bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Optimal use of tube spacer aerosols in asthmatic children
Authors: PEDERSEN S. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryIn a double blind cross‐over study the bronchodilator response after eight different modes of inhalation of terbutaline from a pressurized aerosol with a tube spacer was assessed in fifteen asthmatic children. Slow inspiratory flow rates (15–30 1/min) were found to be associated with a statistically significant increase in response when compared with flow rates higher than 70 1/min (P<0.01). Tilting the head back during the inhalations and a breath‐holding pause of 10 sec after the inhalation had no significant effect upon bronchodilation. In addition, bronchodilation was the same whether the children inhaled from RV or FRC. and whether they inhaled as deeply as possible or only to about half the maximum volume. The results suggest that efforts should be made to develop a new and more simple set of instructions for the use of tube spacer aerosols.
Dynamics of mast cell degranulation in human allergic nasal epithelium after provocation with allergen
Authors: KAWABORI S. , OKUDA M. , UNNO T. , NAKAMURA A. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThe histamine content in the nasal epithelial layer of twenty‐five patients with nasal allergy was measured before, 10 min after and 1 hr after nasal provocation with allergen. A decrease in histamine content was observed 10 min after provocation compared to the values obtained before provocation (P<0.05). There was a tendency for an increase in the histamine content of the nasal epithelium one hour after provocation when compared with the amounts present 10 min after provocation (P<0.1). Mast cells in the nasal epithelial layer of a further five patients were studied by electron microscopy 10 min and 1 hr after provocation. The rate of mast cell degranulation appeared to decrease 1 hr after provocation when compared with 10 min.Our study suggests that some mast cells commence their migration to the nasal epithelial layer over a short time period and that they may play a role in the onset of the allergic nasal reaction in patients with allergic nasal symptoms.
Lymphocyte sub‐populations in patients with allergic and non‐allergic asthma
Authors: KUS JAN , TSE KAM S. , VEDAL SVERRE , CHAN‐YEUNG MOIRA 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThe subpopulations of peripheral blood lymphocytes were identified using monoclonal antibodies specific for T lymphocytes (T11 antibodies), B lymphocytes (B1 antibodies), helper/inducer T cells (T4 antibodies) and suppressor/cytotoxic cells (T8 antibodies). Ninety‐six subjects, including twenty‐five patients with allergic asthma, nineteen patients with non‐allergic asthma and fifty‐two controls without asthma, were studied. There was no significant difference in the lymphocyte subsets between the allergic and non‐allergic asthmatics. When comparing patients with asthma as a group with the controls, a decrease in the number of T8‐positive suppressor cells and therefore, an increase in the helper/suppressor cell ratio were demonstrated in the asthamtics. A relative deficiency of suppressor T cells may represent another immunological marker of bronchial asthma.
Gastrointestinal permeability in atopic and non‐atopic mothers, assessed with different‐sized polyethyleneglycols (PEG 400 and PEG 1000)
Authors: FÄLTH‐MAGNUSSON KARIN , KJELLMAN N.‐I. M. , SUNDQVIST T. , MAGNUSSON K.‐E. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryGastrointestinal permeability was compared in seventy‐one women, forty‐six allergic and twenty‐five non‐allergic according to case history, by measuring the 6‐hr urinary recovery after an oral load of different‐sized polyethyleneglycols (PEG 400 and PEG 1000). Further classification, atopic and non‐atopic, was obtained by skin‐prick tests to inhalant and food allergens in sixty‐four of the seventy‐one mothers. No significant differences were observed between allergic and non‐allergic women, neither regarding the maximum recovery nor the recovery ratio between a large and a small molecule. The results do not lend support to the hypothesis of a persistently increased gut permeability in atopic subjects, which in turn could possibly imply an increased risk of intrauterine sensitization of the foetus of an atopic mother.
