by infiltration of eosinophils, neutrophils, mast cells and T lymphocytes into the airways. Th2 cytokines like interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5 and chemokines like eotaxin are increased in the asthmatic response. The processing and presentation of exogenous antigens is important in the sensitization to an allergen. Cathepsin E (Ctse) is an intracellular aspartic endoprotease which is expressed in immune cells like dendritic cells (DCs). It was found to play an essential role in the processing and presentation of ovalbumin (OVA). The aim of the present study was to investigate the inhibition of Ctse in two different experimental models of allergic airway inflammation. ⋯ Ctse deficiency leads to a reduced antigen presentation in vitro. This is followed by a distinct effect on lymphocyte influx in states of allergic airway inflammation in vivo.