bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Profile of ragweed hay fever symptom control with terfenadine started before or after symptoms are established
Authors: BROOKS C. D. , KARL K. J. , FRANCOM S. F. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryForty‐two ragweed hay fever patients participated in a study which examined the profile of symptom relief provided by terfenadine, and the relative adequacy of symptom control with the drug given from the beginning of the season compared with treatment started after symptoms were well established. Compared with placebo, terfenadine effectively relieved sneeze, itch and eye symptoms. It had no effect on running, blowing and drainage. Subjectively perceived congestion benefited marginally. When the drug was begun after symptoms were well established, sneezing responded quickly and maximally. Eye discomfort lessened but not to the level experienced by those dosed from the beginning of the season. The pattern in other symptom categories was less clear. Overall, terfenadine improved all rhinitis symptoms except those related to hypersecretion. Some symptoms appeared to respond better when drug dosing commenced at the beginning of the season.
The prevalence of allergic disease and IgE antibodies to house dust mite In schoolchildren in Taiwan
Authors: TANG R.‐B. , TSAI L.‐C. , HWANG H.‐M. , HWANG B. , WU K.‐G. , HUNG M.‐W. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThe prevalance of positive specific IgE antibodies to house dust mites (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus: D. farinae) was determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 5097 (61%) volunteers of 8345 schoolchildren aged between 7 and 14 yr from two government schools, All of them filled out a questionnaire concerning allergic symptoms. Among them, 412 (8·1%) children showed a positive reaction to at least one of the two mite allergens, the range varying between 5·6 and 11·2% according to the child's age. Boys had higher prevalence of positive mite specific IgE than girls (9·8% vs. 6·4%, P < 0·01), with the overall male to female ratio 1·5:1. The prevalence of bronchial asthma in boys and girls was 5·3% and 3·3% respectively. The positive mite specific IgE antibody in children with asthma and allergic rhinitis was 52% (103 of 198) and 28·7% (193 of 673) respectively. The mean levels of mite specific IgE were not significantly related to the age of onset and severity of asthmatic symptoms (P > 0·1), but were significantly different among subjects with current and past asthma (P < 0·001). It is suggested that the mire‐specific IgE may play a role in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma in children.
Mast cells in cutaneous mastocytosis: accumulation of the MCTC type
Authors: IRANI A. A. , GARRIGA M. M. , METCALFE D. D. , SCHWARTZ L. B. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryLesional (n= 15) and non‐lesional (n= 10) skin of subjects with mastocytosis was analysed for the distribution and concentration of trypase positive, chymase negative mast cells (MCT) and tryptase positive, chymase positive mast cells (MCTC) cells and compared to normal skin (n= 23) and non‐lesional skin of subjects with unexplained anaphylaxis or flushing episodes (n= 6). Skin biopsies were fixed in Carney's fluid and subjected to double immunohistochemical staining with biotinylated mouse monoclonal anti‐chymase antibody followed by alkaline phosphatase‐conjugated mouse monoclonal anti‐tryptase antibody. MCTC cells were the only type of mast cells seen in all specimens analysed and in each case were more numerous in superficial compared to deep regions of dermis. The concentration (mean ± s.d.) of mast cells in the superficial dermis of mastocytosis lesions (40985 ± 21772 mast cells/mm3) was significantly increased over that in corresponding areas of non‐lesional skin from subjects with mastocytosis (7178 ± 3607 mast cells/mm3), skin from subjects with idiopathic anaphylaxis or flushing episodes (6974 ± 3873 mast cells/mm3) and normal skin (7347 ± 2973 mast cells/mm3). The exclusive presence of MCTC cells in skin lesions of mastocytosis which are characterized by non‐malignant hyperplasia of mast cells suggests involvement of local tissue factors in mast cell recruitment and differentiation.
