Prenatal and postnatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and allergy symptoms in city children

Publication date: Available online 25 October 2016
Source:Allergologia et Immunopathologia
Author(s): J. Jerzynska, D. Podlecka, K. Polanska, W. Hanke, I. Stelmach, W. Stelmach
BackgroundStudies indicate that exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) is associated with adverse respiratory and allergy outcomes. Exposure to PAH may impair the immune function of the foetus and, subsequently, be responsible for an increased susceptibility of children to allergic diseases.ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to assess the association between mother's exposure to PAH during pregnancy and allergy diseases in their infants. We also assessed the above associations using measured PAH exposure in children's urine during the first two years of life.MethodsThe current analysis was restricted to 455 mothers and their children from Lodz district. The women were interviewed three times during the pregnancy in order to collect demographic, socio-economic and medical history data. Children's health status was assessed at the age of 10–18 months and repeated at two years of age. The associations between dependent dichotomous variables and urine concentrations of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HP) were analysed using logistic regression.ResultsWe showed that higher urine concentrations of 1-HP in mothers at 20–24 weeks of pregnancy increased the risk of more frequent respiratory infections (p=0.02) in children during their first year of life. Higher 1-HP concentrations in children's urine increased the risk of food allergy (p=0.002) in children during their first two years of life.ConclusionsThis study suggests awareness of environmental factors, which may affect children's health since PAH showed to be a risk factor for airway infections and food allergy in children after adjustment for other risk factors.



http://ift.tt/2fifdgJ

Allergenicity of vertebrate tropomyosins: Challenging an immunological dogma

Publication date: Available online 24 October 2016
Source:Allergologia et Immunopathologia
Author(s): J. González-Fernández, A. Daschner, C. Cuéllar
With the exception of tilapia tropomyosin, other anecdotic reports of tropomyosin recognition of vertebrate origin are generally not accompanied by clinical significance and a dogmatic idea is generally accepted about the inexistence of allergenicity of vertebrate tropomyosins, based mainly on sequence similarity evaluations with human tropomyosins. Recently, a specific work-up of a tropomyosin sensitised patient with seafood allergy, demonstrated that the IgE-recognition of tropomyosin from different fish species can be clinically relevant. We hypothesise that some vertebrate tropomyosins could be relevant allergens. The hypothesis is based on the molecular evolution of the proteins and it was tested by in silico methods. Fish, which are primitive vertebrates, could have tropomyosins similar to those of invertebrates. If the hypothesis is confirmed, tropomyosin should be included in different allergy diagnosis tools to improve the medical protocols and management of patients with digestive or cutaneous symptoms after fish intake.



http://ift.tt/2f13Beb

Knowledge and attitudes among patients with asthma and parents and physicians towards influenza vaccination

Publication date: Available online 24 October 2016
Source:Allergologia et Immunopathologia
Author(s): A. Kaya, N. Altınel, G. Karakaya, F. Çetinkaya
BackgroundInfluenza is an infectious disease, dangerous for all people, especially for some risk groups such as patients with chronic diseases and health care workers. But most of the people under the risk of influenza, including health care workers are not immunised because of misinformation. In this study, we aimed to determine the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma and parents of such children related to influenza vaccination. Attitudes and beliefs of physicians treating these patients about influenza vaccination were also investigated.MethodsTwo different questionnaires consisting of various items related to influenza vaccine were distributed to physicians and patients and parents of children with asthma and allergic disease.ResultsThe physicians group consisted of 189 physicians from various branches. About one third of physicians from various branches reported that they did not believe the vaccine's effectiveness. Most of the participating physicians did not immunise themselves with influenza vaccination despite the fact that any patient of theirs had died due to influenza infection.Although nearly half of the 183 patients had been vaccinated with influenza vaccine, only 27% of adults and 11.7% of children had been vaccinated annually.ConclusionsAsthmatic patients are not immunised regularly with influenza vaccine due to misperceptions about vaccine effectiveness and fear of adverse effects. Another important reason of this is that most the physicians caring for these patients neither immunise themselves nor recommend the vaccine to their patients.



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Novel AICDA mutation in a case of autosomal recessive hyper-IgM syndrome, growth hormone deficiency and autoimmunity

Publication date: Available online 24 October 2016
Source:Allergologia et Immunopathologia
Author(s): A. Fazel, S. Kashef, S. Aleyasin, S. Harsini, Z. Karamizadeh, S. Zoghi, S.K. Flores, K. Boztug, N. Rezaei
BackgroundThe Hyper-immunoglobulin M syndromes (HIGM) are a heterogeneous group of genetic disorders, which have been rarely reported to be associated with growth hormone deficiency (GHD).Methods and resultsA nine-year-old girl with recurrent urinary tract infections, diarrhoea, sinopulmonary infections, and failure to thrive since the age of six months had normal CD3+, CD4+, CD8+T lymphocytes, and CD19+B lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells, but extremely elevated IgM and significantly decreased IgG and IgA. In view of the patient's short stature, growth hormone evaluation was carried out and growth hormone deficiency established. The patient underwent Ig replacement therapy and received growth hormone therapy in addition to antibiotics and responded well. Furthermore, the patient developed benign cervical lymphadenopathy, as well as elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, positive autoantibodies to SSA-Ro, and severely dry eyes, which partially responded to both the punctate occlusion and systemic corticosteroids, at the age of seven years. Sequencing analysis of the exons from activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AICDA) gene revealed that the patient was homozygous for a single T to C transversion at position 455 in exon 4, which replaces a Valine with an Alanine.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is a new AICDA mutation, which has not been reported previously in HIGM. The mutation analysis could improve diagnosis of HIGM patients and also elaborating on the spectrum of AICDA mutations.



