Oxidative activity of ammonium persulfate salt on mast cells and basophils: implication in hairdressers' asthma.

Background: Persulfate salts are components of bleaching powders widely used by hairdressers during hair-bleaching procedures. Hairdressers are at high risk for occupational asthma and rhinitis, and ammonium persulfate is the main etiologic agent.

Objective: To explore the effects of ammonium persulfate on human albumin, mast cells, and basophils in order to evaluate a possible effect of ammonium persulfate oxidizing activity in the mechanism of ammonium persulfate-induced occupational asthma.

Affinity purification of egg-white allergens for improved component-resolved diagnostics.

Background: Egg is a common cause of food-allergic reactions, especially among young children. Some egg-allergic patients do, however, tolerate heated egg products and component-resolved diagnostics (CRD) may facilitate prediction of different disease manifestations. Commercially available preparations of the egg-white allergens, ovomucoid, ovalbumin, conalbumin and lysozyme, have been reported to contain impurities which interfere with accurate CRD.

Xolair is effective in allergics with a low serum IgE level.

Background: Two atopic patients suffering from severe allergy difficult to handle by conventional medication were given Xolair despite an IgE level <30 kU/l.

Methods: Increasing dosages were given and monitored by clinical evaluation and CD-sens to clinically relevant allergens. The patients' IgE antibody fractions were 11-14%.

Anaphylaxis to Patent Blue V. II. A unique IgE-mediated reaction.

Background: Patent Blue V (PBV) is injected in order to map sentinel nodes during cancer staging procedures. Anaphylactic reactions, allegedly IgE antibody mediated, have been reported. The aim of the study was to explore the immunological mechanism of anaphylaxis to PBV.

National pholcodine consumption and prevalence of IgE-sensitization: a multicentre study.

Background: The aim of this study was to test, on a multinational level, the pholcodine (PHO) hypothesis, i.e. that the consumption of PHO-containing cough mixtures could cause higher prevalence of IgE antibodies to PHO, morphine (MOR) and suxamethonium (SUX).

After 6 years with Xolair; a 3-year withdrawal follow-up.

Background: This study reports the clinical and immunological state of patients 3 years after a 6-year period of Xolair treatment for severe allergic asthma.

Methods: The patient's cat allergen sensitivity, measured as CD-sens, IgE and IgE- and IgG4 antibodies, was analysed and compared with asthma severity evaluated from FEV(1) and a questionnaire.

Results: Three years after treatment with Xolair was stopped, 12/18 patients reported improved or unchanged asthma compared with ongoing Xolair treatment.

The size of the disease relevant IgE antibody fraction in relation to 'total-IgE' predicts the efficacy of anti-IgE (Xolair) treatment.

Background: Some patients with allergic asthma treated with anti-IgE (Xolair) do not become symptom free. Better criteria for response assessment than allergy skin tests or IgE determination are needed. The impact of the size of the disease relevant allergen-specific IgE antibody fraction, i.

CD-sens: a biological measure of immunological changes stimulated by ASIT.

Background: Allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) in allergic rhinitis and asthma is the only treatment that effects the long-term development of these diseases. Basophil allergen threshold sensitivity, CD-sens, which is a valuable complement to resource-demanding clinical challenge tests, was used to monitor the initiation of ASIT induced allergen 'blocking activity'.

Methods: Patients IgE-sensitized to timothy (n = 14) or birch (n = 19) pollen were started on conventional (8-16 weeks) or ultra rush ASIT, respectively, and followed by measurements of CD-sens, allergen binding activity (ABA) and serum IgG4- and IgE-antibody concentrations.

Anaphylaxis to pine nut: cross-reactivity to Artemisia vulgaris?

The use of pine nuts, the seeds of Pinus pinea, is on the increasing in the modern Mediterranean diet. Little more than 20 cases of allergy to this tree nut have been published, and cross-reactivity with pine pollen, peanut and almond has already been reported. We describe the case of a young boy with several episodes of anaphylaxis after pine nut ingestion.

Pholcodine exposure raises serum IgE in patients with previous anaphylaxis to neuromuscular blocking agents.

Background: Neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) can cause anaphylaxis through immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies that bind quaternary ammonium ion epitopes. These epitopes are present in numerous common chemicals and drugs, exposure to which, theoretically, could be of importance in the development and maintenance of the IgE sensitization promoting allergic reactions. Pholcodine is one such drug, which in a recent pilot study was shown to induce a remarkable increase in serum IgE levels in two IgE-sensitized individuals.

CD-sens and clinical changes during withdrawal of Xolair after 6 years of treatment.

Background: Many clinical trials with omalizumab, Xolair, have been reported but the treatment period has always been short, i.e. <12 months.

No consumption of IgE antibody in serum during allergic drug anaphylaxis.

Background: The general understanding is that a blood sample for analysis of immunoglobulin (Ig) E antibodies to an allergen suspected to cause an anaphylaxis cannot be drawn until several weeks after the reaction. As this is most unpractical, the changes in IgE antibody levels during anaphylaxis were studied to evaluate the possibility of using samples drawn at the time of the reaction.

Methods: Immunoglobulin E antibodies to suxamethonium were quantitated with ImmunoCAP before, during and after an anaphylactic reaction occurring during anaesthesia using neuromuscular blocking agents.

Cat IgA, representative of new carbohydrate cross-reactive allergens.

Background: Allergens from cat are among the most potent elicitors of allergic disease. Four cat allergens have been identified; however, evidence indicates the existence of additional allergens.

Objective: In this study, we evaluated IgE sensitization to IgA from cat.

Simultaneous exposure of several allergens has an additive effect on multisensitized basophils.

