Incidence of atopic stigmata and prick test results in patients with asthma, allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis.

Allergic diseases are part of the 'modern lifestyle' and their incidence is still increasing. Cutaneous markers (stigmata) usually provide valuable clues for the diagnosis of atopic diseases. This study evaluated the prevalence of the four major and twenty-one minor criteria of Hanifin and Rajka in a total of 246 patients with mucosal allergies (99 asthma, 108 allergic rhinitis, and 39 allergic conjunctivitis). The two most prevalent major criteria were history of atopic diseases and pruritus. The most prevalent three minor criteria were periorbital darkening, influence of environmental factors and xerosis. The most common prick test-positive allergens were grass and mite allergens. Despite evidence for a high co-morbidity between atopic diseases, in daily clinical practise diagnostic and therapeutic procedures generally focus on the most predominant disease. We concluded that it may be important to screen subjects with mucosal allergies for the presence of major and minor cutaneous stigmata. Screening for cutaneous manifestations and subsequent treatment might further enhance the quality of life of these patients.

Dinâmica aeropalinológica da Gramineae na cidade de Caxias do Sul, RS / Aeropalynological dynamics of Gramineae in the city of Caxias do Sul, RS

Objetivo: Determinar a dinâmica aeropalinológica da familia Gramineae, na cidade de Caxias do Sul-RS, e proporcionar esta informação aos alergologistas e pessoas afetadas por polinose. Método: Para a obtenção das amostras de pólens aéreos, foi utilizado o captador volumétrico de sucção (modelo Burkard), instalado no telhado do Hospital Geral, a altura aproximada de 20 metros. Este trabalho refere-se às coletas realizadas nos anos de 2001 e 2002. Resultados: O grão de pólen de Gramineae foi encontrado na atmosfera de Caxias do Sul ao longo de todo o ano, apresentando maior incidência na primavera, sendo o mês de novembro de maior concentração polínica desta família. O tipo polínico Gramineae foi o que apresentou maior concentração de pólen na atmosfera, registrando 3269 grãos/m³ em 2001 e 2543 grãos/ m³ em 2002, totalizando 5812 grãos/ m³ durante o período de estudo. Conclusão: Gramineae apresentou os valores mais elevados no espectro polínico desta cidade. Há relação entre a concentração polínica de Gramineae com os dados metereológicos. Os resultados obtidos sobre este tipo polínico no ar atmosférico, bem como a época de incidência, são dados importantes para os especialistas que se ocupam do diagnóstico e tratamento da polinose.

Changes of Serum Cytokines After the Long Term Immunotherapy with Japanese Hop Pollen Extracts

Japanese hop (Hop J) pollen has been considered as one of the major causative pollen allergens in the autumn season. We developed a new Hop J immunotherapy extract in collaboration with Allergopharma (Reinbeck, Germany) and investigated immunologic mechanisms during 3 yr immunotherapy. Twenty patients (13 asthma with rhinitis and 7 hay fever) were enrolled from Ajou University Hospital. Sera were collected before, 1 yr, and 3 yr after the immunotherapy. Changes of serum specific IgE, IgG1 , and IgG4 levels to Hop J pollen extracts and serum IL-10, IL-12, TGF-beta1 and soluble CD23 levels were monitored by ELISA. Skin reactivity and airway hyper-responsiveness to methacholine were improved during the study period. Specific IgG1 increased at 1 yr then decreased again at 3 yr, and specific IgG4 levels increased progressively (p<0.05, respectively), whereas total and specific IgE levels showed variable responses with no statistical significance. IL-10, TGF-beta1 and soluble CD23 level began to decrease during first year and then further decreased during next two years with statistical significances. (p<0.05, respectively). In con-clusion, these findings suggested the favorable effect of long term immunotherapy with Hop J pollen extracts can be explained by lowered IgE affinity and generation of specific IgG4 , which may be mediated by IL-10 and TGF-beta1.

An investigation of aeroallergens affecting urban Malaysian asthmatics.

We investigated the aeroallergens affecting 200 asthmatics from the University Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and found 164 (82%) patients with skin prick test (SPT) reactivity to one or more of a panel of 14 allergens, which included indoor and outdoor animal and plant aeroallergens. Reactivity was most frequent to the indoor airborne allergens, with 159 (79.5%) reacting to either or both house dust mite (Dermatophagoides) species and 87 (43.5%) to cockroach. The SPT reactivity to house dust mites corresponded with the finding that patients found house dust to be the main precipitant of asthmatic attacks.

A study of pollen prevalence in relation to pollen allergy in Malaysian asthmatics.

In this paper we report results of skin prick tests (SPT) using pollen extracts on 200 patients with clinical symptoms of asthma, and results of a parallel study in which pollen was collected and classified over a period of 18 months. The patients were outpatients from the University Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, while the pollen grains were collected with a spore trap placed in the campus of the University of Malaya, approximately one kilometer from the University Hospital. Pollen extracts of 3 grasses (Bahia, Bermuda, rough pigweed) and 2 flowering trees, Acacia and Melaleuca, were used in the SPT. Of the 29.5% asthmatics with positive SPT reactions, 21.5% were to one or more of the grass pollens, 21.5% to Acacia and 7.5% to Melaleuca pollen. Acacia and Bermuda grass extracts were the most allergenic, which agreed with results of the pollen collection which showed grass and Acacia pollen grains to be the two most commonly found pollens.