Selection of Anti-Allergic Lactobacillus in Murine Model of Peanut Allergy / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

PURPOSE: To evaluate the anti-allergic effects of intragastric treatment with various strains of lactobacillus, we undertook this study in the murine model of peanut allergy. METHODS: Ten groups of mice were sensitized and boosted with 1 mg/dose of crude peanut intragastricly at day 1, 2, 3, 7 and 21. Also, each groups of mice was treated with various strains of lactobacillus or PBS starting on the 1st day of sensitization, for 3 weeks daily. During the experiment, peanut specific serum IgE, IgG1, IgG2a were measured at weekly intervals, and compared at week four which is one week after the end of lactobacillus treatment. RESULTS: By treatment with various strains of lactobacillus, peanut specific IgE levels were decreased in all treated groups of mice compared to sham-treated mice. And at least six of the 10 groups of mice treated with various strains of L. casei or L. acidophilus showed remarkable down-regulatory effects on the production of peanut specific IgE antibodies, while the regulatory effects on specific IgG1, and IgG2a antibodies were variable. Especially, L. casei IBS041 showed harmonized regulatory effect on the productions of peanut specific IgE, IgG1 and IgG2a. CONCLUSION: We selected and partly confirmed several strains of lactobacillus which showed anti-allergic effects in the production of antigen specific IgE in the murine model of peanut allergy.

Murine Model of Buckwheat Allergy by Intragastric Sensitization with Fresh Buckwheat Flour Extract

Food allergies affect about 4% of the Korean population, and buckwheat allergy is one of the most severe food allergies in Korea. The purpose of the present study was to develop a murine model of IgE-mediated buckwheat hypersensitivity induced by intragastric sensitization. Young female C3H/HeJ mice were sensitized and challenged intragastricly with fresh buckwheat flour (1, 5, 25 mg/dose of proteins) mixed in cholera toxin, followed by intragastric challenge. Anaphylactic reactions, antigen-specific antibodies, splenocytes proliferation assays and cytokine productions were evaluated. Oral buckwheat challenges of sensitized mice provoked anaphylactic reactions such as severe scratch, perioral/periorbital swellings, or decreased activity. Reactions were associated with elevated levels of buckwheatspecific IgE antibodies. Splenocytes from buckwheat allergic mice exhibited significantly greater proliferative responses to buckwheat than non-allergic mice. Buckwheat-stimulated IL-4, IL-5, and INF-gamma productions were associated with elevated levels of buckwheat-specific IgE in sensitized mice. In this model, 1 mg and 5 mg dose of sensitization produced almost the same degree of Th2-directed immune response, however, a 25 mg dose showed blunted antibody responses. In conclusion, we developed IgE-mediated buckwheat allergy by intragastric sensitization and challenge, and this model could provide a good tool for future studies.

Two Cases of Epiglottitis Caused by Haemophilus Influenzae Type b Infection / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

Epiglottitis is an uncommon but potentially life threatening infectious disease in young children. And it is rapidly progressing cellulitis of the epiglottis and adjacent structures that has the potential for causing abrupt, complete airway obstruction. The most common cause of acute epiglottitis is Haemophilius influenzae type b(Hib), therefore in USA, the acute epiglottitis is seen less commonly since the wide spread use of immunization against Hib. In Korea, there has been no report of acute epiglottitis caused by known bacterial organism, and a little investigation of the effects of the immunization against Hib, or Hib related respiratory diseases. In this report, we describe two cases of acute epiglottitis caused by Hib, occurred in non-immunized young-male children admitted to Ajou University Hospital. They had visited to the emergency center of Ajou University hospital with the complaints of acute fever, drooling, dysphagia and severe respiratory difficulties. In both cases, we observed the cherry-red colored, severely swollen epiglottis by the direct laryngoscopic examination. Hib was cultured in blood samples from both two cases, and the patients treated successfully by the 3 days of endotracheal intubation and proper antibiotics therapy without any complications such as pneumonia, meningitis, osteomyelitis, or pericarditis.

Two Children With Egg Allergy Who Developed Systemic Side Reaction with MMR Vaccine / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

There has been continued controversy as to the safety of egg-based MMR vaccine in egg-allergic children. Many studies have dealt with MMR administrations to egg-allergic patients focusing on the systemic side reactions. It has been found that most egg-allergic patients do not react to MMR vaccine but to other vaccine components. Therefore, most authors conclude that if an individual can eat eggs without ill effects, he or she can take the MMR vaccine without skin testing. In this regard, this study describes two cases of systemic side reactions after injection of MMR vaccine to egg-allergic patients. In a case with a history of systemic reaction from egg ingestion, it is still recommended that skin testing with the vaccine be carried out. If the skin test result shows positive, incremental doses of the vaccine in every 15-20 minutes are suggested.