March 4, 2015

Chronic urticaria in adults: state-of-the-art in the new millennium

Abstract
Chronic urticaria has been explored in several investigative aspects in the new millennium, either as to its pathogenesis, its stand as an autoimmune or auto-reactive disease, the correlation with HLA-linked genetic factors, especially with class II or its interrelation with the coagulation and fibrinolysis systems.

Hypersensitivity to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): classification of a Danish patient cohort according to EAACI/ENDA guidelines

Research

Open Access

Christoffer V NissenCarsten Bindslev-Jensen and Charlotte G Mortz*

Abstract (provisional)
Background Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are reported to be the second most common cause of drug hypersensitivity. In 2011, experts from the EAACI/ENDA group and GA2LEN proposed a new classification system for NSAID hypersensitivity. The aim of this study was to classify a patient cohort with a history of NSAID hypersensitivity according to this system. 
Methods Patients with a clinical history of NSAID hypersensitivity referred to the Allergy Centre, Odense University Hospital between 2002 and 2011 and evaluated with oral provocation tests (OPTs) were included in the study. Medical records were retrospectively investigated with respect to the culprit NSAID(s), underlying diseases and symptoms at the primary reaction and during oral provocation tests (OPTs). Data was supplemented with a questionnaire. Classification according to EAACI guideline was based on these findings. 
Results In total 149 patients were included. Of those, 39 patients (26.2%) had a positive OPT. Twenty-nine patients were classified as cross-reactive responders and 9 patients as single NSAID responders after positive OPTs with the culprit NSAID, but not to acetylsalicylic acid. All single NSAID responders reacted to non-pyrazolone drugs. Only one patient could not be classified according to the EAACI/ENDA system. An overlap between respiratory and cutaneous symptoms was found in 15/39 (38%) of patients. 
Conclusions All but one of our patients could be classified according to the EAACI classification system. Overlaps between different classes may occur much more commonly than expected.

The complete article is available as a provisional PDF. The fully formatted PDF and HTML versions are in production.

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
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.

March 2, 2015

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

ResearchOpen Access



Amelia Santosa12*Anand Kumar Andiappan3Olaf Rotzschke3Hung Chew Wong2Amanda Chang4Mei Bigliardi-Qi5,De-Yun Wang6 and Paul Lorenz Bigliardi15
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

Open Access

Jie XuGurpreet K Singhera and Delbert R Dorscheid*

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.

February 27, 2015

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


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.

February 26, 2015

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

Research

Open Access

Pascal Demoly1*Michel Aubier234Frédéric de Blay5François Wessel6Pierre Clerson7 and Pascal Maigret8

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

Open Access

Thuy-My Le1*Els van Hoffen110Ischa Kummeling12James Potts2Barbara K Ballmer-Weber3Carla AFM Bruijnzeel-Koomen1Ans FM Lebens1Jonas Lidholm4Titia M Lindner1Alan Mackie5EN Clare Mills6Ronald van Ree7Stefan Vieths8Montserrat Fernández-Rivas9Peter G Burney2 and André C Knulst1


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.