Association of HLA class II alleles with sensitization to cow dander Bos d 2, an important occupational allergen.

Allergic sensitization results from a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Earlier studies have shown that highly polymorphic HLA genes are associated with a variety of allergies. Several important respiratory allergens belong to the family of lipocalin proteins.

Allergen-specific naïve and memory CD4+ T cells exhibit functional and phenotypic differences between individuals with or without allergy.

Although allergen-specific CD4(+) T cells are detectable in the peripheral blood of both individuals with or without allergy, their frequencies and phenotypes within the memory as well as naïve repertoires are incompletely known. Here, we analyzed the DRB1*0401-restricted responses of peripheral blood-derived memory (CD4(+)CD45RO(+)) and naïve (CD4(+)CD45RA(+)) T cells from subjects with or without allergy against the immunodominant epitope of the major cow dander allergen Bos d 2 by HLA class II tetramers in vitro. The frequency of Bos d 2(127-142)-specific memory T cells in the peripheral blood-derived cultures appeared to be higher in subjects with allergy than those without, whereas naïve Bos d 2(127-142)-specific T cells were detectable in the cultures of both groups at nearly the same frequency.

Suboptimal recognition of a T cell epitope of the major dog allergen Can f 1 by human T cells.

We have previously proposed that mammalian lipocalin allergens are recognized suboptimally by the human immune system due to their homology with endogenous lipocalins. Here, we have characterized in detail the human T cell recognition of one of the previously identified T cell epitopes of the major dog allergen Can f 1, contained in peptide p105-120. A panel of peptide analogues (altered peptide ligands, APLs) of p105-120 was tested on two specific T cell clones restricted by different human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles.

Hypertonic saline cough provocation test with salbutamol pre-treatment: evidence for sensorineural dysfunction in asthma.

Background: Cough is one of the most common symptoms of asthma. However, studies using capsaicin, citric acid, or tartaric acid to document cough threshold have repeatedly failed to show statistically significant differences between asthmatic and healthy subjects. The studies using hypertonic aerosols as the cough stimulant have suggested an enhanced sensitivity in asthmatic subjects but the induced bronchoconstriction has made the interpretation of the results difficult.