Determination of histamine in human plasma: the European external quality control study 1988
Authors: COSTING E. , NEUGEBAUER E. , KEYZER J. J. , LORENZ W. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThere is an increasing interest in measuring human plasma histamine levels in various clinical conditions. A variety of ‘old’ and newly developed techniques are applied to meet this demand. However, the discrepancy between reported reference values for histamine in human plasma measured using this variety of techniques, suggests the existence of a certain degree of inaccuracy and imprecision. We therefore organized an external quality control study on the reliability of current histamine determinations in European laboratories. Three lyophilized plasma quality control samples, in duplicate, covering the normal and pathological range of histamine concentrations (0–45 nmol/l), two different aqueous histamine standard samples and one solvent sample were sent to 10 laboratories for the analysis of their histamine content. The following methods were used: gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (n= 2), enzymatic single isotopic assay (n= 1), fluorometric‐fluoroenzymatic assay (n= 3), radioimmunoassay (n= 3) and high performance liquid chromatography (n= 2). The study was performed and evaluated according to the approved recommendations (1983) of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC). The target values ±s.d. of the three plasma samples were: 39·5±4·6 nmol/1 (CV=ll·6%), 2·3 ± 2·2 nmol/1 (CV = 96%) and 8·9±1·5 nmol/1 (CV = 17%), respectively. The target values ±s.d. of the two aqueous samples were: 0·9±1·1 nmol/1 (CV = 120%; true value: 0·00 nmol/1) and 10·2 ± 0·5 nmol/1 (CV = 5·3%; true value: 10·0 nmol/1), respectively. A Youden plot of two unrelated plasma samples in the pathological range defined 7/11 results as accurate and precise. The Youden plot of the two unrelated aqueous samples only denned 6/11 results as accurate and precise. In general, estimating histamine concentrations within the normal range seemed to be the most difficult part of measuring histamine in human plasma samples. It is suggested to define reference standards, methods and laboratories for plasma histamine determinations.
Twelve hours' bronchodilating effect of inhaled formoterol in children with asthma: a double‐blind cross‐over study versus salbutamol
Authors: GRAFF‐LONNEVIG V. , BROWALDH L. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThirteen children, mean age 10·9 yr, with perennial asthma, were studied with respect to the duration of the bronchodilating effect of formoterol, a new long‐acting β2 agonist for inhalation. The duration of action of formoterol metered dose aerosol (12 μg) was compared with salbutamol metered dose aerosol (200 μg) in a double‐blind cross‐over study. Formoterol was found to have significantly better bronchodilating effect 8 hr (P < 0·01) and 12 hr (P < 0·05) after inhalation of the drug. Formoterol (24 μg) was given single‐blindly on the third trial day and showed a tendency towards a better bronchodilating effect (n.s.) than formoterol (12 μg.). There was no difference between the treatments with regard to adverse reactions such as tremor, palpitations, raised heart rate or anxiety. Formoterol proved to be superior to salbutamol as a long‐acting bronchodilator in children with bronchial asthma.
Allergy to penicillin with good tolerance to other penicillins; study of the incidence in subjects allergic to betalactams
Authors: BLANCA M. , VEGA J. M. , GARCIA J. , CARMONA MARIA J. , TERADOS S. , AVILA MARIA J. , MIRANDA A. , JUAREZ C. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryTwo hundred and eighty‐eight subjects with a history of allergy to penicillin were studied for objective proof of their allergy. On the basis of skin tests, specific IgE antibody measurements and direct challenge tests, 64 patients (22%) were shown objectively to be allergic to one or more penicillins. The following tests were carried out: skin tests to benzyl‐penicilloyl poly‐L‐lysine (BPO‐PLL), minor determinant mixture (MDM), amoxycillin (AX) and ampicillin (AMP), in‐vitro IgE antibody measurement to benzyl‐penicilloyl (BPO) and AX and challenge with benzylpenicillin (BP), phenoxymethyl‐penicillin (PV) and amoxycillin. Forty‐four cases were found to respond to benzyl or phenoxymethyl‐penicillin, however, 20 were shown to be sensitive to amoxycillin and unresponsive to tests with other penicillins. The contribution that any individual test gave for establishing the diagnosis was 21·8% for skin testing with BPO‐PLL, 9·3% with MDM and 12·5% with AX, Nine point three per cent were RAST positive to BPO and 1·5% to AX; 7·8% developed a positive response after challenge to BP, 7·8% to PV and 14% to AX. In 16% of the 64 positive cases more than one test was found to be positive. The challenge tests suggested that not all the penicillin‐sensitive subjects had IgE‐mediated reactions implying other immunological mechanisms. These results clearly demonstrate the importance of side chain‐specific diagnostic reagents and challenge tests. Thirty‐one per cent of the positive group or 6·9% of the total group would have been missed in this study using benzyl or phenoxymethyl‐penicillin diagnostic reagents alone.
cDNA encoding the major mite allergen Der f II
Authors: TRUDINGER M. , CHUA K. Y. , THOMAS W. R. 
