January 24, 2015

The linkage of allergic rhinitis and obstructive sleep apnea

The linkage of allergic rhinitis and obstructive sleep apnea

Naricha Chirakalwasan, Kiat Ruxrungtham

Abstract


Rhinitis can be divided into allergic and non-allergic rhinitis. Rhinitis, particularly allergic rhinitis, has been shown to be associated with obstructive sleep apnea; a condition characterized by repetitive upper airway obstruction during sleep.

Impact of a countywide smoke-free workplace law on emergency department visits for respiratory diseases: a retrospective cohort study

Research article


Open AccessIvana T CroghanJon O EbbertJames T HaysDarrell R SchroederAlanna M Chamberlain,Véronique L Roger and Richard D Hurt

Abstract (provisional)
Background
With the goal of reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, the state of Minnesota (MN), enacted a smoke-free law (i.e., Freedom to Breathe Act) in all workplaces, restaurants, and bars in 2007. This retrospective cohort study analyzes emergency department (ED) visits in Olmsted County, MN, for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma over a five-year period to assess changes after enactment of the smoke-free law.

Successful Desensitization of a Patient with Rituximab Hypersensitivity

Case Reports in Immunology
Volume 2015 (2015), Article ID 524507, 4 pages
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/524507
Case Report
1Department of Hematology, Ankara University, Cebeci, 06590 Ankara, Turkey
2Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Immunology and Allergy Clinic, Ankara University, Cebeci, 06590 Ankara, Turkey
Received 8 November 2014; Revised 1 January 2015; Accepted 1 January 2015
Academic Editor: Ahmad M. Mansour
Copyright © 2015 Pinar Ataca et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody which targets CD20 in B cells that is used for the treatment of CD20 positive oncologic and hematologic malignancies. Rituximab causes hypersensitivity reactions during infusions. The delay of treatment or loss of a highly efficient drug can be prevented by rapid drug desensitization method in patients who are allergic to rituximab. We report a low grade B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma patient with rituximab hypersensitivity successfully treated with rapid drug desensitization. In experienced centers, drug desensitization is a novel modality to break through in case of hypersensitivity that should be considered.

Health economic comparison of SLIT allergen and SCIT allergoid immunotherapy in patients with seasonal grass-allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in Germany


Research
Open Access


Bram G Verheggen1*Kirsten Y Westerhout1Carl H Schreder2 and Matthias Augustin3

Abstract (provisional)

Background
Allergoids are chemically modified allergen extracts administered to reduce allergenicity and to maintain immunogenicity. Oralair (the 5-grass tablet) is a sublingual native grass allergen tablet for pre- and co-seasonal treatment. Based on a literature review, meta-analysis, and cost-effectiveness analysis the relative effects and costs of the 5-grass tablet versus a mix of subcutaneous allergoid compounds for grass pollen allergic rhinoconjunctivitis were assessed.

Efficacy of Add-on Montelukast in Nonasthmatic Eosinophilic Bronchitis: The Additive Effect on Airway Inflammation, Cough and Life Quality

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year : 2015  |  Volume : 128  |  Issue : 1  |  Page : 39-45


1 Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200080, China
2 Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200080; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China
3 Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China
4 Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shanghai Putuo People's Hospital, Shanghai 200060, China
Date of Submission28-Oct-2014
Date of Web Publication26-Dec-2014
    

DOI: 10.4103/0366-6999.147805
PMID: 25563311

  Abstract 
Background: The efficacy of montelukast (MONT), a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist, in nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis (NAEB), especially its influence on cough associated life quality is still indefinite. We evaluated the efficacy of MONT combined with budesonide (BUD) as compared to BUD monotherapy in improving life quality, suppressing airway eosinophilia and cough remission in NAEB.
Methods: A prospective, open-labeled, multicenter, randomized controlled trial was conducted. Patients with NAEB (aged 18-75 years) were randomized to inhaled BUD (200 μg, bid) or BUD plus oral MONT (10 μg, qn) for 4 weeks. Leicester cough questionnaire (LCQ) life quality scores, cough visual analog scale (CVAS) scores, eosinophil differential ratio (Eos), and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in induced sputum were monitored and compared.
Results: The control and MONT groups contained 33 and 32 patients, respectively, with similar baseline characteristics. Significant with-in group improvement in CVAS, LCQ scores, Eos, and ECP was observed in both groups during treatment. After 2-week treatment, add-on treatment of MONT was significantly more effective than BUD monotherapy for CVAS decrease and LCQ scores improvement (both P - 0.05). Similar results were seen at 4-week assessment (both P - 0.05). 4-week add-on therapy of MONT also resulted in a higher percentage of patients with normal sputum Eos (-2.5%) and greater decrease of ECP (both P - 0.05).
Conclusions: MONT combined with BUD was demonstrated cooperative effects in improvement of life quality, suppression of eosinophilic inflammation, and cough remission in patients with NAEB.
Keywords: Budesonide; Cough; Quality of Life; Montelukast; Bronchitis