Ketotifen in pollen‐induced asthma: a double blind placebo‐controlled study
Authors: BROBERGER U. , GRAFF‐LONNEVIG V. , LILJA G. , RYLANDER E. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryTwenty‐nine children with an average age of 10.5 years were studied with respect to the protective effect of ketotifen on pollen‐induced bronchial asthma. All of them were sensitive to deciduous tree pollen, the diagnosis being verified by bronchial challenge. The children were stratified in matched pairs and randomly allocated to two treatment groups, placebo or ketotifen 1 mg twice daily. The study was double‐blind and was performed during the whole of the deciduous tree pollen season. Daily pollen counts were made, allergic symptoms were noted, additional medication was given and the expiratory pulmonary flow was recorded. During the birch pollen peak the ketotifen group showed significantly fewer, and less severe asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis than the placebo group. The anti‐asthmatic medication was also used significantly less than in the placebo group. Ketotifen appeared to have good protective properties in the treatment of pollen‐induced asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis.
Effect of hypo‐ and hyper‐osmolarity on basophil histamine release
Authors: RIMMER J. , BRYANT D. H. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThe pattern of histamine release from peripheral white blood cells in response to hyper‐(sodium chloride, mannitol) and hypo‐osmolar (water) stimuli was studied in order to determine the differences between non‐atopic control and atopic asthmatic patients in histamine release caused by osmolar changes. All subjects showed histamine release to both hyper‐ and hypo‐osmolar stimuli and this response was reproducible. Viability studies and the effect of time and temperature indicated that, at the extremes of hypo‐ and hyper‐osmolality, histamine release was associated with cell cytotoxicity. Asthmatics and controls showed no differences either in their level of spontaneous or hyper‐osmolar sodium chloride induced histamine release, but asthmatics' cells were more responsive to mannitol over 600–800 mOsm/kg and less responsive to a hypo‐osmolar stimulus under 80 mOsm/kg. This suggests that asthmatics' cells may differ from controls in the manner in which they respond to osmotic stimuli and this may be relevant in certain clinical situations.
Primary cell‐mediated immune response in bronchial asthma. Relationship between primary in vitro and in vivo cell‐mediated and antibody responses in patients with asthma and healthy controls
Authors: WELLER F. R. , KALLENBERG C. G. M. , ORIE N. G. M. , WELLER H. H. , JANSEN H. M. , THE T. H. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryEleven patients with asthma and ten sex and age matched healthy controls were immunized with the primary immunogen Helix pomatia Haemocyanin (HPH). The amplitude and the kinetics of in vitro cell‐mediated immune response were measured by HPH‐induced lymphocyte proliferation. Lymphocytes were also challenged in vitro with mitogens and recall antigens. In vivo cell‐mediated immunity was determined by inducing delayed type hypersensitivity reactions with HPH. Anti‐HPH antibody responses in the IgE, IgG and IgM classes were measured to gain an insight into the relation between cell‐mediated and humoral immune responses in patients with asthma and healthy controls. The in vitro and in vivo cell‐mediated response and the IgM antibody response did not differ between patients with asthma and controls. The IgE and IgG antibody responses, however, were increased in the patients. IgM antibody response correlated with both the in vitro and in vivo cell‐mediated response (R= 0.45, P<0.05). IgE and IgG antibody responses however were not correlated with cell‐mediated responses. These data suggest that the primary abnormality in immune regulation in patients with asthma concerns the control of the IgE and IgG class antibody responses.
Pneumococcus‐specific immunoglobulin E in cigarette smokers
Authors: BLOOM J. W. , HALONEN MARILYN , DUNN ANITA M. , PINNAS J. L. , BURROWS B. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryA relationship between elevated scrum immunoglobulin E levels and smoking has been demonstrated in epidemiological studies. Allergy skin test data suggest that the excess immunoglobulin E of smokers is not specific for aeroallergens. It is possible that the excess immunoglobulin E is specific for microorganisms that often infect the lower respiratory tract of smokers. To investigate this possibility we utilized a radio‐allergosorbent test assay for detecting serum immunoglobulin E specific for Streptococcus pneumoniae, an organism commonly isolated from the respiratory tract of smokers with chronic bronchitis. We assayed sera of thirty smokers and thirty nonsmokers for immunoglobulin E specific for Streptococcus pneumoniae. Individual sera were considered positive for pneumococcus‐specific immunoglobulin E if the binding was at least twice the non‐specific binding at the total immunoglobulin E concentration of the particular serum. Eleven of the thirty sera of smokers and two of the thirty nonsmokers were positive for pneumococcus‐specific immunoglobulin E. By chi‐square analysis of these data, the prevalence of pneumococcus‐specific immunoglobulin E was significantly greater in the smoking group compared with the non‐smoking group (P<0·02). These results suggest that the excess immunoglobulin E of smokers is, at least in part, specific for microorganisms that infect the airways.