Background: Patients immunoglobulin (Ig)E-sensitized to more than one allergen in their environment often have more symptoms than mono-sensitized individuals, which indicates that the allergens may have an additive effect. In order to study if such an effect could be detected on the inflammatory, cellular level, multisensitized basophils were challenged with various dose combinations of two relevant allergens.

Methods: Basophils from patients IgE-sensitized to timothy/cat, birch/cat, timothy/mite and cat/mite were challenged with serial dilutions of different combinations of the two allergens.

The importance of IgE antibody levels in anti-IgE treatment.

Background: Dosages of anti-immunoglobulin (Ig)E in treatment of allergic asthma is based on total IgE body pool assuming that IgE antibodies responsible for the disease are evenly distributed among patients. This assumption was evaluated.

Methods: Median and quartile concentrations of IgE and IgE antibodies to cat and mite in 6461 sera submitted to an allergy laboratory during 2003-2005 were calculated and expressed in groups of different IgE levels.

Basophil allergen threshold sensitivity: a useful approach to anti-IgE treatment efficacy evaluation.

Background: Monitoring of the allergen sensitivity of a patient is most important for optimal patient care and a basic prerequisite for immunomodulating treatment. The objective of this study was to investigate how basophil allergen sensitivity can be applied in the monitoring of anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) treatment.

Methods: Basophils from timothy grass pollen allergic patients were, by flow cytometry, analysed for allergen threshold sensitivity (CD-sens) by measuring CD63 up-regulation on CD203c-identified basophils.

Pholcodine stimulates a dramatic increase of IgE in IgE-sensitized individuals. A pilot study.

Background: A previous study showed a relation between pholcodine (PHO) consumption, prevalence of IgE-sensitization to PHO, morphine (MOR) and suxamethonium (SUX) and anaphylaxis to neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA). The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the effect on IgE production, in IgE-sensitized and nonsensitized individuals, of exposure to cough syrup and environmental chemicals containing PHO, MOR and SUX related allergenic structures.

Methods: Serum concentrations of IgE and IgE antibodies to PHO, MOR and SUX allergens measured by ImmunoCAP (Pharmacia Diagnostics, Uppsala, Sweden) were followed after intake of cough syrup, or exposure to confectionary and other household chemicals containing various amounts of substances cross-reacting with PHO, MOR and SUX.

High prevalence of IgE antibodies among blood donors in Sweden and Norway.

Background: Reactions after a blood transfusion could be allergic because of passive transfer of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies from allergic donors.

Aims Of The Study: To compare spectrum and prevalence of IgE antibodies in blood donors from Sweden and Norway.

Methods: Using the ImmunoCAP method, serum samples from 1002 blood donors from Sweden and 500 from Norway were analysed for IgE antibodies to common inhalant and food allergens and allergens common in a hospital environment, such as penicilloyl G and latex.

Passive IgE-sensitization by blood transfusion.

Background: To study the mechanisms of passive sensitization of patients receiving plasma containing IgE antibodies to a defined allergen.

Methods: When required for medical reasons, regular donor plasma with IgE antibodies to timothy grass allergen (8-205 kU(A)/l), was given. Kinetics of IgE antibodies in the recipients' serum and his/her basophil allergen threshold sensitivity, CD-sens, was monitored up to 2-3 weeks after transfusion.

Prevalence of IgE antibodies to morphine. Relation to the high and low incidences of NMBA anaphylaxis in Norway and Sweden, respectively.

Background: Anaphylactic reactions to a neuromuscular blocking agent (NMBA) is more than six times as common in Norway as in Sweden, probably due to differences in preoperative sensitization. The prevalence of IgE-sensitization to morphine (MOR) and suxamethonium (SUX) in comparable populations in Bergen, Norway, and Stockholm, Sweden, was studied and related to possible sensitizing agents.

Methods: Three hundred sera of 'allergics' and 500 blood donors in Bergen and Stockholm were tested for IgE antibodies to MOR and SUX using Pharmacia Diagnostics ImmunoCAP(Uppsala, Sweden) assay and the results compared to those of 65 patients from Bergen with documented anaphylaxis to NMBA.

IgE-sensitization to predatory mites and respiratory symptoms in Swedish greenhouse workers.

Background: Predatory mites are used as biological pesticides worldwide for control of spider mites and other pests in greenhouses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of occupational exposure to Phytoseiulus persimilis and Hypoaspis miles on IgE sensitization among a large group of Swedish greenhouse workers and to examine the relationship between exposure and allergic asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis.

Methods: A total of 96 greenhouse workers from the southern part of Sweden, who were using the predatory mites for control of pests, were investigated with a questionnaire and a medical examination including lung function test.

Instrumental and dermatologist evaluation of the effect of glycerine and urea on dry skin in atopic dermatitis.

Background/aims: Moisturising creams are useful treatment adjuncts in inflammatory dermatoses and have beneficial effects in the treatment of dry, scaly skin. The effects on dryness and skin permeability of a new moisturising cream with 20% glycerine was compared with its placebo and with a medicinally authorised cream with 4% urea (combined with 4% sodium chloride) in the treatment of dry skin.

Methods: Patients (n=109) with atopic dermatitis were treated for 30 days with a moisturiser in a randomised, parallel and double-blind fashion.

A case of allergy to cow's milk hydrolysate.

We here report a girl, now 3 years old, who has suffered from severe food allergy since her first year of life. She was strongly allergic to cow's milk, and had high levels of IgE antibody (AB) to casein (210 kU/I), beta-lactoglobulin (43 kU/I), and alpha-lactalbumin (23 kU/l) at 12 months of age. In addition, at the same age, she showed positive (2-4+) skin prick reactions to both unboiled and boiled formulas (Profylac, Nutramigen, and Neocate), besides being positive in RAST to Nutramigen (0.