http://ift.tt/2f11iIk

Gut microbiota and allergy/asthma: From pathogenesis to new therapeutic strategies

Publication date: Available online 28 October 2016
Source:Allergologia et Immunopathologia
Author(s): Y.B. Kang, Y. Cai, H. Zhang
Asthma and atopy, classically associated with hyper-activation of the T helper 2 (Th2) arm of adaptive immunity, are among the most common chronic illnesses worldwide. Emerging evidence relates atopy and asthma to the composition and function of gut microbiota composition. Moreover, certain gut microbial strains have been shown to inhibit or attenuate immune responses associated with chronic inflammation in experimental models. Although still a relatively nascent field of research, evidence to date suggests that the gut microbiome may represent fertile targets for prevention or management of allergic asthma and other diseases in which adaptive immune dysfunction is a prominent feature. The oral probiotics/prebiotic represents a possible therapeutic for improving asthma and allergic disease. Especially, recent technological developments that permit identification of microbes and their products using culture-independent molecular detection techniques. In this review, we literaturely summarise the aggravation or improvement of metabolic diseases by role of gut microbiota, probiotics/prebiotic treatment.



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Variations of B cell subpopulations in peripheral blood of healthy Mexican population according to age: Relevance for diagnosis of primary immunodeficiencies

Publication date: Available online 22 October 2016
Source:Allergologia et Immunopathologia
Author(s): L. Berrón-Ruíz, G. López-Herrera, C.E. Ávalos-Martínez, C. Valenzuela-Ponce, E. Ramírez-SanJuan, G. Santoyo-Sánchez, F. Mújica Guzmán, F.J. Espinosa-Rosales, L. Santos-Argumedo
BackgroundPeripheral blood B cells include lymphocytes at various stages of differentiation, each with a specific function in the immune response. All these stages show variations in percentage and absolute number throughout human life. The numbers and proportions of B subpopulation are influenced by factors such as gender, age, ethnicity, and lifestyle. This study establishes reference values according to age of peripheral blood B cell subtypes in healthy Mexican population.MethodsPeripheral blood from healthy new-borns and adults were analysed for total B cell subpopulations, using surface markers such as CD19, IgM, IgD, CD21, CD24, CD27, and CD38, to identify naïve, memory with and without isotype switch, double-negative, transitional, and plasmablast cells.ResultsWe observed a significant variation in terms of frequency and absolute counts between all groups analysed. Values from each B cell subpopulation show variations according to age.ConclusionsIn order to attempt to elucidate reference values for B cell subpopulation, the present study evaluated a population sample of healthy blood donors from this region. Values reported here can also be used as a tool for diagnosis of diseases in which B cell maturation is affected.



http://ift.tt/2f14Ud9

Evidence in immunotherapy for paediatric respiratory allergy: Advances and recommendations

Publication date: Available online 21 October 2016
Source:Allergologia et Immunopathologia
Author(s): M. Tortajada-Girbés, M. Mesa del Castillo, H. Larramona, J.M. Lucas, M. Álvaro, A.I. Tabar, M.J. Jerez, A. Martínez-Cañavate
Allergic respiratory diseases are major health problems in paediatric population due their high level of prevalence and chronicity, and to their relevance in the costs and quality of life. One of the most important risk factors for the development of airway diseases in children and adolescents is atopy. The mainstays for the treatment of these diseases are avoiding allergens, controlling symptoms, and preventing them through sustained desensitization by allergen immunotherapy (AIT). AIT is a treatment option that consists in the administration of increasing amounts of allergens to modify the biological response to them, inducing long-term tolerance even after treatment has ended. This treatment approach has shown to decrease symptoms and improve quality of life, becoming cost effective for a large number of patients. In addition, it is considered the only treatment that can influence the natural course of the disease by targeting the cause of the allergic inflammatory response. The aim of this publication is to reflect the advances of AIT in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic respiratory diseases in children and adolescents reviewing articles published since 2000, establishing evidence categories to support the strength of the recommendations based on evidence. The first part of the article covers the prerequisite issues to understand how AIT is effective, such as the correct etiologic and clinical diagnosis of allergic respiratory diseases. Following this, the article outlines the advancements in understanding the mechanisms by which AIT achieve immune tolerance to allergens. Administration routes, treatment regimens, dose and duration, efficacy, safety, and factors associated with adherence are also reviewed. Finally, the article reviews future advances in the research of AIT.



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