ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Pollens are an important source of allergens that trigger rhinitis or asthma. The allergenic extracts of pollens used to diagnose and treat allergies contain different allergenic antigens. Isolated allergenic proteins are employed in in vitro assays, skin tests and allergenic-specific immunotherapy. Calcium-binding allergens are clinically relevant antigens, and their allergenicity can be affected by Ca2+ binding. In this work, a calmodulin was identified as an allergen from Amaranthus palmeri pollen, an important source of pollinosis in Europe, Asia and North America. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Allergenic calmodulin from A. palmeri pollen was isolated by size-exclusion chromatography and reverse-phase chromatography and identified by mass spectrometry. Sensitization to isolated calmodulin was evaluated by skin prick tests in patients with allergy to A. palmeri pollen. RESULTS: Size-exclusion chromatography yielded two fractions that were recognized by the IgE of patients allergic to A. palmeri pollen. Mass spectrometry analysis of the fractions from reverse-phase chromatography showed peptide sequences that identified a calmodulin. Skin prick tests showed that the isolated calmodulin was recognized by 56% of patients allergic to A. palmeri pollen. CONCLUSION: A. palmeri pollen calmodulin could be a clinically relevant allergen in patients sensitized to this source.
Subject(s)
Allergens/immunology , Amaranthus/immunology , Antigens, Plant/immunology , Calmodulin/immunology , Pollen/immunology , Amino Acid Sequence , Asia , Asthma/immunology , Europe , Humans , Immunoglobulin E/immunology , North America , Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal/immunology , Skin Tests/methodsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Allergic etiology is suspected whenever a patient with conjunctivitis presents the typical clinical features; however, in ophthalmic practice, confirmation of the immune disease is uncommon. Ocular involvement is common in allergic rhinitis, and the current name of this entity is allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC). Conjunctivitis diagnosis in ARC is inferred by the symptoms, but the most common ocular findings in patients with a confirmed allergic disease are unknown. The most common findings in allergic patients with ocular involvement were identified. METHODS: Anterior segment of patients with an ARC diagnosis offered by an immunologist were evaluated, and the rates of the most common (whether considered related to allergy or not) were determined; 95% confidence intervals (CI) for rates were calculated. RESULTS: One hundred and nineteen patients were evaluated, and the most common finding was conjunctival fornix edema (89.7%, 95% CI 83.5-94.7), followed by tarsal papillae (70.6%, 95% CI 62.4-78.8); the most common non-allergy-related finding was tear film deficiency (52.9%, 95% CI 43.9-61.9). CONCLUSIONS: Conjunctival fornix edema was consistently more frequent than most of the signs used to diagnose allergic conjunctivitis in medical journals. It is suggested to intentionally look for this as recommended, in order to make a more easy diagnosis.
Subject(s)
Conjunctivitis, Allergic/diagnosis , Conjunctivitis, Allergic/etiology , Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial/complications , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: High affinity immunoglobulin E (IgE) receptors may activate the mast cell degradation; on the other hand, the ones of low affinity may activate B lymphocytes so they act as antigen-presenting cells and as producers of the same immunoglobulin. As allergic patients produce a great quantity of IgE they are prone to get an infection. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the IgE increase in 28 patients with allergic rhinitis or asthma, or both without having received a previous treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 38 patients with allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma, allergic conjunctivitis or atopic dermatitis diagnosis were included. B lymphocytes and NK cells immunophenotypification was made. Flow cytometry was used for cells lecture. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics applying central tendency measurements. RESULTS: No variations were found in the values of any cell lineage. CONCLUSIONS: Proliferation and activation of B lymphocytes should be considered in allergic diseases as its quantification in serum may be a measurement parameter of allergic activity.
