Evaluation of respiratory allergies burden and management in primary care and comparative analysis of health care data from Romania, Poland, Czech Republic and Bulgaria - preliminary study.

Background: Respiratory allergies mostly allergic rhinitis and asthma represent an important and increasing public health problem and one of the priorities for the European health systems. There is an increasing public concern regarding the persistence and severity of allergic diseases and many difficulties of health systems in providing prompt specialized medical assistance. Our study aims to highlight the main results of the Alliance 4Life project focused on the evaluation of the burden and management of respiratory allergies in primary care from Romania and comparative health-related data from four Central and Eastern European countries.

Defining the short-term and long-term skin manifestations of COVID-19: insights after more than three years of the pandemic.

Aim: This review aimed to assess the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on skin health to establish a classification of the skin lesions that occur most frequently during the disease and whether a particular category of skin damage is more likely to occur both in the short term and in the long term.

Methods: We conducted a literature search of the PubMed database. Ultimately, 109 articles were included in this review.

A retrospective study regarding the influence of COVID-19 disease on asthma.

Background: During the Covid-19 pandemic patients suffering from asthma raised many concerns regarding the outcome ofthe impact of COVID-19 disease on their preexisting condition. The 2021 GINA report indicates that people with asthma do not appear to be at increased risk of a severe form of COVID-19.

Method: This study is a retrospective study of patients (n = 163) median age = 27.

Biologic Pollution Due to (Ragweed) Pollen in Urban Environment of Bucharest.

Ragweed pollen is an important component of biological pollution in the urban environment, responsible for increasing respiratory allergies and significant contribution to the health impact of air pollution in the Bucharest area. The aim of this paper is to present the eight-year ragweed pollen monitoring data from Bucharest, to place them in the context of local air pollution, public health regulations and available data on the health impact of ragweed pollen in the urban environment. Our pollen data were correlated with major air pollutant concentrations and with meteorological factors in a recently published local paper and the clinical data of patients with ragweed-induced respiratory symptoms were collected and published in 2019.

Follow-Up of a Rare Case of Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis Associated with Persistent Blood Eosinophilia and Multiple Food Allergies.

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) is a subgroup of the eosinophilic gastro-intestinal disorders (EGIDs), characterized by eosinophilic infiltration and chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. These are rare diseases with still incompletely elucidated causes and mechanisms, with frequently delayed diagnosis and variable outcome. Despite increased interest in eosinophilic diseases in recent years, fewer data have been published on EGE and no standardized diagnostic and therapeutic approach exists.

Role of Allergist Advice in Determining Personal Decisions for COVID-19 Vaccination of People With a History of Allergies.

Introduction Vaccination is the most important confirmed tool that can stop the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, but the vaccination rate remains low in some countries, including Romania, despite consistent and undoubtedly scientific proof of this disease-prevention method. The risk of allergic reactions after COVID-19 vaccines may be a reasonable cause for the antivaccination attitude of people with a history of allergies or who consider themselves at risk for having severe allergic reactions after vaccination. Objective Our paper aims to analyze the role of allergist advice in getting people with a history of allergies to trust and accept COVID-19 vaccines and to evaluate the real risk of allergic reactions to these vaccines in this population.

Evaluation and Classification of Mast Cell Disorders: A Difficult to Manage Pathology in Clinical Practice.

Mast cells are granulocytic immunomodulatory cells with an important role in physiologic and pathogenic processes due to their location at the junction between the internal and external environment and to their capacity to release a broad range of active mediators. Mast cells mediators have both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory activities and are implicated in various and complex pathology. Mast cells disorders (MCDs) represent a heterogeneous pathology, with frequently difficult and challenging evaluation and diagnostic workup.

Real-Life Benefit of Omalizumab in Improving Control of Bronchial Asthma During COVID-19 Pandemic.

Biologic therapy is recommended by Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines in asthma patients not controlled with maximal inhaled therapy corresponding to GINA step 4. Omalizumab is an anti- immunoglobulin E (IgE) monoclonal antibody and the first biological available for the add-on treatment of severe allergic asthma, approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003. Diagnosing and managing asthma patients during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic since early 2020 has been challenging, mainly due to the risk of contracting COVID-19 disease and to the limited access to hospital care and pulmonary function tests.

Atopy and Lifestyle Survey of Allergic Patients From Urban Environment in Romania: Preliminary Data From an Interactive Qualifying Project.

Introduction Respiratory allergies represent an important public health problem, with increasing prevalence and severity in Europe during the last decades. The rise of pollen allergies is an issue that continues to negatively impact people's daily lives across the globe and has become more important in the light of global warming and increasing air pollution. The aim of our paper is to evaluate the prevalence of declared atopy and the influence of lifestyle on allergic diseases, particularly on pollen allergies, in the urban environment from Romania.

The role of non-invasive scores in determining the liver fibrosis in NAFLD and psoriatic patients.

