Anaphylaxis to pine nut: cross-reactivity to Artemisia vulgaris?

The use of pine nuts, the seeds of Pinus pinea, is on the increasing in the modern Mediterranean diet. Little more than 20 cases of allergy to this tree nut have been published, and cross-reactivity with pine pollen, peanut and almond has already been reported. We describe the case of a young boy with several episodes of anaphylaxis after pine nut ingestion.

Clinical efficacy and safety of preseasonal sublingual immunotherapy with grass pollen carbamylated allergoid in rhinitic patients. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Background: The aim of this study was to confirm the clinical efficacy and safety of a preseasonal sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in a group of allergic patients with seasonal rhinoconjunctivitis with or without mild intermittent or mild persistent asthma. The immunotherapy was administered through the oral mucosa with a monomeric carbamylated allergoid (allergoid SLIT) for grass pollens. A secondary endpoint was to evaluate the effect of the allergoid SLIT on nasal reactivity.

Monoid sublingual immunotherapy.

Sublingual monoid immunotherapy with monomeric allergoids has been largely used in Europe in the last few years. An open trial of allergoid in tablets has been done in rhinitic patients allergic to house dust mites, grass pollens and Parietaria with clear improvement in clinics and drug consumption scores. In a second phase a double blind placebo controlled trial of grass pollens allergoids have been done in hay fever patients with significant decrease on the scores of rhinorrea, sneezing and conjunctivitis nasal steroid consumption and clinical score after serial nasal challenges.

Effect of specific immunotherapy versus loratadine on serum adhesion molecules.

Objective: To evaluate comparatively the effect on serum ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 values of specific immunotherapy versus loratadine in the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

Population: 65 patients with mild to moderate House Dust Mite allergic rhinitis.

Methods: Patients were divided into three groups, according to patients' preference: a control group with patients receiving only rescue therapy (antihistamines and/or nasal cromoglycate when needed); an antihistamine group with patients receiving daily loratadine 10 mg (and nasal cromoglycate as rescue therapy); an immunotherapy group with patients receiving subcutaneous house dust mite specific immunotherapy (and antihistamines or nasal cromoglycate when needed).

Leukotriene receptor antagonists (Montelukast) in the treatment of asthma crisis: preliminary results of a double-blind placebo controlled randomized study.

Objective: Evaluate the efficacy of oral Montelukast 10 mg as an add-on therapy to the usual emergency therapy of an asthma crisis in an emergency room (ER).

Population: Twenty adults that sought medical attention in the ER of our Hospital and in whom, on admission, it appeared unnecessary to give systemic steroids.

Methods: All patients received the usual therapy of the asthma crisis.