Factors predicting food allergy

Prediction of food allergies has not been addressed systematically and to date studies have concentrated on prediction of allergic disorders in a general fashion. The current available data suggests that possibly the best predictor is the combined approach of taking into account the family history together with elevated cord blood IgE. Other indicators, such as cord blood lymphocyte responses and γ-interferon production at birth, are also discussed. Although preliminary studies seem to be promising, only studies of an unselected population with long term follow-ups will be able to show whether or not these possible predictors are of value.     

利伐沙班致出血风险因素分析及预测

目的:分析服用利伐沙班后的出血不良反应与凝血指标和出血风险因素的相关性,以提高其临床用药的安全性.方法:回顾性分析2018年12月至2019年12月复旦大学附属华东医院服用利伐沙班的176例住院患者资料,对可能引起出血不良反应的危险因素进行单因素及Logistic回归分析,并在此基础上建立出血风险预测模型.结果:85例...     

Prevalence of latex allergy in spina bifida: genetic and environmental risk factors

AIM OF STUDY: To evaluate the prevalence of latex allergy in a population of children with spina bifida (SB) and to assess the role of early exposure to latex products and others risk factors. INTRODUCTION: SB is related with an higher incidence of latex allergic reactions. These patients received repeated surgical procedures, implant of latex-containing materials and catheterization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty consecutive subjects affected with SB besides answering a questionnaire, underwent a skin-prick test (SPT) to latex and the determination of the specific serum IgE (RAST CAP) to latex. 40% (32/80) of the patients showed a latex sensitization with specific IgE > 0.7 kU/I but only twelve of the 32 sensitized patients (40%) suffered from clinical reactions to latex (urticaria, conjunctivitis, angioedema, rhinitis, bronchial asthma). Number of surgical procedures, but particularly early exposure to latex and familiarity for allergy are correlated with latex allergy (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Latex allergy in SB children is multifactorial situation related with a disease-associated propensity for latex sensitization, early exposure and number of surgical procedures. Prophylactic measures to avoid the exposure, not only in the sanitary environment, through the institution of latex-safe routes and every day, prevent potentially serious allergic reactions.     

Assessment of the risk of fragrance allergy in the general population: challenges and methodological issues.

There are still unanswered questions about the safety of fragrances. In this conference paper, fragrance allergy will be considered in the context of a wider discussion concerning the prevalence and causes of contact dermatitis. No criteria for a reliable diagnosis of 'contact dermatitis' are available. International recommendations and standardization for the patch test method exist; however, the question of whether agents that are positive are causally linked to contact dermatitis remains fraught with uncertainties concerning false-positive rates and clinical relevance. Most of the discussion concerning prevalence or incidence variations of allergic contact dermatitis to fragrances concentrate on the frequency of positive patch tests in clinical series, i.e. 'floating numerators'. Risk assessment requires that data from different sources are integrated and compared. Therefore, both a 'sentinel surveillance' system and more refined epidemiological studies in well defined populations are needed to reliably assess risks associated with fragrance exposure.     

Toxicological effects of cationic nanobubbles on the liver and kidneys: Biomarkers for predicting the risk

Nanobubbles with acoustical activity are used as both diagnostic and therapeutic carriers for detecting and treating diseases. We aimed to prepare nanobubbles and assess toxic responses to them in the liver and kidneys. The cytotoxicity of nanobubbles was determined by examining the viability of liver (HepG2) and kidney (293T) cell lines after a 24-h treatment at various concentrations (0.01–2%). Toxic effects of different formulations were compared by determining functional markers such as γ-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) after intravenous administration of nanobubbles. Cationic nanobubbles caused concentration-dependent cytotoxicity against cultured cells with a more significant effect in the liver than in the kidneys. A significant reduction of viability was revealed at a concentration as low as 0.1%. Cational systems with soyaethyl morpholinium ethosulfate (SME) exhibited the greatest γ-GT level at 6-fold higher than the control. Immunohistochemistry detected liver fibrosis and inflammation with nanobubbles treatment, especially SME-containing ones at higher doses. According to plasma proteomic profiles, gelsolin and fetuin-B were significantly downregulated 3-fold in the high-dose SME-treated group. Transthyretin decreased by 6-fold in this group. The fibrinogen gamma chain expression was highly elevated. The results suggest that these protein biomarkers are sensitive for assessing the risk of nanobubble exposure. This study is the first to systematically evaluate the possible toxicity of nanobubbles in the liver and kidneys.     

In utero and postnatal vitamin D exposure and allergy risk

Introduction: The epidemic of allergic disease is a public health crisis, particularly for children in developed countries. Recognized effects of vitamin D in immune development have given credence to the hypothesis that changing patterns of human behavior associated with declining sunlight exposure may be linked to the rising immune and inflammatory diseases. Although data to support this are still limited and heterogeneous, vitamin D supplementation in early life is recommended to prevent vitamin D deficiency in many countries, raising important questions around safety and benefit for immune development and implications for allergic risk.