According to recent data, psoriatic patients have an increased prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic syndrome, compared with the general population. In some published studies, the severity and presence of psoriasis disease were correlated with the severity of NAFLD. In the current study, we aimed to compare the sensibility and specificity of the non-invasive scores and liver biopsy in determining fibrosis in patients with NAFLD and moderate to severe psoriasis.

Mast cell activation syndromes - evaluation of current diagnostic criteria and laboratory tools in clinical practice (Review).

Mast cell activation syndromes (MCAS) represent a heterogeneous clinical entity caused by episodic and severe mast cell activation, including primary and secondary mast cell disorders (MCDs). The group of primary or clonal MCDs refers to systemic mastocytosis, other clonal MCAS and hereditary hypertryptasemia, while the secondary MCAS is characterized by normal mast cells (MCs) which are activated by external triggers, such as allergens or physical stimuli. Another category of MCAS is the idiopathic form, when no trigger or genetic mutation can be identified.

Acquired angioedema induced by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors - experience of a hospital-based allergy center.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) represent an important group of pharmacological compounds, largely prescribed for more than 30 years. They have been extensively evaluated in clinical trials, demonstrating significant reduction of morbidity and mortality of patients with cardiovascular diseases, mainly high blood pressure, myocardial infarction, heart failure and stroke. Besides their beneficial effects and a general good safety profile, it was proven that ACEIs might also induce adverse effects in some patients, most notably angioedema (AE) and chronic cough.

Eosinophilic disorders: evaluation of current classification and diagnostic criteria, proposal of a practical diagnostic algorithm.

Eosinophilic disorders represent a group of pathologic conditions with highly heterogeneous pathophysiology and clinical presentation and variable prognosis, ranging from asymptomatic or mild, to severe and complex cases, with fatal outcome. Interest in this group of disorders has increased during the last two decades, with consistent progress made regarding understanding of molecular mechanisms, refining of diagnostic criteria, classification and evaluation of therapeutic options. There are still many gaps and difficulties in evaluating eosinophilic syndromes and diseases in medical practice.

Five-Year Data on Pollen Monitoring, Distribution and Health Impact of Allergenic Plants in Bucharest and the Southeastern Region of Romania.

Respiratory allergies induced by allergenic pollen represent an important public health problem with increasing prevalence and severity in Europe. Romania has no aerobiology network and pollen measurements have been done for about ten years in the west region only. We established the first pollen monitoring center in the capital of Bucharest in 2013, based on collaboration with the Réseau National de Surveillance Aérobiologique (RNSA) from France.

Nine year follow-up of a rare case of angioedema due to acquired C1-inhibitor deficiency with late onset and good response to attenuated androgen.

Background: Angioedema due to acquired deficiency of C1-inhibitor (C1-INH-AAE) is a rare disease sharing some clinical and laboratory similarities with hereditary angioedema, but with late onset and no positive family history. The underlining cause may be malignant or due to autoimmune diseases, but some cases remain idiopathic.

Case Presentation: We report a case of a 75 year old woman suffering from recurrent episodes of angioedema since the age of 66, considered first induced by treatment with angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEI).

First allergenic pollen monitoring in Bucharest and results of three years collaboration with European aerobiology specialists.

Introduction: Respiratory allergies induced by allergenic plants pollen represent an important public health problem with increasing prevalence and severity. Aerobiologic study of allergenic pollens is performed in many countries on regular basis and correlated with health data from allergists in the frame of national aerobiology networks. Romania has no aerobiology network and pollen measurements have been done between 1999-2012 in West region only.

Eosinophilia and Hypereosinophilic Disorders - Update on Etiopathogeny, Classification and Clinical Approach.

Eosinophils are innate immune leukocytes recruited in large numbers to sites of allergic inflammation and parasitic infections. Recent studies show additional pleiotropic effects of recruited eosinophils impacting immunomodulation, tissue homeostasis and repair. Pathologic conditions accompanied by blood eosinophilia are quite frequent in medical practice and may raise serious differential diagnosis problems in severe cases, that require a multidisciplinary approach.

Romanian Allergology in the actual European context.

Allergic diseases represent an important health problem in the most of developed countries, due to continuous increasing prevalence, with significant individual and social consequences. Allergic diseases may raise serious problems in clinical practice, derived from complexity of clinical forms and mechanisms and from rising incidence of severe cases, with high fatality risk. Taking into consideration the dramatic increase of all allergies forms during the last decades, they are considered a real "epidemic" of the XXIst century, being classified by the World Health Organization as the fourth most frequent chronic diseases.

Drug allergies in primary care practice in Romania: a questionnaire - based survey.

Introduction: Recent data from literature have shown many difficulties in managing allergic diseases in primary care in most countries and a consequently clear need for standardized educational programmes. Drug allergies represent an important medical issue for general practitioners (GPs) in Romania, though no national data about incidence, severity and management exist.The aim of our study was to evaluate epidemiological aspects of drug allergies in primary care practice in Bucharest, especially the diagnostic and therapeutic attitudes of family doctors and their need for education and training in this field of pathology.