Mode of delivery at birth and development of asthma: a population-based cohort study.

Background: To test the hygiene hypothesis, previous studies have assessed the relationship between mode of delivery at birth and asthma incidence, but the results have been inconsistent because of potential selection and ascertainment biases.

Objective: To assess the relationship between mode of delivery at birth and asthma by following all children born in Rochester, Minn, between 1976 and 1982.

Methods: From the birth certificate, we determined mode of delivery (cesarean section vs vaginal delivery).

The influence of neighborhood environment on the incidence of childhood asthma: a multilevel approach.

Some ecological analyses suggest an influence of neighborhood environment on asthma outcomes. However, no previous study has applied a multilevel approach to assess an ecological effect of neighborhood environment on the incidence of childhood asthma accounting for individual risk factors. This study assessed the influence of neighborhood and individual-level factors on the incidence of childhood asthma among all children born in Rochester, Minnesota, between 1976 and 1979.

Long-term fracture risk among children with asthma: a population-based study.

Unlabelled: Fracture risk among patients diagnosed with asthma in childhood is greater in males and oral corticosteroid users, but most fractures are of the appendicular skeleton and may relate to impaired skeletal development.

Introduction: There are no population-based data on fracture outcomes among the growing number of patients with asthma diagnosed in childhood.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a population-based retrospective (historical) cohort study among 279 Rochester, Minnesota, residents who were <35 years of age (mean, 6.

A consensus protocol for the determination of the threshold doses for allergenic foods: how much is too much?

Background: While the ingestion of small amounts of an offending food can elicit adverse reactions in individuals with IgE-mediated food allergies, little information is known regarding these threshold doses for specific allergenic foods. While low-dose challenge trials have been conducted on an appreciable number of allergic individuals, a variety of different clinical protocols were used making the estimation of the threshold dose very difficult.

Objective: A roundtable conference was convened to develop a consensus clinical protocol for low-dose challenge trials for the estimation of threshold doses for specific allergenic foods.

Long-term fracture risk following adult-onset asthma: a population-based study.

There are few data on skeletal outcomes in the growing population of patients with adult-onset asthma. We conducted a population-based retrospective (historical) cohort study among 226 residents of Rochester, Minnesota, USA, who were 35 years of age or older when first diagnosed with asthma. Fractures were ascertained by review of comprehensive community medical records, and observed fractures were compared with expected numbers based on incidence rates in the local population (standardized incidence ratios, SIR).

Immunization of egg-allergic individuals with egg- or chicken-derived vaccines.

Viruses used in several vaccines are propagated in embryonated eggs. These vaccines contain variable quantities of residual egg or chicken proteins and pose risks when administered to egg- or chicken-sensitive persons. This article highlights differences in how vaccines are prepared, with emphasis on the quantitation of residual egg-derived protein in each vaccine.

Psyllium-associated anaphylaxis and death: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Psyllium use has increased significantly in the United States in part due to its lipid-lowering property. The increased prevalence of consumption has led to its recognition as an emerging food allergen.

Objectives: To report the case of a 42-year-old woman who experienced fatal anaphylaxis after ingesting a psyllium-based product and to review the literature.

Occupational allergies caused by latex.

Allergy to natural rubber latex is an important cause of occupational allergy in healthcare workers. Disposable medical gloves are the major reservoir of latex allergens, particularly powdered gloves, in healthcare delivery settings. Diagnosis of latex allergy requires a history of exacerbation of cutaneous, respiratory, ocular, or systemic signs and symptoms after exposure to natural rubber latex products; and evidence of sensitization by patch testing, skin testing, measurement of latex-specific IgE antibodies, or challenge testing.

Effect of anti-IgE therapy in patients with peanut allergy.

Background: Peanut-induced anaphylaxis is an IgE-mediated condition that is estimated to affect 1.5 million people and cause 50 to 100 deaths per year in the United States. TNX-901 is a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody against IgE that recognizes and masks an epitope in the CH3 region of IgE responsible for binding to the high-affinity Fc(epsilon) receptor on mast cells and basophils.

Prevalence of anti-gelatin IgE antibodies in people with anaphylaxis after measles-mumps rubella vaccine in the United States.

Objective: Anaphylaxis after immunization, although rare, is serious and potentially life-threatening. Understanding risk factors for this reaction is therefore important. Gelatin is added to many vaccines as a heat stabilizer.

Management of occupational allergy to natural rubber latex in a medical center: the importance of quantitative latex allergen measurement and objective follow-up.

When our employees began coming to the Occupational Health Service, Dermatology, and Allergy Clinics with symptoms of allergy to rubber gloves 12 years ago, the Mayo Clinic initiated 3 responses. (1) The Allergic Disease Research Laboratory adapted well-established technology to measure both the IgE antibody specific to natural rubber allergens, and by use of this IgE antibody, the allergens in rubber products and in the air of the workplace. (2) The Division of Allergic Diseases and Internal Medicine reviewed the prevalence and severity of the problem.

Natural rubber latex allergy after 12 years: recommendations and perspectives.

Natural rubber latex (NRL) allergy is a "new" illness whose prevalence reached epidemic proportions in highly exposed populations during the last decade. In children with spina bifida and in patients exposed to NRL during radiologic procedures, institution of prophylactic safety measures has had demonstrable effects in preventing allergic reactions. The risk of NRL allergy appears to be largely linked to occupational exposure, and NRL-associated occupational asthma is due almost solely to powdered latex glove use.

Investigation of the allergenicity of a refined peanut oil-containing topical dermatologic agent in persons who are sensitive to peanuts.

We determined if a topical oil containing 0.01% fluocinolone and refined peanut oil (Derma-Smoothe/FS topical oil), among other ingredients, included materials to which peanut-sensitive individuals were sensitized. No immediate (15-min) or delayed (72-h) skin test reactivity was demonstrated in any of the 14 subjects tested.

School attendance and school performance: a population-based study of children with asthma.

Objective: To analyze school attendance and school achievement as outcomes of the care of children with asthma.

Methods: A previously identified Rochester, Minnesota, cohort of children with asthma and age- and sex-matched children without asthma were studied. School attendance, standardized achievement test scores, grade point average, grade promotion, and class rank of graduating students for children with asthma and control subjects were obtained from the Rochester Public School system.

The 30th anniversary of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology: then and now.

Thirty years ago the Allergy Subspecialty Boards of the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) and the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) merged to form the American Board of Allergy and Immunology (ABAI). The ABAI mission was to: establish qualifications and examine physician candidates for certification as specialists in allergy and immunology; serve the public, physicians, hospitals, and medical schools by providing the names of physicians certified by the Board; assist educational and professional organizations to improve the quality of care and availability of allergists to deliver such care, to establish and improve standards for the teaching of allergy and immunology, to establish standards for training programs, and to encourage development of increased opportunities for training of physicians interested in allergy and immunology. This mission statement has guided the activities of the Board ever since by providing a strong focus on the 2 major responsibilities: examining and certifying candidates in a fair objective way, and setting standards for the content and conduct of training programs.

Allergy to iguana.

Background: Furry animals produce allergens that can cause allergic rhinitis and asthma. In contrast, scaly animals, such as lizards, are assumed not to be allergenic.

Objective: We sought to evaluate a 32-year-old man who complained of allergic rhinitis and asthma symptoms that occurred exclusively in his own home.