[Basis to modify the immunotherapy regimen at the Allergy Service, General Hospital of Mexico]. / Fundamentos para modificar el esquema de la inmunoterapia en el servicio de Alergia del Hospital General de México.

BACKGROUND: In Mexico, the way allergen immunotherapy is performed has remained without changes for many years. Here we present the modifications that have been performed in the General Hospital of Mexico to make immunotherapy more effective. OBJECTIVE: To show the changes implemented to make immunotherapy faster and more effective by changing the volume of allergy vaccines from 5 or 10 mL to 3 mL, and the theoretical and practical support for the change. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The amount of protein delivered in each immunotherapy shot was computed to show how they change along the treatment. Results for schedules for 3, 5 and 10 mL were compared. RESULTS: Results showed serial rises and falls in protein amount injected every time a new vaccine flask starts to be used. However, in the case for 3 mL vaccines schedules, those changes are less pronounced. CONCLUSIONS: Due to these results we suggest a schedule of immunotherapy with 3 mL vaccines that allow getting the maintenance doses in a shorter time and at lower cost.

[Sensitization to pollens of Oleaceae family in a group of patients from Mexico City]. / Sensibilización a pólenes de la familia Oleaceae en un grupo de pacientes de la Ciudad de México.

BACKGROUND: In Mexico City, where the Olive trees are scarce, the Oleaceae family has been recognized as one of the most important causes of pollen allergy, possibly related to cross-reactivity with other pollens of the Oleaceae family, as Fraxinus excelsior, Ligustrum vulgaris and Osmanthus americanus. OBJECTIVE: To know the prevalence of sensitization to the Oleaceae family in Mexico City, cross-reactivity, as well as concurrent sensitizations, and vegetables and fruits associated to oral allergy syndrome (OAS). PATIENTS AND METHOD: A prospective, longitudinal study was carried out during two months, among patients who attended the outpatient allergy clinic of the General Hospital of Mexico with symptoms suggestive of respiratory allergy. A questionnaire to search OAS was used, and skin Prick tests to pollens were performed. RESULTS: Among 279 patients, 164 (58.8%) had respiratory allergy and positive skin prick test (SPT) to pollens. Olea europaea had the highest prevalence of SPT reactivity (52.4%), followed by Fraxinus excelsior (43.3%), Ligustrum vulgaris (36.6%) and Osmanthus americanus (15.9%). There were OAS in 53.5%, 50.7%, 50% and 53.8%, respectively, mainly related to peach, apple, kiwi, pear and banana. Olive monosensitization was found in 5.5%. CONCLUSION: In this study, Olea europaea had the highest prevalence of positive reactivity to pollens in Mexico City, then its sensitization must be determined routinely.

Conjuntivitis alérgicas / Allergic conjunctivitis

las conjutivitis alérgicas son padecimientos que en general se presentan frecuentemente asociadas a otras enfermedades atópicas, por eso es de suma importancia conocer sus diversos tipos, su fisiopatología, los factores desencadenantes, cuadro clínico y tratamiento

Eczema, dermatitis y atopia: confusión y conceptos / Eczema, dermatitis and atopy: confusion and concepts

Considerando como trastorno atópico junto con el asma y la rinitis, el eczema carece de definición. Se usa como sinónimo de dermatitis especialmente de la atópica. En 1982 Ackerman y Ragaz propusieron eliminar el uso de excema por su carencia de definición reproducible y criterios para su identificación y clasificación. El eczema es un síndrome que puede ocurrir en las dermatitis agudas. Cuando hay presencia de hipersensibilidad específica mediada por IgE en una dermatitis, se puede decir que ésta es atópica. Si la dermatitis "atópica" está en fase aguda puede tener eczema, pero no en la fase crónica que muestra datos del síndrome de dermatitis crónica. El eczema, la dermatitis y la atopia son entidades independientes que pueden ocurrir simultáneamente en algunos individuos genéticamente predispuestos, pero no están necesariamente relacionados. En este trabajo analizamos las confusiones y los conceptos fundamentales de una patología muy frecuente cuyo conocimiento es de interés para pediatras, alergólogos, dermatólogos e inmunólogos