Vaccination counseling with and without excipient skin testing in patients with suspected allergic reactions to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and patients with atopy.

Background: Allergic reactions have been reported with mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 prevention. Patients perceived to be at higher risk for a reaction may be referred to an allergist, although evaluation strategies may differ between allergists.

Objective: Our aim was to determine outcomes of COVID-19 vaccinations in patients evaluated by an allergist using different approaches.

Eosinophilic esophagitis: Immune mechanisms and therapeutic targets.

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an emerging chronic inflammatory disease of the oesophagus and is clinically characterized by upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms including dysphagia and esophageal food impaction. Histopathologic manifestations, which include intraepithelial eosinophilic inflammation and alterations of the esophageal squamous epithelium, such as basal zone hyperplasia (BZH) and dilated intercellular spaces (DIS), are thought to contribute to esophageal dysfunction and disease symptoms. Corroborative clinical and discovery science-based studies have established that EoE is characterized by an underlying allergic inflammatory response, in part, related to the IL-13/CCL26/eosinophil axis driving dysregulation of several key epithelial barrier and proliferative regulatory genes including kallikrein (KLK) serine proteases, calpain 14 (CAPN14) and anoctamin 1 (ANO1).

Prevalence of mastocytosis and Hymenoptera venom allergy in the United States.

Background: Mastocytosis is a risk factor for Hymenoptera venom anaphylaxis (HVA). Current guidelines recommend measuring tryptase in patients with HVA and that those with mastocytosis pursue lifelong venom immunotherapy (VIT). Available data on HVA and mastocytosis largely derive from European single-center studies, and the prevalence of HVA with and without mastocytosis in the United States is unknown.

Mast Cell Activation: When the Whole Is Greater than the Sum of Its Parts.

Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) is a heterogeneous and rare disorder with episodic and severe activation of mast cells. Because symptoms of mast cell activation are nonspecific, it is important to base the diagnosis on best available clinical and scientific evidence, and not make it one of exclusion. MCAS, much like the mast cell itself, as a whole is greater than the sum of its proposed diagnostic criteria.

Nasal IgE production in allergic rhinitis: Impact of rhinovirus infection.

Background: Rhinovirus (RV) infections exacerbate asthma in part by enhancing an allergic state, and these exacerbations can be mitigated via administration of anti-IgE.

Objective: We investigated the presence of local IgE production in the nose of allergic and non-allergic subjects and assessed whether this was enhanced by RV.

Methods: Local production of specific IgE was determined by comparing ratios of specific to total IgE concentrations between nasal and serum samples.