Effect of nedocromil sodium on histamine airway responsiveness in grass‐pollen sensitive asthmatics during the pollen season
Authors: DORWARD A. J. , ROBERTS J. A. , THOMSON N. C. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryWe examined the effect of nedocromil sodium on histamine airway responsiveness in twelve grass‐pollen sensitive patients during the 1984 pollen season. The study was a randomized double‐blind crossover comparison of nedocromil sodium administered by a pressurized aerosol (4 mg b.d.) with placebo. Crossovers were made at 14‐day intervals throughout 8 weeks of the grass pollen season. Histamine airway responsiveness was assessed twice before the pollen season and at the end of each 14‐day treatment period. Results were expressed as the provocation concentration (PC) producing a 10% fall in FEV1 (PC10 FEV1) and a 40% fall in flow at 30% of the vital capacity (PC40V̇30(P)). During the pollen season all patients developed hay fever and seven had symptoms of asthma. The observed lowest values of PC10 FEV1 and PC40V̇30(P) during the placebo treatment periods were significantly lower than mean preseasonal values although not significantly lower than theoretical expected values. Geometric means PC10 FEV1 and PC40V̇30(P) were significantly higher during nedocromil sodium treatment compared with placebo. These results indicate that nedocromil sodium has a small but statistically significant effect reducing histamine airway responsiveness in grass‐pollen sensitive patients during the pollen season.
Effect of oral colchicine on T cell subsets, monocytes and concanavalin A‐induced suppressor cell function in asthmatic patients
Authors: ILFELD D. N. , MAZAR A. , GARTY M. , FINK G. , SPITZER S. , PECHT M. , NETZER L. , TRAININ N. , KUPERMAN O. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryAsthmatic patients have a deficiency of concanavalin A‐(Con A) induced suppressor cell function. We tested whether oral colchicine 0·5 mg twice daily for 7 days could correct this immunoregulatory abnormality. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were incubated with Con A and then suppression of proliferation was measured by co‐culture of these cells with healthy volunteers’mononuclear cells and phytohaemagglutinin. Sixteen asthmatic patients had significantly (P < 0·002) decreased Con A‐induced suppressor cell function (17·0±17·2%, mean ± s.d.) as compared to 13 healthy volunteers (37·9±14·9%). Oral colchicine significantly (P < 0·05) increased, though only partially corrected, these 16 asthmatic patients’Con A‐induced suppressor cell function (28·1±14·3%). Asthmatic patients had an increased number of monocytes (691±289 vs 388±271/mm3 for normals, P < 0·01) and a normal number of lymphocytes, Leu 4+ total T cells, Leu 3+ helper/inducer T cells, and Leu 2+ suppressor/cytotoxic T cells as well as a normal Leu 3/Leu 2 ratio. Oral colchicine significantly (P < 0·005) decreased the number of monocytes (451±255/mm3) without significantly affecting the number of lymphocytes, Leu 4+, Leu 3+, or Leu 2+ T cells, or the Leu 3/Leu 2 ratio. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the deficiency of Con A‐induced suppressor cell function in asthmatic patients may be due, in part, to an increased number and/or abnormal activity of monocytes. If so, then oral colchicine may have partially corrected the deficiency of Con A‐induced suppressor cell function by decreasing the number and/or modulating the activity of monocytes.