Areas covered: This review article examines the evidence of the impact of in utero and postnatal vitamin D exposure on allergy risk in childhood. Evaluated are relevant studies from 2007 to June 2014.

Expert opinion: Information on the impact of vitamin D on rising rates of allergic diseases is largely based on observational studies with conflicting results. There is an urgent need to conduct well-designed randomized controlled trials to address the significant uncertainty in this field. Additionally, the effects of other potential immunomodulatory factors associated with sun exposure (such as UV light) need to be examined further.     

抗体依赖性增强作用及对新型冠状病毒疫苗研发的思考

通常情况下病毒性疫苗诱导机体产生的中和抗体能与入侵病毒结合并使其失去感染宿主细胞和发生疾病的能力,但在某些情况下疫苗接种后诱导产生的抗体不但未产生保护作用,反而加重了疾病的临床表现,即通过抗体依赖性增强作用导致疫苗增强性疾病.本文对既往疫苗临床研究和冠状病毒动物试验研究中发生的抗体依赖性增强作用及其可能的作用机制等进行...     

Latex allergy and sensitization in cities: a survey in a population at risk

The constant increase in allergic diseases in western countries is correlated with changes in lifestyle and with the deterioration of the air inhaled by the inhabitants because of the growing concentrations of pollutant substances present. Within a population at risk, i.e., the inhabitants of cities, a group of subjects at even higher risk was selected, whose job exposes them to automobile exhaust fumes for many hours a day. All the study subjects underwent allergological screening and spirometry. The results obtained show an overall increase of respiratory allergic diseases but no increased sensitisation to latex. It therefore seems plausible that, besides social and lifestyle changes, the deterioration of the quality of the air could be considered responsible, at least in part, for the growing numbers of allergic subjects. This study offers an opportunity to reconsider the validity of the hygiene hypothesis as an explanation for the increase of allergic disease in western countries, although recent reports have indicated that a sedentary lifestyle may also contribute, together with environmental degradation, to the notably increased prevalence of allergic diseases in large cities in industrialized nations.     

Patent Evaluation: Virulence-Attenuated Vaccines

Summary

Novelty: Vaccines (preferably live), involving a bacterial cell, preferably a Salmonella cell, which are virulence-attenuated by mutations in a two-component regulatory system, are claimed. The Salmonella cells are useful as sources of immunological protection against typhoid fever and related diseases.

Biology: In preferred embodiments the bacterium is Salmonella eg. S. typhi, S. enteritidis typhimurium or S. choleraesuis and the two-component system is the phoP regulatory region which controls the expression of pag and prg genes. Virulence and protective efficacy of the Salmonella strains, administered orally in mice, show that the vaccines are highly attenuated for virulence but retain immunogenicity, thus they are both safe and effective.     

Bleeding and acute coronary syndromes: defining, predicting, and managing risk and outcomes

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) continue to have a large impact on morbidity and mortality in the United States. Over the last two decades, there have been several advancements in the care of patients with ACS. The use of combined antiplatelet and anticoagulants and early invasive risk stratification in high risk patients has improved the rates of major adverse cardiovascular events. However, this treatment strategy increases the risk for bleeding. Studies have found an association between bleeding and subsequent mortality and morbidity in ACS patients; therefore, minimizing bleeding risk has become a priority. This review describes the prevalence of bleeding during ACS management, risk for bleeding, and strategies to reduce bleeding risk.     

Vaccines against stimulants: cocaine and MA

While the worldwide prevalence of cocaine use remains significant, medications, or small molecule approaches, to treat drug addictions have met with limited success. Anti-addiction vaccines, on the other hand, have demonstrated great potential for treating drug abuse using a distinctly different mechanism of eliciting an antibody response that blocks the pharmacological effects of drugs. We provide a review of vaccine-based approaches to treating stimulant addictions; specifically and cocaine addictions. This selective review article focuses on the one cocaine vaccine that has been into clinical trials and presents new data related to pre-clinical development of a methamphetamine (MA) vaccine. We also review the mechanism of action for vaccine induced antibodies to abused drugs, which involves kinetic slowing of brain entry as well as simple blocking properties. We present pre-clinical innovations for MA vaccines including hapten design, linkage to carrier proteins and new adjuvants beyond alum. We provide some new information on hapten structures and linkers and variations in protein carriers. We consider a carrier, outer membrance polysaccharide coat protein (OMPC), that provides some self-adjuvant through lipopolysaccharide components and provide new results with a monophosopholipid adjuvant for the more standard carrier proteins with cocaine and MA. The review then covers the clinical trials with the cocaine vaccine TA-CD. The clinical prospects for advances in this field over the next few years include a multi-site cocaine vaccine clinical trial to be reported in 2013 and phase 1 clinical trials of a MA vaccine in 2014.