How to cite this article:
Bao W, Liu P, Qiu Z, Yu L, Hang J, Gao X, Zhou X. Efficacy of Add-on Montelukast in Nonasthmatic Eosinophilic Bronchitis: The Additive Effect on Airway Inflammation, Cough and Life Quality. Chin Med J 2015;128:39-45

How to cite this URL:
Bao W, Liu P, Qiu Z, Yu L, Hang J, Gao X, Zhou X. Efficacy of Add-on Montelukast in Nonasthmatic Eosinophilic Bronchitis: The Additive Effect on Airway Inflammation, Cough and Life Quality. Chin Med J [serial online] 2015 [cited 2015 Jan 24];128:39-45. Available from: http://www.cmj.org/text.asp?2015/128/1/39/147805

January 19, 2015

Delayed Anaphylaxis to Red Meat Associated With Specific IgE Antibodies to Galactose

Abstract
Case Report  Open Access


      

Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2015 Jan;7(1):92-94. English.
Published online Jun 09, 2014.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4168/aair.2015.7.1.92 
Copyright © 2015 The Korean Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology • The Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease
Liping Wen,1, Junxiong Zhou,1, Jia Yin,1 Jin-lu Sun,1 Yi Sun,2 Kai Wu,1 and Rohit Katial3
1Department of Allergy, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
2State Key Laboratory Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China.
3Department of Allergy and Immunology, National Jewish Medical and Research Center, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


Abstract

A novel delayed anaphylactic reaction to red meat, associated with tick bites and IgE antibodies against galactose-α-1, 3-galactose (α-gal), was reported in 2009 in the US, Australia and Europe. In this case, serum specific IgE to galactose-α-1, 3-galactose (>100 kU/L) and IgE to multiple non-primate mammalian proteins were positive. However, the pathogenesis of this disease remains unclear. We report the first case in Asia of delayed anaphylactic reaction to red meat, which was induced by bites from the hard tick, Hematophagous ixodidae. We confirmed the increased concentration of IgE reactive epitopes in non-primate mammalian organs, which may be rich in α-gal proteins in lymphatic and endothelial tissues. All confirmed ticks associated with this disorder in the literature and in our case belonged to the hard tick family. We hypothesize that hard tick saliva is enriched with blood-type substances, such as oligosaccharides, from the non-primate mammal victim's blood after days to weeks of blood sucking, which sensitizes humans through the injection route while blood sucking.
Keywords: Food allergyanaphylaxisred meat allergytick.

Case Report  Open Access


      

January 18, 2015

A retrospective study of the clinical benefit from acetylsalicylic acid desensitization in patients with nasal polyposis and asthma

Research

Open Access

Christine Ibrahim1*Kulraj Singh1Gina Tsai12David Huang12Jorge Mazza12Brian Rotenberg13Harold Kim12 and David William Moote12*

Quality of life in relation to the traffic pollution indicators NO2 and NOx: results from the Swedish GA2LEN survey

  1. Bertil Forsberg1
+Author Affiliations
  1. 1Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical MedicineUmeå UniversityUmeå, Sweden
  2. 2Experimental Asthma and Allergy Research UnitInstitute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska InstitutetStockholm, Sweden
  3. 3The Centre for Allergy Research, Karolinska InstitutetStockholm, Sweden
  4. 4The Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska InstitutetStockholm, Sweden
  5. 5Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska AcademyKrefting Research Centre, University of GothenburgGöteborg, Sweden
  6. 6Department of Medical Sciences: Respiratory Medicine and AllergologyUppsala UniversityUppsala, Sweden
  1. Correspondence toDr Johan Nilsson Sommar; johan.n.sommar@envmed.umu.se