Insect allergy. Predictive value of diagnostic tests: a three‐year follow‐up study
Authors: MOSBECH H. , CHRISTENSEN J. , DIRKSEN A. , SØBORG M. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryOne hundred and six adults with various reactions to yellow jacket (YJ), honey bee (HB) or unidentified insects (UI) were tested for allergy to insect venoms. For various reasons none received immunotherapy. Individuals completed questionnaires annually for three consecutive years and described sting reactions within the previous season. Ninety subjects completed all the questionnaires and 77 of these were re‐tested at the end of the period. Nine out of 25 patients reacted with a systemic reaction when re‐stung. High IgE and low IgG venom‐specific antibody levels indicated an unfavourable prognosis, since eight of 11 individuals who initially presented venom‐specific IgE > RAST class 2 and venom‐specific IgG below detection limit had systemic reactions at re‐sting. No such reactions occurred in subjects with no specific IgE and only one out of six with specific IgE as well as IgG reacted systematically. Skin prick tests (SPT) of <3mm with YJ venom 1,000 μg/ml excluded later systemic symptoms to stings, whereas larger skin reactions gave an equal chance of systemic or local reactions at re‐sting. In individuals not stung by UI, YJ and/or HB the decline in venom‐specific IgG and IgE was significant, median values ranging from 41% to 75% over the 3‐year period. The decline was unaffected by the type of sting reaction prior to the initial test. SPT results did not change significantly. The findings are relevant when testing patients several years after their last insect sting and the results might indicate that the antibody decline is accompanied by a decrease in clinical sensitivity.
Sub‐class of IgG in allergic disease I. IgG sub‐class antibodies in immediate and non‐immediate food allergy
Authors: KEMENY D. M. , URBANEK* R. , AMLOT P. L. , CICLITIRA† P. J. , RICHARDS D. , LESSOF M. H. 
Published: April 2006

Abstract. Previous studies have suggested that, apart from IgE‐mediated reactions, some of the symptoms of food allergy may be caused by IgG antibodies to food proteins. This study was carried out to see if there were any distinctive features of the IgG sub‐class antibody response to dietary antigens which occurs in food allergic patients. IgG subclass antibodies were measured using a quantitative enzyme‐linked immuno‐sorbent assay (ELISA) to wheat gliadin, ovalbumin and bovine casein in twenty patients who had coeliac disease and in twenty‐eight egg allergic patients. These were compared with twenty‐one atopic dermatitis patients who did not have food allergy and twenty‐six healthy control subjects. Coeliac disease patients tended to have raised IgG antibody levels (especially IgG1) to all three antigens but these overlapped considerably with that seen in egg allergic and atopic dermatitis patients.Coeliacs who avoided gluten had anti‐gliadin antibody levels which did not differ from those seen in healthy subjects but nevertheless had raised anti‐ovalbumin and casein‐specific antibodies. The IgG antibody was largely restricted to IgG1 and IgG4 sub‐class although the relative amount of each varied with the antigen. Although gliadin‐specific antibodies were mainly IgG1, ovalbumin‐specific antibodies were mainly IgG4. The increased antibody levels to all three antigens in coeliacs were caused by a raised IgG1 response, IgG4 antibodies were usually normal. Egg allergic patients also had raised IgG1 but not IgG4 antibodies to ovalbumin.These data show that the response to different dietary antigens can vary with the antigen. The fact that IgG1 and not IgG4antibodies were raised to all three antigens in patients with coeliac disease suggests that they are a secondary consequence of the disease, perhaps reflecting increased transport of antigens across a damaged gut mucosa rather than a specific immunopathological reaction. However, the observation that antibodies to gliadin, and not ovalbumin or casein, fell following gluten avoidance shows that the response to gliadin, at least, is dependent upon continued exposure to antigen.
Effect of inhaled histamine on occlusion pressure and breathing pattern in asthmatic patients
Authors: SCANO G. , DURANTI R. , CONTE CINZIA LO , SPINELLI A. , GIGLIOTTI F. , STENDARDI LOREDANA , EMMI L. , SERGYSELS R. , ARCANGELI P. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryIn animals, histamine inhalation is known to increase either respiratory frequency or respiratory drive by stimulation of airway vagal sensitive endings. However, it is not well known whether these changes are concomitant in man. In order to elucidate this point, we carried out the present investigation in thirty‐five asthmatic patients who underwent bronchial provocation test by progressively doubling the dose of inhaled histamine. Bronchial reactivity to histamine allowed two populations of patients to be defined: group I with moderate and group II with mild, increased reactivity. In the twenty‐three group I patients, neuromuscular inspiratory drive, assessed by mouth occlusion pressure (P0.1), was found to be significantly increased while no significant changes in breathing pattern were noted. In the twelve group II patients histamine did not modify P0.1 or breathing pattern. However, we were able to separate in group I a sub‐group of ten patients, as with atopic asthma, in which histamine‐induced increase in P0.1 was paralleled by rapid and shallow breathing (RSB). Changes in P0.1 and breathing pattern did not depend on baseline airway calibre. In group I, after bronchoconstriction had been reversed by inhaling a β2‐agonist bronchodilator agent (fenoterol), P0.1 decreased significantly and RSB was found to be reversed; however, these changes were not interrelated. We concluded that: (i) in asthmatics, histamine‐induced increase in P0.1 is not necessarily paralleled by, nor related with, change in breathing pattern and (ii) in atopics a ‘sensitization’ of vagal receptors could account for the concomitance of enhanced P0.1 with RSB.
