Effects of SiO2 in Turkish natural stones on cancer development.

In materials science, one of the new concerns in the construction industry, it is well established that mineral dust from rocks (stones) has adverse effects on human health. For instance, it is suspected that some mineral dusts in particular leads to occupational diseases, including lung cancer. The present research concerned the relationship between cancer and those workers who work in Turkish construction industry and quarries and are exposed to silica mineral dust from natural stones.

Promising option in the prevention of idiopathic anaphylaxis: omalizumab.

Anaphylaxis is a serious and probably lethal systemic reaction which occurs instantaneously after exposure to an allergen. It can occur after exposure to various triggers including allergic and non-allergic factors. When a trigger cannot be determined, idiopathic anaphylaxis is considered.

Omalizumab markedly improves urticaria activity scores and quality of life scores in chronic spontaneous urticaria patients: a real life survey.

Treatment of chronic urticaria consists of antihistamines as the first-line treatment. For more severe symptoms, combinations can be necessary as well as dose augmentations. The recent guidelines suggest the possibility of using omalizumab in resistant cases, but this therapy is still investigational.

There is an increased risk of atherosclerosis in hereditary angioedema.

Background: Hereditary angioedema is associated either with a deficiency in the amount or in the function of the C1 inhibitor (C1 INH).

Objective: In this study the endothelial function of HAE patients was investigated to evaluate the impact of hereditary C1-INH deficiency on atherosclerosis, which has not yet been established before.

Methods: A total of 26 patients (14 female, 12 male.

The Turkish Hereditary Angioedema Pilot Study (TURHAPS): the first Turkish series of hereditary angioedema.

Background: No published data presently exist concerning hereditary angioedema (HAE) in Turkey. The aim of the study was to initiate a preliminary multicentric evaluation about HAE and to determine the genetic properties of Turkish patients.

Methods: Based on records drawn from four medical centers we identified a total of 70 subjects, belonging to 60 unrelated families, fulfilling clinical and laboratory criteria for diagnosis of HAE with C1 inhibitor deficiency.

Latex sublingual immunotherapy: can its safety be predicted?

Background: Complete avoidance sometimes cannot be possible in latex-allergic health care workers. So far, very few double-blind placebo-controlled studies revealed the efficacy of sublingual latex immunotherapy (SLIT) in those patients.

Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of latex SLIT in health care workers.

Neurotrophins: are they meaningful in chronic spontaneous urticaria?

Plasma neurotrophin levels are elevated in patients with allergic and autoimmune diseases. The present study was designed to investigate the serum neurotrophin levels in 42 patients displaying chronic spontaneous urticaria, as well as 22 healthy control subjects. Blood samples were obtained from subjects during their first visit to the clinic, and then again after one month of desloratadine therapy.

Allergic vs nonallergic rhinitis: which is more predisposing to chronic rhinosinusitis?

Background: The impact of allergy on chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is controversial.

Objective: To evaluate whether a history of CRS is more prevalent in patients with allergic rhinitis than in those with nonallergic persistent rhinitis.

Methods: A total of 115 patients (78 females; mean age, 31.

Recurrent anaphylaxis due to non-ruptured hepatic hydatid cysts.

Background: Hydatid disease, a parasitic infestation of humans, is endemic in the Mediterranean region, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East, and mostly involves the liver. Anaphylactic reactions, which sometimes are the first manifestations of the disease, frequently occur due to cyst rupture after a minor/major trauma, though they may also be spontaneously seen on rare occasions. In extremely few studies, anaphylactic shock has been reported in patients without macroscopic rupture of the hydatid cysts.

Serum amyloid A (SAA) in induced sputum of asthmatics: a new look to an old marker.

Background: Some cellular and soluble markers of inflammation in induced sputum have been used for studying airway inflammation in asthma. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of systemic inflammation marker serum amyloid A (SAA) in blood and induced sputum to monitor the airway inflammation in asthmatic patients.

Method: Seventeen non-smokers newly diagnosed mild to moderate asthmatic patients and 10 healthy volunteers were included in this prospective parallel designed study.

Nigella sativa (black seed) oil does not affect the T-helper 1 and T-helper 2 type cytokine production from splenic mononuclear cells in allergen sensitized mice.

Nigella sativa Linn. (Ranunculaceae) is known to have beneficial effects on a wide range of diseases including asthma. However, the mechanism of action in asthma and other allergic diseases is not entirely clear.

Acute phase reactants in allergic airway disease.

Acute phase reactants have been implicated for their involvement as proinflammatory molecules in various inflammatory diseases. However, little is known regarding their role in the allergic airway disease. The aim of the present study was to examine the blood concentrations of three acute-phase proteins, namely C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA) and fibrinogen in patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma.