Topical treatment with aqueous solutions of rofleponide palmitate and budesonide in a pollen-season model of allergic rhinitis

BACKGROUND: Rofleponide palmitate is an esterified glucocorticosteroid pro-drug with a promising pre-clinical profile designed to deliver topical airway treatment for allergic rhinitis and asthma in a novel manner. Thus, the rofleponide palmitate pro-drug is designed to provide topical exposure of the mucosa to the inactive lipophilic drug, which would be locally metabolized to the more hydrophilic and readily cleared drug rofleponide. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether rofleponide palmitate affects nasal symptoms and peak inspiratory flow (PIF) in a pollen-season model of allergic rhinitis and to compare any such effects with those of another glucocorticosteroid (i.e., budesonide). METHODS: During the pollen-free season, 40 patients with strictly seasonal allergic rhinitis received topical nasal spray treatment with an aqueous solution of rofleponide palmitate 400 microg and an aqueous solution of budesonide 128 microg once daily for 10 days in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, and crossover study. After 3 days of drug treatment, individualized allergen challenges were given once daily for 7 days while the treatment continued. The washout periods between each of the challenge series were 2 weeks. Nasal symptoms and PIF were recorded in the morning and evening, as well as 10 and 20 min after each allergen challenge. The mean recordings obtained during the last 3 days of the allergen-challenge series, when symptoms were established and when the treatment had lasted for 8-10 days, were used in the analysis. RESULTS: Both active treatments reduced nasal symptoms and improved nasal PIF compared with placebo (P<0.01-0.001). There was no overall difference in efficacy between rofleponide palmitate 400 microg and budesonide 128 microg. CONCLUSIONS: Topical treatment with aqueous solutions of rofleponide palmitate attenuates nasal symptoms and improves nasal PIF in allergic rhinitis. The overall efficacy of 400 microg of rofleponide palmitate is similar to that of 128 microg of budesonide in the pollen-season model used in this study.     

Dermatitis from hexavalent chromate in the accelerator of an epoxy sealant (PR1422) used in the aircraft industry

4 aircraft construction workers developed allergic contact dermatitis of the hands and forearms. The allergen was hexavalent chromate in the accelerating solution of an epoxy-based sealant (PR1422). Although chromate dermatitis from an epoxy resin has been described, epoxy system accelerators are a hitherto unrecognized source of occupational chromate dermatitis.     

Removal of laryngeal mask airway: airway complications in children,anaesthetized versus awake*

The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) must be inserted during deep anaesthesia. There are no guidelines concerning the removal of LMA, i.e., in awake or anaesthetized patients. The aim of this randomized prospective study was to compare the incidence of respiratory complications after LMA removal in anaesthetized or awake paediatric patients. Sixty children (ASA PS I or II), ranging from 4 months to 12 years of age, were studied. In patients breathing spontaneously, anaesthesia was induced and maintained with nitrous oxide, oxygen and halothane. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: group 1 removal of LMA in awake patients, or group 2 removal of LMA in anaesthetized patients, i.e., in patients receiving halothane at an alveolar concentration of 2 MAC adjusted for age and oxygen for 5 min. In both groups, patients received 100% oxygen after removal of LMA. After removal the incidence of respiratory complications was highest (P < 0.05) in group 1. Therefore, in healthy children undergoing elective surgery, the authors conclude that it is safer to perform the LMA removal in anaesthetized patients.     

The usefulness of detailed information to patients with contact allergy

To find out if patients with contact allergy are helped by computerized information lists, a retrospective study was carried out on 58 patients with contact allergy to lanolin, traced through our local database DALUK. All were sent a questionnaire about their usage of the information list, clearance of their eczema, their education and other details. Clearance of the patient's eczema was found to correlate with use of the information list. It was also found that the effectiveness of the information depended on factors such as education, family circumstances, ethnic background and, most of all, how and where the information list was used.     

Intake of unsaturated fatty acids and HDL cholesterol levels are associated with manifestations of atopy in adults

BACKGROUND: The increase in allergic diseases is still unexplained. It was hypothesized that the intake of unsaturated fatty acids is a contributing cause of this development. We investigated the relationship between serum cholesterol levels, intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and manifestations of atopy in a population-based setting. METHODS: A nested case-control study was performed within the population of the 3rd MONICA survey in Augsburg (Germany). The serum levels of total, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol of 1537 adults (aged 28-78 years, response 61.4%) and the estimated intake of PUFA in a subset of 139 men were compared with the frequency of a doctor's diagnosis of asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (AR), atopic eczema (AE) and allergic sensitization as measured by skin prick and Radio Allergo Sorbent Test. FINDINGS: In bivariate analyses, we obtained a negative linear association between total and LDL cholesterol levels and the frequency of AR and sensitization, which was no longer significant after adjustment for important confounders. In contrast, positive linear associations were found between HDL cholesterol levels and AR and AE and, furthermore, between the intake of PUFA and allergic sensitization in men (P<0.01). After adjustment, an increasing risk for atopic diseases with increasing levels of HDL cholesterol and an increasing risk for allergic sensitization with increasing intakes of PUFA remained statistically significant. INTERPRETATION: There is indication that HDL cholesterol also plays a role in the complex interaction of fat intake, metabolism and the manifestation of atopy in adults. These findings may contribute to the understanding of time trends and regional differences of allergies.     

Effect of anti-interferon-γ and anti-interleukin-2 monoclonal antibody treatment on the development of actively and passively induced experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in the SJL/J mouse

SJL/J mice challenged with myelin basic protein (MBP) in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) developed only mild chronic-relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) with very low incidence. However, treatment of challenged mice with anti-infeferonγ (IFN-γ) monoclonal antibody (mAb) determined severe disease in all cases. Similarly, in passive EAE, the addition of anti-IFN-γ to the in vitro MBP-activated cells at the time of transfer led to significant disease exacerbation in all recipients. The disease enhancing effect was observed only when the mAb was given at the time of active challenge or of passive transfer, but not at later times. Anti-interleukin-2 (IL-2) antibody had only a marginal effect in the active induction, but drastically reduced the manifestations of passive EAE, even when mixed with a disease-enhancing dose of anti-IFN-γ. These findings support the notion that IL-2 is required for disease induction whereas IFN-γ plays a disease-limiting role early in the development of EAE.     

棉尘及吸烟对肺功能影响的观察

对８３名接触棉尘的健康者作肺功能测定，并与３９名不接触棉尘的健康者对照。其中男性均为吸烟者；女性均为不吸烟者。结果表明，ＭＭＥＦ、ＰＥＦＲ、Ｖ２５％～７５％均明显低于对照组（分别为Ｐ＜０．０１和Ｐ＜０．０５）．在男性吸烟组，ＶＣ，ＭＢＣ，ＦＥＶ１％也有明显下降（Ｐ＜０．０１），作者认为棉尘对人体的危害主要部位在小气道，吸烟者因损害严重可累及大气道。以往对棉尘反应的肺功能评估仅以ＦＥＶ１％为指标，不能反映早期的变化，有必要进一步完善。