Development of a microassay for histamine release
Authors: CLINTON PATRICIA M. , MURDOCH R. D. , KEMENY D. M. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryA microassay has been developed to measure histamine release from both washed human leucocytes and whole blood, in which blood samples can be diluted down to 1:20 without affecting their sensitivity to antigen. The sensitivity and reproducibility of the single isotope histamine radioenzymatic assay [REA] was compared to the conventional spectrofluorometric histamine assay. The limit of detection was 0.2 and 2.0 ng/ml, respectively, and the agreement between the two assays was good (r = 0.94). There was also a good qualitative agreement between skin‐prick test and histamine release (92%). In order to see if this assay was suitable for small volumes of blood, we measured histamine release to antigen from both diluted whole blood taken by a thumb prick (as a model of the heel prick used in obtaining paediatric blood samples), and undiluted venous blood. There was complete agreement between a positive or negative histamine release response to antigen by diluted thumb prick and undiluted venous blood samples. Leucocyte sensitivity to antigen increased slightly upon dilution, but remained within a ten‐fold antigen dilution. The micro‐histamine release assay described here offers an opportunity to measure basophil sensitivity to allergens where the availability of the blood is limited (in young babies for example) as well as making possible multiple allergen testing.
Positive skin tests to pollen extracts of four species of Pistacia in Israel
Authors: KEYNAN NURIT , GELLER‐BERNSTEIN CARMI , WAISEL Y. , BEJERANO A. , SHOMER‐ILAN ADIVA , TAMIR R. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryFifty‐eight atopic and nine non‐atopic volunteers, all residents of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. Israel, were skin tested with extracts made from filtered pollen of Pistacia atlantica, P. lentiscus, P. palaestina and P. vera. Twenty‐four out of the fifty‐eight patients examined (41.4% had positive skin reactions to at least one of the four examined species of Pistacia: seven of the patients reacted to all the examined extracts, whereas the other seventeen reacted to only some of them. Fifteen patients reacted to extracts of P. atlantica, sixteen patients reacted to extracts of P. lentiscus, ten patients reacted to extracts of P. palaestina and seven patients reacted to extracts of pollen of P. vera. None of the healthy, non‐atopic volunteers reacted to any of the extracts. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of immunological reactions to pollen extracts of the genus Pistacia.
Bronchial hyperresponsiveness in two populations of Australian schoolchildren. III. Effect of exposure to environmental allergens
Authors: PEAT J. K. , BRITTON W. J. , SALOME C. M. , WOOLCOCK A. J. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryTwo populations of schoolchildren, one living in an area where the predominant allergens are house dust mites and the other in an area where the predominant allergens are pollens, were studied to investigate in more detail the associations between atopy, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) and symptoms of asthma. The prevalence of atopy (39%) was the same in both towns but the prevalence of BHR was higher in the inland ‘pollen’ area (19%vs 15%). Atopic children had an increased risk of having BHR and, to a lesser extent, respiratory symptoms, diagnosed asthma and hay fever. The risk of BHR was further increased in children atopic to both pollens and house dust mites, and in children with a high index of atopy (derived from the number and size of the skin reactions to four allergen groups). In addition, the relationship between atopy and BHR was quantitative in that the severity of BHR increased with the severity of atopy. We conclude that there is not a direct causal relationship between atopy and BHR but there may be a common mechanism involved in their development. It appears that, within the atopic population, the type of allergen to which the individual is sensitized, the quantity of aeroallergen present in the environment and the degree of atopy, as measured by the number and size of the skin reactions, are all factors that may interact to increase the risk of BHR.