Current allergy and asthma reports
-
Curr Allergy Asthma Rep · Sep 2015
ReviewAllergen Component Testing in the Diagnosis of Food Allergy.
IgE-mediated food allergies are an important public health problem, affecting 5 % of adults and 8 % of children, with numerous studies indicating that the prevalence is increasing. Food allergic reactions can range in severity from mild to severe and life threatening. Accurate diagnosis of food allergy is necessary not only to provide appropriate and potentially life-saving preventive measures but also to prevent unwarranted dietary restrictions. ⋯ These tests tend to be extremely sensitive, but positive test results to foods that are tolerated are common. Studies of allergen component-resolved diagnostics (CRD) show that adjuvant use of this modality may provide a more accurate assessment in the diagnosis of food allergy, though the reported benefits are questionable for a number of major allergens. Furthermore, diagnostic cutoff values have been difficult to determine for allergens where component testing has been demonstrated to be beneficial.
-
Gender differences in asthma incidence, prevalence and severity have been reported worldwide. After puberty, asthma becomes more prevalent and severe in women, and is highest in women with early menarche or with multiple gestations, suggesting a role for sex hormones in asthma genesis. ⋯ There are also gender discrepancies in the perception of asthma symptoms. Understanding gender differences in asthma is important to provide effective education and personalized management plans for asthmatics across the lifecourse.
-
Perioperative anaphylaxis is a unique condition as a result of the additive cardiovascular effects of anesthetics on the cardiovascular disturbances of anaphylaxis. It occurs mainly in adulthood, primarily follows anesthetic induction, and for the most part, is an IgE-mediated pathomechanism. Neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) and antibiotics are the main culprit drugs, while latex is now infrequently involved. ⋯ Since anaphylaxis presents with significant hypovolemia and vasoplegia, aggressive fluid therapy and epinephrine are the cornerstones of management. Whenever possible, anesthetic discontinuation is also recommended. Scientific evidence in favor of preemptive therapeutic strategies to prevent anaphylaxis in the operative setting is lacking.
-
Curr Allergy Asthma Rep · Apr 2015
ReviewDelayed Anaphylaxis Involving IgE to Galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose.
Hypersensitivity in the allergic setting refers to immune reactions, stimulated by soluble antigens that can be rapidly progressing and, in the case of anaphylaxis, are occasionally fatal. As the number of known exposures associated with anaphylaxis is limited, identification of novel causative agents is important in facilitating both education and other allergen-specific approaches that are crucial to long-term risk management. ⋯ Our recent work has identified these responses as being due to a novel IgE antibody directed against a mammalian oligosaccharide epitope, galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal). This review will present the history and biology of alpha-gal and discuss our current approach to management of the mammalian meat allergy and delayed anaphylaxis.
-
Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have traditionally been viewed as distinct clinical entities. Recently, however, much attention has been focused on patients with overlapping features of both asthma and COPD: those with asthma COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). Although no universal definition criteria exist, recent publications attempted to define patients with ACOS based on differences in clinical features, radiographic findings, and diagnostic tests. ⋯ Identifying patients with ACOS has significant therapeutic implications particularly with the need for early use of inhaled corticosteroids and the avoidance of use of long-acting bronchodilators alone in such patients. However, unlike asthma and COPD, no evidence-based guidelines for the management of ACOS currently exist. Future research is needed to improve our understanding of ACOS and to achieve the best management strategies.