Efficacy and safety of subcutaneous immunotherapy with polymerized allergen mixtures in polyallergic patients - ARES observational study.

Background: Administration of allergen mixtures of many components comprises the most common approach for American allergists regarding the management of polyallergic patients. European allergists, however, are more reluctant to this type of treatment due to the potential drawbacks of mixing extracts.

Research Design And Methods: To assess the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) with polymerized allergen mixtures without dilutional effect in polyallergic patients.

Induction of cyclooxygenase-2 expression by allergens in lymphocytes from allergic patients.

Cyclooxygenase (COX) is a key enzyme in prostaglandin (PG) synthesis. Up-regulation of COX-2 expression is responsible for increased PG release during inflammatory conditions and is thought to be also involved in allergic states. In this study, we demonstrate that in human T, B and natural killer lymphocytes from allergic patients, COX-2 expression became induced upon cell challenge with specific allergens and that this process is presumably IgE dependent and occurs after CD23 receptor ligation.