Published: April 2006

SummarycDNA encoding the major house dust mite allergen Der f II from Dermatophagoides farinae was amplified using the polymerasc chain reaction and cloned into E. coli. It encoded a 129‐residue protein with a calculated molecular weight of 14021 D and had the expected high homology (88%) with Der p II including the absence of N‐glycosylation sites and conserved cysteine residues. These results are consistent with the high degree of antibody crossreactivity and may help identify the differences in T‐cell epitopes revealed for these molecules so far.
Pigeon breeders' lung—the effect of loft litter materials on airborne particles and antigens
Authors: EDWARDS J. H. , TROTMAN D. M. , MASON O. F. , DAVIES B. H. , JONES K. P. , ALZUBAIDY T. S. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryAn Andersen sampler was used to collect different sized fractions of airborne dust within pigeon lofts. Antigens associated with pigeon breeders’ lung were then measured using an ELISA technique. Levels of soluble antigen in the 0.5–5 μm range correlated significantly with airborne particle concentrations in the same range, determined by particle size analysis. However, antigenic material was not soley confined to the 0.5–5 μm fraction and was detected in particles up to 11 μm in diameter. Using both particle size analysis and ELISA in local pigeon lofts revealed significantly increased particles (up to × 50) and antigens (up to × 10) in some lofts employing litter materials to dehydrate voided pigeon droppings, compared with lofts cleaned regularly with no litter agent. Paradoxically, ventilation did not influence particle or antigen concentrations under static conditions or during loft cleaning. The settling rate of loft dusts correlated significantly with that of the litter used, suggesting litter particles were a carrier for soluble pigeon dropping components, but differences in particle numbers generated from the litters and litter/dropping combinations showed that an interaction between voided droppings and litter agents had occurred. A change from litter systems to regular cleaning was undertaken in two lofts, resulting in a marked decrease in respirable particles and antigens.
Development and testing of a new measure of health status for clinical trials in rhinoconjunctivitis
Authors: JUNIPER ELIZABETH F. , GUYATT G. H. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThe objective of this study was to develop and test a health‐related quality of life questionnaire for clinical trials in rhinoconjunctivitis. The Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) was developed by asking patients to identify areas of their lives affected by rhinoconjunctivitis. The resultant RQLQ was tested for reproducibility, responsiveness and validity in a randomized, double‐blind trial of regular versus ‘as required’ aqueous beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) nasal spray in ragweed pollen‐induced rhinoconjunctivitis. Eighty‐five patients from previous rhinoconjunctivitis studies participated in the developmental survey. Sixty ragweed‐sensitive patients, from previous trials and media notices, were enrolled in the clinical trial. Aqueous BDP (800 μg) nasal spray was administered regularly or ‘as required’ throughout the ragweed pollen season. The survey revealed that, in addition to local symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis, patients experienced impairment of quality of life through systemic symptoms, sleep disturbance, practical problems, activity limitations and emotional problems. The RQLQ includes 28 questions related to these dimensions. Repeated administration of the RQLQ demonstrated good reproducibility. During the clinical trial, the RQLQ proved responsive in its ability to distinguish between regular and ‘as required’ medication use. Validity was shown by moderate to strong relations between changes in symptom diary scores and changes in RQLQ scores. In conclusion the RQLQ is likely to prove useful as a measure of health‐related quality of life in clinical trials in both rhinoconjunctivitis and rhinitis.
