bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cockroach allergy and exposure to cockroach allergen in Polish children with asthma
Authors: Stelmach I. , Jerzynska J. , Stelmach W. , Majak P. , Chew G. , Gorski P. , Kuna P. 
Published: March 2003

Background:  Asthma morbidity increases every year, especially among children, and exposure to high levels of indoor allergens is a very important factor. We evaluated the prevalence and exposure to cockroach (CR) allergen in asthmatic children in Poland, and also tested the hypothesis that asthma with allergy to CR is more severe than with allergy to other antigens. Methods:  One hundred and sixty children with asthma were examined, had skin prick tests (SPT) with common and CR allergens, underwent spirometry, and provocation tests to histamine. Children with positive SPT to CR had measured specific IgE levels to this antigen and Bla g 2 concentrations were measured in their homes. Results:
The most common allergen, was dust mite 51.3%, followed by pollen 48.8% and CR allergen 24.3%. In children with CR sensitivity, 13% had mild asthma, 26% moderate and 61% had severe asthma. Their levels for forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV
1
), and the provocative concentration of histamine that caused a 20% fall in FEV
1
(PC
20 ), were statistically lower than in the group of children with other than CR allergies. Bla g 2 antigen was detected in 55.13% samples. The highest levels of Bla g 2 were found in old houses, without central heating, and in houses with lower income. Conclusion:  In Polish children, CR allergen is a very important factor of sensitivity. Concentrations of Bla g 2 in homes are higher than previously reported in other European countries, and are strongly related to the houses' characteristics. Also, children with CR hypersensitivity have severe asthma more often than children with other allergies.
Cytokine production from sputum cells after allergenic challenge in IgE‐mediated asthma
Authors: Bettiol J. , Sele J. , Henket M. , Louis E. , Malaise M. , Bartsch P. , Louis R. 
Published: March 2003

Background: Th2 cytokine production from airway cells is thought to govern the eosinophilic airways inflammation in allergic asthma. Induced sputum has become a widely used technique to assess airways inflammation.Methods: By applying the technique of induced sputum to collect airways cells, we have assessed the spontaneous production of a set of cytokines, including interleukin‐4, 6, 10, interferon‐γ and tumour necrosis factor‐α, 6 h after a bronchial allergenic challenge with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpt) in 12 sensitized asthmatics and compared the results obtained after inhalation of saline as control. A group of eight healthy non‐allergic subjects was enrolled to control for any non‐specific effect of Dpt. Cytokines were measured by a dynamic immunoassay during a 24‐h sputum cell culture.Results: Allergen challenge in sensitized asthmatics caused an acute and a late bronchospasm together with a rise in sputum eosinophil counts. Afterwards allergen sputum cells from allergic asthmatics displayed a rise in their production of IL‐4 (P < 0.01), IL‐6 (P < 0.05) and IL‐10 (P < 0.05) when compared to saline. By this time sputum generation of IL‐4 in atopic asthmatics was greater than in healthy subjects (P < 0.001). Furthermore, in allergic asthmatics there was a strong correlation between the rise in interleukin‐4 production from sputum cells and the rise in sputum eosinophils (r = 0.87, P < 0.001).Conclusions: Sputum cell culture is a useful model to assess cytokine production in allergic asthmatics who show a marked up‐regulation of Th2 cytokines following acute allergen exposure. The rise in sputum eosinophil count following allergen challenge strongly correlates with the rise in IL‐4 generation from sputum cells.
Mitigation of the action of wheat allergen by acidic oxidative potential water
Authors: Matsumoto T. 
Published: March 2003

Background: Acidic oxidative potential water (AOPW) is strongly acidic, and contains active oxygen species and thus exhibits an oxidative potential to cause biochemical alterations of wheat proteins.Methods: A commercial wheat allergen extract was treated with AOPW, and then analysed by means of SDS‐PAGE and the skin prick test in IgE‐mediated wheat allergic patients.Results: The wheat extract comprised 70 kDa, 32 kDa and 30 kDa fractions, and the protein in the 70 kDa fraction was broken down into less than 14 kDa fractions by AOPW. AOPW mitigated 39% of the wheal reaction to the wheat extract in the skin prick test.Conclusion: AOPW may be useful for enhancing the digestibility and lowering the allergenicity of wheat proteins.
Reactivity to potential cross‐reactive foods in fruit‐allergic patients: implications for prescribing food avoidance
Authors: Crespo J. F. , Rodríguez J. , James J.M. , Daroca P. , Reaño M. , Vives R. 
Published: March 2003

