Assessment of allergen-induced respiratory hyperresponsiveness before the prescription of a specific immunotherapy.

Background: Asymptomatic sensitization is a frequent condition that must be considered before the indication of allergic-specific immunotherapy.

Objective: The aim of this study was to appreciate and correlate the local and spirometric changes elicited by the allergen-specific nasal provocation test (NPT) to define practical and feasible guidelines for the allergist/immunologist to demonstrate specific respiratory hyperresponsiveness before the indication of allergic-specific immunotherapy.

Methods: A total of 172 subjects (children and adults) with a diagnosis of allergic rhinitis were submitted to flow-volume spirometry immediately before and after the NPT performed with Dermatophagoides antigens.

The nasal provocation test combined with spirometry establishes paradoxical vocal fold motion in allergic subjects.

Vocal cord dysfunction (also called paradoxical vocal cord motion) or paradoxical vocal fold motion (PVFM) is an event elicited by specific and nonspecific triggers in which its diagnosis is limited by the restricted number of available functional tests. This study was designed to appreciate the contribution of the spirometric changes elicited by the allergen-specific nasal provocation test (NPT) performed with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus for the diagnosis of PVFM in subjects with known sensitization to this allergen. In total, 63 subjects with allergic rhinitis who had previously been shown to be sensitized to D.

In search of a tolerance-induction strategy for cow's milk allergies: significant reduction of beta-lactoglobulin allergenicity via transglutaminase/cysteine polymerization.

Objective: To explore the use of β-lactoglobulin polymerized using microbial transglutaminase and heating to identify whether protein polymerization could reduce in vivo allergenicity and maintain in vitro and ex vivo immunoreactivity for use in tolerance-induction protocols.

Methods: Based on previous protocols applied in mice and children, we performed in vivo challenges (using a skin prick test) with native and polymerized β-lactoglobulin in adult patients with an IgE-mediated allergy to plactoglobulin. In vitro humoral immunoreactivity was analyzed using immunoblotting.

Is it just lactose intolerance?

Acquired delayed-onset hypolactasia is a common autosomal recessive condition. Cow's milk allergies, conversely, are less common conditions that may manifest with equivalent symptoms and are able to simulate and/or aggravate lactose intolerance. This study was designed to evaluate the contribution of IgE-mediated cow's milk sensitization to the symptomatology of adult patients with lactose-free diet refractory lactose intolerance.