Research needs in allergy: an EAACI position paper, in collaboration with EFA.

In less than half a century, allergy, originally perceived as a rare disease, has become a major public health threat, today affecting the lives of more than 60 million people in Europe, and probably close to one billion worldwide, thereby heavily impacting the budgets of public health systems. More disturbingly, its prevalence and impact are on the rise, a development that has been associated with environmental and lifestyle changes accompanying the continuous process of urbanization and globalization. Therefore, there is an urgent need to prioritize and concert research efforts in the field of allergy, in order to achieve sustainable results on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of this most prevalent chronic disease of the 21st century.

Chronic disease in the elderly: a vital rationale for the revival of internal medicine.

The phenomenon of population aging has led to a significant rise in the chronic disease rate compared to other human pathologies. Elderly people are usually affected by > or =2 chronic diseases concomitantly, mainly cardiovascular, pulmonary, and central nervous system diseases, metabolic disturbances and cancer. Chronic comorbidities in elderly patients may worsen their clinical status, making both the diagnosis and treatment more difficult.

[Cyclohaler's acceptance by asthma and COPD patients].

Introduction: The patients' acceptance of the treatment scheme and their readiness to stick to the prescribed dosing is considered to be the most important condition on which successful treatment of asthma and COPD depends. With regard to this assumption, a study was designed whose aim was to find out how patients assess a particular powder inhaler, cyclohaler and to what degree they approve of its physical and technical features.

Material And Methods: The study consisted in completing an anonymous questionnaire.

[The effect of desloratadine on use of rescue beta2-agonists and symptoms in patients suffering from seasonal allergic rhinitis and asthma].

Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) and intermittent asthma are frequently comorbid and share some pathophysiological, clinical and epidemiological bases which has been confirmed by ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) WHO position paper. Therapeutical consequences of H1 receptor antagonists treatment in patients with both SAR and asthma are not clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of desloratadine (5 mg daily) on rescue medication use, symptoms of SAR and asthma.

[Epidemiology of allergic eye diseases].

Epidemiology of allergic eye diseases has not been sufficiently studied so far. The first statistical studies regarded the coexistence of allergic conjunctivitis together with allergic rhinitis, as rhinoconjunctivitis. Only in the last 10 years eye allergy has been regarded as a separate epidemiological and clinical problem.

[Allergy to mould allergens as a risk factor for bronchial asthma in patients suffering from allergic rhinitis].

Unlabelled: The ARIA study demonstrates the correlation between bronchial asthma (BA) and perennial rhinitis (PR) with mite or animal fur allergies. There are no reports concerning correlation between BA and PR with mould allergy. The authors of this study estimated the prevalence of BA in patients with PR, allergic to moulds in comparison with patients allergic to other aeroallergens.

[Treatment of allergy to mould spores].

The treatment of mould allergy is discussed in this article. The specific immunotherapy should be especially considered in this group of patients.

[Allergy to fungal antigens].

Fungi from human environment or growing in human body may cause allergic reactions. The most common allergens are microfungi (moulds) belonging to imperfect fungi: Alternaria, Cladosporium and sack-like forms: Aspergillus, Penicillium and yeasts. Fungal antigens may stimulate production of specific IgE in atopic individuals what, as a rule, worsens the clinical course of atopic diseases: allergic sinusitis, bronchial asthma or atopic dermatitis.

[Health threats for children in the modern building trade].

Changes in building industry during last 30 years in search of economic technologies and building materials ended in creating airtight and energy-saving constructions with reduced ventilation. As a result, diminish exchange between internal and external air, leads to cumulation of various chemicals and organic substances in our houses. Concentrated oxidation products (CO2, CO, NO2, nicotine smoke), vaporizing substances (formaldehyde, NH3, aromatic hydrocarbons) might irritate mucouses, promote or intense respiratory tract infections, allergic diseases or bronchial asthma.