Background: Prescribing therapeutic elimination diets in patients with fruit allergy should include recommendations on which other foods of the same family or group may be safely consumed. Evidence‐based data on the management of fruit allergy are lacking; therefore, advice may vary from just avoiding the offending fruit, to overly restrictive diets of the entire botanical family. The aims of this investigation were to assess clinical reactivity to potential cross‐reactive foods in fruit‐allergic patients, and the implications for prescribing specific therapeutic elimination diets.Methods: Sixty‐five adults diagnosed with clinical allergy to one or more fruits were evaluated for IgE‐mediated allergy to other related foods, which might share cross‐reactive antigens. Those with actual allergy to some Rosaceae fruit (including peach, apple, apricot, plum, and almond) underwent skin prick testing (SPT), food‐specific IgE assessment by the Pharmacia CAP‐FEIA system, and oral challenges with the entire group. For those with allergy to other fruits (chestnut, melon, banana, kiwi, or avocado) immunologic and clinical reactivity to all five were evaluated. Since a number of people in the study also had proven clinically allergy to some nut or legume (peanut, sunflower seed, walnut, pistachio, or hazelnut), the reactivity to the entire set was investigated.Results: Thirty‐four of those tested (52%) were found to be clinically allergic to more than one fruit, so 125 allergic reactions occurred in the 65 patients. Peach, melon, kiwi, apple, and banana accounted for 72% of allergic reactions. Forty‐two (65%) had sensitization to pollens, causing seasonal allergic rhinitis and/or asthma, and 18 (28%) were sensitized to latex. The 65 with IgE‐mediated fruit allergy underwent 351 additional SPT and food‐specific IgE determinations with potential cross‐reactive foods considered in this study; 223 (64%) of these results were positive. The routine challenges with potential cross‐reactive foods uncovered 18 further reactions in 14 (22%) out of 65 (to avocado in seven; apricot in three; plum in one; almond and peanut in one; banana and hazelnut in one; avocado, banana and kiwi in one). Only 8% (18/223) of positive results for SPT, or food‐specific IgE levels of greater than 0.35 kUA/l to potential cross‐reactive foods investigated in this study, were clinically relevant.Conclusion: Elimination diets that rely on total group avoidance, or only on the results of allergy testing, might have resulted in unnecessary restriction of 205 foods in the 65 people studied. The lack of routine oral challenges with related fruits—before prescribing dietary restriction—may have allowed 18 food reactions in one‐fifth (14/65) of patients to be overlooked.
Prevalence of occupational allergy to Chrysanthemum pollen in greenhouses in the Netherlands
Authors: Groenewoud G. C. M. , De Jong N. W. , Burdorf A. , De Groot H. , Van Wÿk R. Gerth 
Published: March 2003

Background: An increasing number of allergic complaints appear to have occurred among Chrysanthemum greenhouse employees. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of work‐related allergic symptoms and the prevalence of sensitization to pollen of different members of the Chrysanthemum family.Methods: We studied 104 employees who were invited to answer an extensive questionnaire and to complete a rhinitis quality of life questionnaire. In addition, they were skin prick tested on location with inhalant allergens and home‐made pollen extracts of seven different members of the Chrysanthemum family. Radio‐allergo‐sorbent tests were performed to confirm IgE‐mediated reactions.Results: Work‐related symptoms were reported in 56.7% of all cases, with the main symptom being rhinitis. Sensitization to Chrysanthemum pollen was found in 20.2% of the employees without one member of the Chrysanthemum family in particular being most prevalent. Sensitization to Chrysanthemum pollen was considered to be an important risk factor for the occurrence of work‐related symptoms of the upper airways. Furthermore, inhalant atopy as well as sensitization to common airborne pollen including mugwort were closely associated with sensitization to Chrysanthemum what might be suggestive for cross‐sensitization.Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of work‐related symptoms in Chrysanthemum greenhouses. In one‐third of the employees these symptoms were caused by an IgE‐mediated allergy caused by the pollen of the flowers. Inhalant atopy appeared to have a great impact on the development of such a sensitization. Measurements to reduce the pollen exposure are necessary to prevent a further increase of this occupational allergy.
Neutrophil chemokines in cultured nasal fibroblasts
Authors: Rudack C. , Hermann W. , Eble J. , Schroeder J.‐M. 
Published: March 2003

