[Hymenoptera venom allergy: what's new in 2023].

Hymenoptera venom allergy is a central thematic in allergology. The recent limitation in the obtention of certain venom products has forced Swiss centers to adapt their diagnostic and therapeutical approaches. In this review, we will discuss diagnostics tools using recombinants serologies, recent recommendations for the screening of indolent systemic mastocytosis and the different immunotherapy protocols available for venom desensitization using aqueous and aluminum hydroxide-adsorbed purified venoms.

Increased Prevalence of Q703K Variant Among Patients With Autoinflammatory Diseases: An International Multicentric Study.

The inflammasome has been recognized as one of the key components of innate immunity. Gain-of-function mutations in the exon 3 of gene have been implicated in inflammatory diseases suggesting the presence of functionally important sites in this region. Q703K (c.

Novel Nanofluidic IgE Assay versus a Reference Method: A Real-World Comparison.

Background: Clinically meaningful specific IgE determination is an important step in the diagnosis of allergic diseases. While patient's history and skin prick tests are available during the medical visit, most IgE immunoassays require hours to several days to be available. Recent developments in the field of nanofluidic technology open new horizons for point-of-care management of this unmet medical need.

The Swiss Systemic lupus erythematosus Cohort Study (SSCS) - cross-sectional analysis of clinical characteristics and treatments across different medical disciplines in Switzerland.

Objectives: To describe disease characteristics and treatment modalities in a multidisciplinary cohort of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in Switzerland.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 255 patients included in the Swiss SLE Cohort and coming from centres specialised in Clinical Immunology, Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Rheumatology. Clinical data were collected with a standardised form.

[Allergy-immunology. New therapies for acute attacks in hereditary angioedema].

Hereditary angioedema is a disease which develops as a result of a deficiency or dysfonction of C1-inhibitor, a key regulator of the complement, coagulation and contact cascades, resulting among others in excessive release of bradykinin. This disease mortality rate is high in absence of immediate and effective treatment, in particular in presence of acute attacks of the upper respiratory tract (laryngeal edema). Until now only administration of a purified C1-inhibitor extract was effective against these symptoms.

[Allergic and toxic cutaneous reactions to plants].

Numerous professional or leisure activities expose individuals to plants susceptible to provoke contact allergies. The immunological mechanisms that are responsible for these ailments (delayed cellular reaction linked to allergic dermatitis or immediate IgE mediated reaction of the allergic urticaria) differ according to the plant families involved. A differential diagnosis must be made in the case of the even more frequent non-allergic reactions implying either a simple mechanical irritation, or a contact with toxic substances.

[Mastocytosis: when should it be considered?].

Mast cell disorders are defined by the accumulation of mast cells in one or more organ systems. Cutaneous forms are mainly observed in children whereas systemic forms are predominant in adults. Mast cells cause symptoms by the release of proinflammatory mediators or by infiltration of various organs.

[Use of autoantibodies in clinical practice].

Autoantibodies are frequently determined in unclear clinical situations and in the context of an inflammatory syndrome. The aim of this article is not to review all autoantibodies in details, but to discuss those used in clinical practice by describing their methods of detection and interpretation. Thus we will focus on antinuclear antibodies (ANA), which are typically associated with connective tissue diseases, as well as anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), which are useful in the diagnosis of ANCA-associated vasculitides.

[Therapeutic strategies in idiopatic inflammatory myopathies].

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, such as polymyositis and dermatomyositis, share common clinical features such as progressive, symmetrical muscle weakness prevailing in the lower limbs, associated sometimes with muscle pains. High CK and typical biopsy insure the diagnosis. Possible causes for secondary myopathies and associated diseases should be actively investigated.

[Towards the Swiss systemic lupus erythematosus cohort study (SSCS)].

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a rare disease mainly affecting women of childbearing age. It is characterized by a very large spectrum of clinical manifestations accompanied by prototypic abnormalities of the immune system. While recent advances in therapeutic approaches have taken place, SLE still has a profound impact on the quality of life and life expectancy of affected persons.

[Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and immunotherapy: an update].

Rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis are frequent and may have severe impact on quality of life. Moreover risks of evolution of rhinitis to asthma are high, whereas conjunctivitis may either lead to eye-related complications when some topical drugs (such as steroids) are used, or when severe ailments are belatedly diagnosed. This article enables to review the treatment of allergic rhino-conjunctivitis.

Allergen-specific immunotherapy of allergy and asthma: current and future trends.

Allergen-specific immunotherapy is the only immunomodulatory and etiological therapy of allergy and asthma. Conventional specific immunotherapy (SIT) with whole-allergen extract is antigen specific, effective on multiple organs, efficient on asthma in defined conditions, provides long-lasting protection and is cost effective. Moreover, SIT is able to prevent the course of rhinitis to asthma.

[Large vessel vasculitis: giant cell arteritis and Takayasu arteritis].

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) and Takayasu arteritis (TA) are both chronic granulomatous vasculitis of unknown aetiology that involve large vessels. Signs and symptoms are related to the affected vessels: the primary branches of the aorta in TA and the extra-cranial branches of the external carotid artery in GCA. TA affects women under 40 of all ethnic origins with a greater prevalence in Asia, whereas GCA affects elderly of caucasian ancestry.

Eotaxin-1 (CCL11) up-regulation in tears during seasonal allergic conjunctivitis.

Purpose: To compare in-season eotaxin-1 levels in tears of patients suffering from seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC) with (1) tears of normal subjects and (2) tears of SAC patients out of season.

Methods: Tears of 11 SAC patients and six control volunteers were collected during the pollen season. Tears of five SAC patients showing a strong sensitivity to grass pollen (skin-prick tests and specific serum IgE) were collected both in season and out of season.

Levocetirizine better protects than desloratadine in a nasal provocation with allergen.

Background: Direct comparisons of antihistamines are rare but very much needed. Newly available antihistamine preparations, levocetirizine, the R-enantiomer of racemate cetirizine, and desloratadine, an active metabolite of loratadine, have been recently released for allergic rhinitis.

Objective: We sought to compare levocetirizine and desloratadine in a nasal provocation test (NPT) with grass pollen.

Allergen-specific T-cell tolerance induction with allergen-derived long synthetic peptides: results of a phase I trial.

Background: There is a need to improve the safety and efficacy of allergen-specific immunotherapy. Long synthetic peptide-based immunotherapy was proven safe, immunogenic, and protective in preclinical trials.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of an allergen-derived long synthetic overlapping peptide (LSP) immunotherapy, we designed a double-blind, placebo-controlled phase I clinical trial in patients hypersensitive to bee venom.