Combined Treatment with Antiviral Therapy and Rituximab in Patients with Mixed Cryoglobulinemia: Review of the Literature and Report of a Case Using Direct Antiviral Agents-Based Antihepatitis C Virus Therapy

Case Reports in Immunology
Volume 2015 (2015), Article ID 816424, 5 pages
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/816424

Case Report

Teresa Urraro, Laura Gragnani, Alessia Piluso, Alessio Fabbrizzi, Monica Monti, Elisa Fognani, Barbara Boldrini, Jessica Ranieri, and Anna Linda Zignego

Center for Systemic Manifestations of Hepatitis Viruses (MASVE), Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Lagro Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy

Received 26 September 2014; Revised 9 January 2015; Accepted 20 January 2015

Academic Editor: Lenin Pavón

Copyright © 2015 Teresa Urraro 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

Mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) is an autoimmune/B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder associated with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection, manifesting as a systemic vasculitis.

Evaluation of the applicability of the Immuno-solid-phase allergen chip (ISAC) assay in atopic patients in Singapore

Research

Amelia Santosa^12*, Anand Kumar Andiappan³, Olaf Rotzschke³, Hung Chew Wong², Amanda Chang⁴, Mei Bigliardi-Qi⁵,De-Yun Wang⁶ and Paul Lorenz Bigliardi¹⁵

Clinical and Translational Allergy 2015, 5:9  doi:10.1186/s13601-015-0053-z

Background/Objective Molecular-based allergy diagnostics are gaining popularity in clinical practice. Our aim was to evaluate their role in the tropics, given the inherent genetic and environmental differences.

Expression of surfactant protein D in airways of asthmatics and interleukin-13 modulation of surfactant protein D in human models of airway epithelium

Research

Jie Xu, Gurpreet K Singhera and Delbert R Dorscheid^*

Respiratory Research 2015, 16:26  doi:10.1186/s12931-015-0177-7

Abstract (provisional)

Background Surfactant protein D (SP-D), a pattern recognition molecule, has been shown to play roles in host defense such as opsonisation, aggregation of pathogens, and modulation of the inflammatory response. In light of infection-induced exacerbations and damage to the airway epithelium from inflammation, these functions of SP-D make it relevant in the development and pathogenesis of asthma.

H2-Eb1 expression is upregulated in the nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis

Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol. 2014 Dec;32(4):308-15. doi: 10.12932/AP0478.32.4.2014.

Zhang Y1, Feng J, Sun J, Wang H, Zhang C, Liu H, Zhang H.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common allergic diseases. The results of recent studies of HLA-DRB1 suggest that HLA-DRB1 plays an important role in allergic disease.

Evaluation of patients’ expectations and benefits in the treatment of allergic rhinitis with a new tool: the patient benefit index – the benefica study

Research

Pascal Demoly^1*, Michel Aubier²³⁴, Frédéric de Blay⁵, François Wessel⁶, Pierre Clerson⁷ and Pascal Maigret⁸

Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology 2015, 11:8  doi:10.1186/s13223-015-0073-1

Abstract (provisional)

Background Symptoms of allergic rhinitis (AR) have a detrimental effect on quality of life. The AR-Patient Benefit Index (AR-PBI), a specific self-assessment tool has been developed to assess treatment-related benefit in two separate sections: the Patient Needs Questionnaire (PNQ) which explores the patient’s expectations before treatment and the Patient Benefit Questionnaire (PBQ) which evaluates treatment benefit. For the PNQ, three dimensions summarized patients’ expectations: symptoms, social life and emotional state, thus covering a larger field than symptomatic relief.

Food allergy in the Netherlands: differences in clinical severity, causative foods, sensitization and DBPCFC between community and outpatients

Research

Thuy-My Le^1*, Els van Hoffen¹¹⁰, Ischa Kummeling¹², James Potts², Barbara K Ballmer-Weber³, Carla AFM Bruijnzeel-Koomen¹, Ans FM Lebens¹, Jonas Lidholm⁴, Titia M Lindner¹, Alan Mackie⁵, EN Clare Mills⁶, Ronald van Ree⁷, Stefan Vieths⁸, Montserrat Fernández-Rivas⁹, Peter G Burney² and André C Knulst¹

Clinical and Translational Allergy 2015, 5:8  doi:10.1186/s13601-015-0051-1

Abstract (provisional)

Background It is unknown whether food allergy (FA) in an unselected population is comparable to those from an outpatient clinic population.
Objective To discover if FA in a random sample from the Dutch community is comparable to that of outpatients.

Evaluation of a web-based asthma self-management system: a randomised controlled pilot trial

Research article

John M Wiecha^1*, William G Adams², Denis Rybin³, Maria Rizzodepaoli⁴, Jeremy Keller⁵and Jayanti M Clay⁶

BMC Pulmonary Medicine 2015, 15:17  doi:10.1186/s12890-015-0007-1

Abstract (provisional)

Background Asthma is the most common chronic condition of childhood and disproportionately affects inner-city minority children. Low rates of asthma preventer medication adherence is a major contributor to poor asthma control in these patients.

A randomised dose-ranging study of tiotropium Respimat® in children with symptomatic asthma despite inhaled corticosteroids

Research

Christian Vogelberg^1*, Petra Moroni-Zentgraf², Migle Leonaviciute-Klimantaviciene³, Ralf Sigmund⁴, Eckard Hamelmann⁵, Michael Engel² and Stanley Szefler⁶

Respiratory Research 2015, 16:20  doi:10.1186/s12931-015-0175-9

Abstract

Background

A considerable number of children with asthma remain symptomatic despite treatment with inhaled corticosteroids, resulting in significant morbidity, reduced quality of life, increased healthcare costs and lost school days.