Background: To gain insight into the mechanisms responsible for tissue neutrophil immigration in sinusitis, primary nasal fibroblasts are analyzed for synthesizing and delivering neutrophil chemokines.Methods: Primary nasal fibroblast cell culture was treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α concentrations of 20 and 200 ng/ml for 2, 8, 24 and 72 h. Chemokine concentrations in supernatants were determined by enzyme‐linked immunoassay (ELISA) and chemokine mRNA expression in fibroblasts was measured by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). Biological chemotactic activity was identified by three‐step high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and by bioassay measuring neutrophil chemotaxis in a single Boyden chamber system.Results: Interleukin (IL)‐8 and growth‐related oncogene (GRO)‐α were induced in nasal fibroblast culture by proinflammatory stimulus. After 24 h of stimulation neutrophil chemotactic activity only was detected for IL‐8. Granulocyte chemotactic protein (GCP)‐2 mRNA was already significantly up‐regulated after 2 h of stimulation.Conclusion: Induction of IL‐8 protein dominates chemokine synthesis 24 and 72 h after stimulation, whereas induction of GCP‐2 mRNA seems to have a role in the early phase after 2 h of exposition with TNF‐α.
Roasted hazelnuts – allergenic activity evaluated by double‐blind, placebo‐controlled food challenge
Authors: Hansen K. Skamstrup , Ballmer‐Weber B. K. , Lüttkopf D. , Skov P. S. , Wüthrich B. , Bindslev‐Jensen C. , Vieths S. , Poulsen L. K. 
Published: March 2003

Background: Allergy to hazelnuts is a common example of birch pollen related food allergy. Symptoms upon ingestion are often confined to the mouth and throat, but severe systemic reactions have been described in some patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the reduction in allergenicity by roasting of the nuts.Methods: Double‐blind, placebo‐controlled food challenges (DBPCFC) with roasted hazelnuts (140°C, 40 min) were performed in 17 birch pollen allergic patients with DBPCFC‐confirmed food allergy to raw hazelnuts. The effect of roasting was further evaluated by skin prick test (SPT), histamine release (HR), measurement of specific IgE, and IgE‐inhibition experiments.Results: In 5/17 patients the DBPCFC with the roasted nuts were positive. The symptoms were generally mild and included OAS (oral allergy syndrome) in all patients. Roasting of the nuts significantly reduced the allergenic activity evaluated by SPT, HR, specific IgE, and IgE‐inhibition. Immunoblotting experiments with recombinant hazelnut allergens showed sensitization against Cor a 1.04 in 16/17 patients and against Cor a 2 in 7/17 patients. None of the patients were sensitized to Cor a 8. Challenge‐positive patients did not differ from the rest in IgE‐binding pattern.Conclusions: All the applied methods indicated that roasting of hazelnuts reduces the allergenicity, but since 5/17 birch pollen allergic patients were DBPCFC‐positive to the roasted nuts, ingestion of roasted hazelnuts or products containing roasted hazelnuts can not be considered safe for a number of hazelnut allergic consumers. For patients with a history of severe allergic symptoms upon ingestion of hazelnuts, thorough and conscientious food labelling of hazelnuts and hazelnut residues is essential.
IL‐4 receptor alpha chain genetic polymorphism and total IgE levels in the English population: two‐locus haplotypes are more informative than individual SNPs
Authors: Bottini N , Borgiani P , Otsu A , Saccucci P , Stefanini L , Greco E , Fontana L , Hopkin JM , Mao X‐Q , Shirakawa T 
Published: March 2003

The IL‐4RA locus encodes for the alpha chain of the IL‐4 receptor, and is both a functional and positional candidate gene for atopy and allergic disease. Recently Ober et al. have shown that the study of haplotypes at multiple loci in the IL‐4RA gene could be more informative than the separate study of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).One hundred and fifty subjects affected by atopic asthma and 150 healthy control subjects were studied in the English population (Oxford district). Subjects and controls were genotyped for the Ile50Val, Ser478Pro and Gln551Arg polymorphism of the IL‐4 receptor alpha chain. The distribution of haplotypes 50–478 shows a highly significant association with IgE levels. In particular, the haplotype Val50/Pro478 is much less frequent in subjects with IgE levels > 100 U mL−1 than in those with IgE levels < 100 U mL−1. Furthermore, the distribution of haplotype 50‐551 shows a weak association with IgE levels that is lacking for 478‐551 haplotypes. A lower frequency of the Val50/Pro478 haplotype is also observed among asthmatic subjects as compared to healthy controls. With regard to individual SNPs (50 478 and 551), no significant association has been observed with IgE levels or with asthma, thus confirming the higher informative value of the haplotype analysis as compared to separate study on SNPs.
Sib‐pairs in multifactorial disorders: the sib‐similarity problem
Authors: Edwards JH 
Published: March 2003