Subject(s)
B-Lymphocytes/immunology , Killer Cells, Natural/immunology , Respiratory Hypersensitivity/blood , Respiratory Hypersensitivity/immunology , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Bronchial asthma is a multifactorial disease affecting the functionality of the bronchial tree and immunological changes. OBJECTIVE: To determine if lymphocytes Th-1 have a role in extrinsic asthma of Mexican patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included in the study 39 patients with extrinsic asthma, living in Mexico City, and 27 healthy subjects, without allergy antecedents, with nutritional and immunological characteristics similar. It was determined the following data: production of IL-2 (in 5 patients and 5 controls), its receptor (in all participants), IFN-g (in 8 patients and 5 controls), and TNF-a (in 8 patients and 5 controls). RESULTS: Values of IL-2, its receptor and IFN-gamma were higher in patients than in controls, with significant differences. There were not important differences about TNF-alpha. CONCLUSIONS: Even causes of action change between lymphocytes Th-1 and Th-2 are not known, it is confirmed the moving from Th-2 to Th-1 as an active phenomenon in asthma.
Subject(s)
Asthma/immunology , Th1 Cells/immunology , Adolescent , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Female , Humans , Interferon-gamma/blood , Interleukin-2/blood , Male , Middle Aged , Receptors, Interleukin-2/blood , Th1 Cells/metabolism , Th2 Cells/immunology , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/analysisABSTRACT
Antecedentes: el broncoespasmo inducido por ejercicio, también llamado asma por ejercicio, es una afección frecuente que acompaña comúnmente al paciente asmático. Su frecuencia es de alrededor del 80 al 90 por ciento para los pacientes con asma; se presenta en 40 al 50 por ciento de los niños con rinitis alérgica, en 14 por ciento de los atletas y en 12 por ciento de la población en general. Objetivo: determinar la eficacia de una rutina de calentamiento como agente preventivo del broncoespasmo inducido por ejercicio. Método: se incluyeron 30 pacientes de entre 10 y 16 años de edad, asmáticos y con broncoespasmo inducido por ejercicio diagnosticado mediante prueba de reto al ejercicio. Todos los pacientes realizaron una rutina de ejercicio con duración de 20 minutos durante los cuales se efectuaron movimientos de elasticidad, calistenia y actividad leve dirigida al ejercicio a desarrollar, tomando como parámetro objetivo el 60 por ciento de la frecuencia cardiaca submáxima. Enseguida, todos los pacientes realizaron nuevamente reto al ejercicio, en la que se utilizó una banda sinfín, con velocidades que se incrementaron progresivamente de 1 a 8 km/h y con inclinación de 0 - 10 0. Los registros espirométricos se efectuaron antes del reto y a los 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 y 60 minutos después del mismo. Resultados: el promedio de edad de los pacientes fue de 12.8 ñ 2 años con talla de 157 ñ 10 cm. Conclusión: el calentamiento en niños con broncoespasmo inducido por ejercicio actúa como un agente protector contra el decremento del VEF-1. Si bien el calentamiento puede ser un buen método de control en el paciente asmático, es necesario tener en cuenta que no todos los pacientes tienen un beneficio con dicha protección.Éste sólo puede utilizarse en pacientes con actividad física programada, ya que en los preescolares no es posible implantar una rutina de calentamiento por las características propias de su actividad.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adolescent , Asthma, Exercise-Induced/complications , Asthma, Exercise-Induced/diagnosis , Forced Expiratory Volume , Exercise Test/adverse effectsABSTRACT
Antecedentes: el asma es el padecimiento crónico de las vías respiratorias más frecuente de la edad pediátrica. Material y método: estudio prospectivo, longitudinal, doble ciego, al azar con 40 pacientes (divididos en dos grupos) con crisis asmática con edades de 8 a 15 años. A todos se les realizaron pruebas de funcionamiento pulmonar efectuadas de manera basal y posterior a la inhalación del medicamento. Los medicamentos se administraron en dos inhalaciones por tres ocasiones y con intervalos de 10 minutos entre cada dosis. Se consideró que el tratamiento fue efectivo si la mejoría de las pruebas de función pulmonar (VEF1) presentaban un incremento del 15 por ciento de su valor inicial. Resultados: para cada una de las pruebas realizadas en los diferentes tiempos se encontraron incrementos significativos en VEF1 (p <0.05) en ambos grupos comparados con la basal y permanecieron significativos hasta ocho horas después de la administración de ambos esquemas terapéuticos. Conclusión: el efecto broncodilatador del salbutamol solo y en combinación con bromuro de ipratropio es similar en intensidad y en tiempo de acción demostrado por el VEF1.