Relationship between IgG1 and IgG4 antibodies to foods and the development of IgE antibodies to inhalant allergens. I. Establishment of a scoring system for the overall food responsiveness and its application to 213 unselected children
Authors: CALKHOVEN P. G. , AALBERS MARJA , KOSHTE V. L. , GRIFFIOEN R. W. , VAN NIEROP J. C. , VAN DER HEIDE D. , AALBERSE R. C. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryTo obtain reference levels for subsequent investigations, we analysed the IgG1 and IgG4 antibody levels to common foods in the sera of 213 unselected children (age 3 months to 14 years). The children were clustered into five age groups and tested on a broad screening panel of common foods. We used the IgG1 and IgG4 RAST with Sepharose‐coupled antigens: cows’ milk, hens’ egg white, banana, legumes (a mixture of soybean and peanut), grains (a mixture of wheat and rice), potato, orange and pork. In all age groups and all antigens, a considerable variability in the antibody response was found. As for some assays more than half of the sera were negative or borderline, statistics based on interval or ordinal scaling were considered inappropriate and we resorted to nominal classification. We decided to use, for each of the assays, the 75‐percentile of the age group as a cut‐off level. Each antibody titrc was thus converted into positive (more than the 75‐percentile of that age group) or negative; the number of positive tests was used as the score. This resulted in a ΣG1score and a ΣG4 score (summed scores for IgG1 and IgG4 antibodies, respectively). The results of the present study indicate that children with a high response to one food tend to have elevated responses to other non‐related foods, possibly explained by a defective mucosal barrier and/or a hyperactive immune system. This suggests that a high‐food responder phenotype may exist.
Relationship between IgG1 and IgG4 antibodies to foods and the development of IgE antibodies to inhalant allergens. II. Increased levels of IgG antibodies to foods in children who subsequently develop IgE antibodies to inhalant allergens
Authors: CALKHOVEN P. G. , AALBERS MARJA , KOSHTE V. L. , SCHILTE P. P. M. , YNTEMA J. L. , GRIFFIOEN R. W. , VAN NIEROP J. C. , ORANJE A. P. , AALBERSE R. C. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryIn the present investigation we have tested the hypothesis that children with a high IgG antibody response to foods have an increased risk of developing IgE antibodies to inhalant allergens. Sera from 106 children with an increased risk of developing IgE‐mediated allergy were analysed. During the follow‐up, in 54 of these children IgE antibodies to inhalant allergens appeared. A positive/negative IgG1 and IgG4 anti‐food score was determined as described previously: sera from age‐clustered unselected children were tested for the levels of IgG1 and IgG4 antibodies to common foods. For each IgG RAST and each age group, the 75‐percentile was chosen as cut‐off value. Each antibody level was thus converted into a positive (higher than the 75‐percentile of the age group) or negative value. The number of positive tests was used as the score. High‐risk children with a high IgG1 anti‐food score more often developed inhalant‐specific IgE antibodies than high‐risk children with low IgG1 titres: 50% of the children with a high IgG1 anti‐food score developed IgE antibodies to grass pollen, whereas only 16% of the children with a low IgG1 anti‐food score acquired IgE anti‐grass pollen. Fifty percent of the children with a high and 14% of the children with a low IgG1 anti‐food score developed IgE antibodies to cat dander. For the prediction of the development of IgE anti‐mite (house dust mite), the IgG4 anti‐food scores appeared less useful than the IgG1 anti‐food scores; 46% of the IgG4 high responders versus 22% of the IgG4 low responders acquired IgE anti‐mite, whereas for IgG1 these precentages were 73 and 19, respectively.
Sensitivity to common allergens: relation to respiratory symptoms and bronchial hyper‐responsiveness in children from three different climatic areas of Australia
Authors: PEAT J. K. , WOOLCOCK A. J. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryIn order to examine further the relation between atopy, as denned by skin‐prick tests, and respiratory illness, we studied three populations of schoolchildren aged 8–11 years and living in different climatic areas of New South Wales, Australia. Skin‐prick tests were performed using 13 commercial allergen extracts. Respiratory and allergic symptoms were assessed using a self‐administered questionnaire to parents and bronchial hyper‐responsiveness (BHR) was measured by histamine inhalation test. We defined current asthma as BHR together with symptoms of wheeze in the 12 months prior to study. Children with one or more positive skin weals of 3 mm had significantly more recent wheeze, hayfever, eczema and BHR than children with smaller weals (P<0.001). In each area, 95–97% of all atopic children were sensitized to one of the following seven allergens: house dust, Dermatophagoidesfarinae, D. pteronyssinus, cat dander, plantain, rye grass, and Alternaria tenuis. Thus, these seven selected allergen extracts and a skin weal of 3 mm could be used to detect clinically relevant atopy in these populations of children. Sensitivity to house dust mite had the strongest independent association with current asthma in all three areas. The associations of other allergen sensitivities with BHR or current asthma were area dependent, indicating the influence of local allergen levels on respiratory illness in children. The potency of house dust mite sensitivity in increasing the risk of children having BHR and current asthma is confirmed.