Common disorders are, by definition, the major cause of ill health and death. Most can be modified by avoiding or shielding an environment, as in sunburn and coeliac disease, by replacing some deficient substance, as in diabetes or myxoedema, or by empirical methods of evident effect as in schizophrenia and depressive illness. As expected, all show an increased incidence in relatives and the identification of the more influential loci involved may define unexpected links in the metabolic map: these may be amenable to therapy, or, in autoimmune disorders and asthma, define precipitating factors by sequencing the receptor involved.The major investment in trawling the genotype for influential loci has been by affected sib‐pairs with parents (ASPs). Over a hundred major studies have been published with very limited success. No substantial study of normal sib‐pairs has been undertaken, making this family of surveys one of the largest undertaken in the absence of controls.Possible reasons for this limited success and the many suggestive false positives are considered.
Transplantation of livers from HBc Ab positive donors into HBc Ab negative recipients: a strategy and preliminary results
Authors: Loss George E. , Mason Andrew L. , Blazek Jamie , Dick Debbie , Lipscomb Jeane , Guo Linsheng , Perrillo Robert P. , Eason James D. 
Published: March 2003

Here we describe a strategy for using livers from hepatitis B core antibody (anti‐HBc) positive donors in anti‐HBc negative recipients and report our preliminary results. Adult anti‐HBc negative recipients were immunized against hepatitis B virus (HBV) prior to transplantation. Liver biopsies from anti‐HBc positive, HBs Ag negative donors were performed at the time of procurement to rule out acute hepatitis or chronic liver disease. Donor serum and liver samples were collected for HBV DNA analysis by PCR.Recipients were given HBIG (10 000 units, i.v.) during the anhepatic phase of transplantation. Patients were treated with lamivudine (150 mg) beginning on postoperative day (POD) 1. If HBV DNA was not detected in either donor liver or serum by PCR, recipient antiviral therapy was stopped. If donor liver and serum were positive for HBV DNA by PCR, the recipient was maintained on combination lamivudine and HBIG therapy. If HBV DNA was detected in donor liver but not in donor serum, the patient was managed on lamivudine therapy alone. Between February 1999 and June 2000, six anti‐HBc negative recipients received liver transplants from anti‐HBc positive donors. PCR analysis of serum from the six donors was negative for HBV DNA in each, while donor liver PCR analysis was positive in five of six for HBV DNA. Accordingly, all patients were given HBIG in the anhepatic phase of transplantation and five of six were maintained on daily lamivudine therapy. Follow‐up periods have ranged from 2 to 18 months. There has been no emergence of de novo hepatitis B. Serial serum HBs Ag and HBV DNA assays have all proven negative. Moreover, while on lamivudine therapy, 2 patients now have undetectable HBV DNA in hepatic allograft biopsies by PCR analysis. Our strategy for using livers from anti‐HBc donors has yielded promising initial results. De novo hepatitis B has not occurred and our data suggest residual hepatitis B virus may be eradicated in recipients maintained on lamivudine therapy.
Psychosocial data of potential living donors before living donor liver transplantation
Authors: Walter Marc , Bronner Ekkehard , Steinmüller Thomas , Klapp Burghard F , Danzer Gerhard 
Published: March 2003

In view of the scarcity of organ resources for transplantation, donation by living donors is assuming greater significance now that the technical‐surgical problems involved have been solved. In the period between December 1999 and December 2000, 47 potential living liver donors were evaluated and a total of 27 hepatic lobes were transplanted at the Virchow‐Klinikum of the Charité Hospital in Berlin. The close personal relationships between recipients and donors gives reason to anticipate high levels of psychosocial pressure during the pre‐operative evaluation process; this process consists in part in looking into donor motivation, ambivalence and anxiety.The pre‐operative psychometric evaluation of 40 potential living donors indicated that most of the potential donors see themselves as `super‐healthy' and tend to adapt to social expectations, while on the other hand those seven potential living donors not accepted for psychosocial reasons were marked by heightened values for anxious depression and pessimism. The results indicate in most cases a great willingness to donate and on the other hand a high level of obvious psychological pressure for a low number of potential donors. For the latter, both the clinical evaluation interview and the psychometric diagnostics used revealed clear‐cut feelings of anxiety and ambivalence towards transplantation.
Report of recombinations between HLA loci within two families: utility of high resolution typing
Authors: Muro M , Moya‐Quiles MR , Marin L , Torío A , Vallejo C , Moraleda JM , Álvarez‐López MR 
Published: March 2003

