Long-term follow-up for the microbiological safety of clinical microencapsulated neonatal porcine islet transplantation.

Enrollment in three clinical trials for microencapsulated neonatal porcine islet xenotransplantation to treat unstable type 1 diabetic patients concluded in November 2014. In this study, we report a long-term follow-up assessment of microbiological safety for these trials. Thirty-eight type 1 diabetic patients received microencapsulated neonatal porcine islet transplants.

Domestic cat allergen and allergic sensitisation in young children.

Studies have presented conflicting associations between cat allergen exposure and sensitisation and atopic disease. We therefore investigated the association between the observed domestic cat allergen level and cat sensitisation in young children in four study populations from three European countries. We recruited children from a nested case-control study, which is composed of four ongoing birth cohorts conducted in three European countries.

Levels and determinants of beta(1-->3)-glucans and fungal extracellular polysaccharides in house dust of (pre-)school children in three European countries.

Background: Mold growth is believed to be one causative factor underlying the association between dampness in buildings and increased respiratory morbidity. Measurements of beta(1-->3)-glucans and fungal extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) are used as markers of mold exposure in field studies. Little is known about their levels and determinants in homes.

Childhood cat allergen exposure in three European countries: The AIRALLERG study.

Introduction: Cat allergen is a major cause of morbidity among sensitised asthma patients, but little is known about distribution of cat allergen exposure and its determinants in homes.

Methods: We measured cat allergen and potential determinants of cat allergen levels in more than 1000 homes. House dust was collected from children's mattresses and living room floors in approximately 360 homes in The Netherlands, Sweden and Germany and analysed for Fel d 1 in one central laboratory.

Variation of biocontaminant levels within and between homes--the AIRALLERG study.

Few epidemiological studies report on reliability of exposure measurements even though this significantly influences the results of correlation and regression analysis often used in these studies. Poor reliability of exposure measurement reduces the ability to detect a true association between a certain component and health outcome variables. The aim of this study was to determine the ratio of the within-home and between-home components of variance of a number of biocontaminants measured in house dust in the framework of an international study conducted in the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden (the AIRALLERG study).