Unilaterality of obstruction after acute nasal allergen provocation. Relation of allergen dose, nasal reactivity and the nasal cycle
Authors: BROOKS C. D. , KARL K. J. , FRANCOM S. F. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryWe examined unilaterality of obstruction after acute bilateral nasal allergen provocation in two groups of pollen‐sensitive volunteers studied out of season. One group was challenged on one occasion with a threshold allergen dose and on another with placebo. We measured nasal airway resistance (NAR) unilaterally for 3.5 hr before the challenges and for 40 min after. Most subjects' noses had marked asymmetry of response. Over half showed marked obstruction on one side and none at all on the other side. The side which showed higher resistance and greater lability before challenge was typically more obstructed after. In a second group we compared responses to threshold and × 10) threshold doses. Threshold challenge produced results similar to those seen with the first group. After the higher allergen dose, there was some obstruction in the less responsive side and the rate of rise was much slower. Obstructive response after acute threshold allergen challenge is typically one‐sided. This pattern may be related to the stage of the nasal cycle in which the challenge was delivered. Higher allergen doses produce more obstruction in the less responsive side but the response is still asymmetrical.
Childhood asthma: clinical and immunological changes over a decade
Authors: HILL D. J. , HOSKING C. S. , SHELTON M. J. , TURNER M. W. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryA group of 26 Australian asthmatic children with laboratory‐proven bronchial hyper‐reactivity to the allergens of rye grass pollen and/or the house dust mite has been studied over a 9‐year period. Clinical symptoms and drug scores were used to evaluate the severity of the patients' asthma and, wherever possible, blood samples were obtained before, during and after the rye grass pollen seasons. The cumulative symptom and drug scores for the 20 patients with bronchial hyper‐reactivity to rye grass pollen extract tended to increase during and fall after each pollen season but the peaks were of decreasing amplitude over the 9 years. Since a proportion of these patients underwent hyposensitization to rye grass during year 1, longitudinal comparisons were made between year 2 and year 9. Comparing the individuals at the same three seasonal time‐points revealed significantly lower drug scores in year 9 compared with year 2, and in parallel with this, significantly lower total IgE, IgE anti‐rye and IgG anti‐rye antibodies at all three assessment points. In the 14 patients with bronchial hyper‐reactivity to house dust mite the severity of the asthma and the median levels of IgE and IgG mite specific antibodies all decreased over the study period. Despite the progressive improvement in asthma and diminishing immune responses to both rye grass and house dust mite in the patients, no immunological feature could be identified that correlated significantly with clinical outcome.
Changes in the levels of house dust mite specific IgG4during immunotherapy in asthmatic children
Authors: TSAI L. C. , TANG R.‐B. , HUNG M.‐W. , CHANG Z.‐N. 
Published: April 2006

SummarySerum levels of IgG subclass and house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dpt) specific IgG4were evaluated during immunotherapy in asthmatic children. Asthmatic children undergoing long‐term immunotherapy (more than 2 years) posed a mean value of total serum IgG4orDpt‐specific IgG4antibodies significantly higher than that of patients prior to receiving immunotherapy, asthmatic (placebo) controls, or patients undergoing short‐term immunotherapy (less than 1 year) (P< 0.05). The mean levels of serumDpt‐specific IgG4in all asthmatic groups were also significantly higher than in the non‐allergic controls (P< 0.01). Moreover, the mean level ofDpt‐specific IgG4tended to increase during immunotherapy. A significant correlation between total serum IgG4andDpt‐specirk IgG4antibodies was noted (r= 0.6243;P< 0.001). Serial follow‐up reveals thatDpt‐specific IgG4levels usually rose significantly with clinical improvement in asthmatic children during immunoiherapy. These results suggest that the anti‐mite‐specific IgG4antibody may serve as an indicator for clinical outcome of mite allergy during immunotherapy.