Muro M, Moya‐Quiles MR, Marin L, Torío A, Vallejo C, Moraleda JM, Álvarez‐López MR. Report of recombinations between HLA loci within two families: utility of high resolution typing. Clin Transplant 2002: 16: 329–333. © Blackwell Munksgaard, 2002We have analysed two Caucasian families in which recombinant individuals have been identified. In both families, initial low resolution typing of class I and II antigens of possible patients referred for bone marrow transplantation and their respective potential donors (based on inherited haplotypes analysis) revealed them to be HLA identical and supposedly inheriting‐non‐recombinant haplotypes. The mothers were found to be DRB1*04 generic allele homozygous, but possessing two DRB1*04 specific alleles, DRB1*0403 and DRB1*0404 (family A) and DRB1*0401 and DRB1*0402 (family B). In both cases the patients inherited a maternal haplotype that is the result of a recombination event between the mother's HLA‐DRB1 and ‐B genes on their chromosomes. Based on linkage disequilibrium it is likely that the recombinant haplotypes are present in the patients rather than their brothers. In both families, the results of the MLC in terms of relative response was positive. Thus, these cases illustrate the importance of high resolution DNA class II typing when assignment of MHC antigens is of extreme importance (i.e. bone marrow transplantation).
fMRI during affect discrimination in bipolar affective disorder
Authors: Yurgelun‐Todd Deborah A , Gruber Staci A , Kanayama Gen , Killgore William DS , Baird Abigail A , Young Ashley D 
Published: March 2003

Objective:

It has been hypothesized that disturbances in affect may represent distinct etiologic factors for bipolar affective disorder. The neural mechanisms mediating affective processes and their relationship to brain development and the pathophysiology of bipolar affective disorder remain to be clarified. Recent advances in neuroimaging techniques have made possible the non‐invasive examination of specific brain regions during cortical challenge paradigms. This study reports findings based on fMRI data acquired during fearful and happy affect recognition paradigms in patients with bipolar affective disorder and in healthy adult subjects.

Methods: Prior to the scan, subjects were instructed to view the stimuli and to identify the type of facial expression presented. Echo planar scanning was performed on a 1.5 Tesla scanner which had been retrofitted with a whole body echo planar coil, using a head coil.

Results: The data indicate that in adult subjects with bipolar affective disorder, there is a reduction in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation and an increase in amygdalar activation in response to fearful facial affect. In a healthy comparison group, signal intensity changes were not found in these regions. In addition, although the patients with bipolar affective disorder completed the task demands, they demonstrated an impaired ability to correctly identify fearful facial affect but not the happy facial affect displayed.

Conclusion: These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that in some patients with bipolar affective disorder, there may be a reduction of frontal cortical function which may be associated with affective as well as attentional processing deficits.
Reduced inositol content in lymphocyte‐derived cell lines from bipolar patients
Authors: Belmaker RH , Shapiro J , Vainer E , Nemanov L , Ebstein RP , Agam G 
Published: March 2003

Objectives:
The study aimed to determine whether low inositol content and uptake previously reported in brain and peripheral tissue of bipolar patients are also reflected in lymphocyte‐derived cell lines from these patients.
Methods:
Inositol content and uptake were studied in lymphocyte‐derived cell lines grown in vitro for at least five generations to eliminate influences of drug treatment. Inositol content was studied gas chromatographically and inositol uptake by following 3H‐inositol incorporation at various concentrations.
Results:
Inositol levels of cell lines derived from bipolar patients were significantly lower than those of cell lines from controls.
Conclusions:
Low inositol content in lymphocyte‐derived cell lines from bipolar patients corroborates previous findings in frontal cortex and in lymphoblastoid cell lines and are consistent with the notion that the phosphatidylinositol signaling system is involved in the pathophysiology of this disorder.