Allergic rhinitis is a very common problem associated with poor quality of life, reductions in social and work activities and poor interpersonal relationships. The main goal of the management of allergic rhinitis is to improve the quality of life. Immunotherapy is a specific therapy for allergic rhinitis and several reports have documented the safety and efficacy of this treatment . Safety has been a key issue in immunotherapy and various modalities are being investigated to make allergy immunotherapy more tolerable and safe to administer. (more…)

Asthma and allergic diseases are common in both children and adults. Their development depends on an interaction between asthma genetic and asthma environmental risk factors. Genetic manipulation in multi factorial diseases such as asthma is not feasible in the foreseeable future. However, theoretically, environmental exposures can be controlled in an attempt to stem the rising prevalence of these diseases (primary prevention). Environmental exposures may also influence the frequency of symptoms and the requirement for medication in those with established disease. (more…)

Systemic allergic reactions are a relatively common clinical emergency. In their mildest form, they may just manifest as systemic cutaneous reactions with pruritis, allergy urticaria and angioedema. In more severe cases there are cardiorespiratory symptoms such as stridor, wheeze, difficulty in breathing or hypotension. Anaphylaxis has been defined as a ‘severe, life-threatening generalized or systemic hypersensitivity reaction’. The prevalence of systemic allergic reactions is unclear because of the lack of a clear, consistent definition and large prospective population studies. (more…)

The production of allergen vaccines imposes a number of constraints on both the selection of source materials and the physicochemical conditions used during the extraction procedure. The process must neither denature the proteins (allergens) nor alter their composition significantly, including the quantitative ratio between the individual components. (more…)

By definition, allergy is a condition where a person has hypersensitivity to an environmental, drug, or food antigen (allergen) caused by an altered or unusual immune system reaction to the antigen.

Allergenic foods can impact the lungs when an allergic reaction individual inhales food particles that may have been released when the food was cooked or that were dispersed in aerosol form. Allergy to the allergens in cooked food has been reported by highly allergic patients who were exposed to their allergenic foods (say, fish, shellfish, or eggs) in an enclosed area (for example, a restaurant dining room) or during meal preparation. Most cases of asthma triggered by aerosolized food allergens involve adults engaged in specific occupations that regularly expose them to the allergens. In contrast, most cases of asthma in children are triggered when the allergen is eaten, not inhaled.

Many experts believe that if a baby can be protected from becoming sensitized to the most highly allergenic foods when their healthy immune system and the digestive tract are in the most vulnerable stage for allergy to develop, the incidence of lifelong food allergy and potentially life-threatening anaphylactic reactions to foods will be reduced and hopefully entirely prevented. When a baby has been identified to be at risk for developing allergy, measures to reduce allergic sensitization might be implemented at birth and the problems associated with future food allergy may be significantly reduced. However, as we shall see in later discussions, experts disagree on the best way to avoid this early allergic sensitization.

The reaction of asthmatics to these chemical compounds is not an allergy, but is more correctly described as allergy intolerance because the initial response is not a triggering of the immune system. The process involves an increase in the level of the inflammatory mediators that are responsible for the bronchospasm of asthma. These mediators include histamine and leukotrienes. They are released during the reaction to an allergen, and cause the muscular contractions that result in the difficulty in breathing and wheezing that are typical of asthma. By inhibiting (or turning off) other types of mediators, the chemicals in the food additives cause an increase in the level of antihistamine and leukotrienes. This results in increased bronchospasm, and a definite worsening of the asthma symptoms.

Oral allergy syndrome is an allergic reaction to food that is confined to the oral cavity (i.e., to the lips, and around the lips, roof of the mouth, tongue, hard and soft palate, and uvula) and adjacent structures. It differs from other food allergy in that its symptoms do not appear in any other location in the body, and always accompany respiratory allergy to inhaled allergens of plants, particularly plant pollens. Of course, symptoms in the mouth, throat, and upper respiratory tract can be part of a generalized reaction to foods, but in this case they are more accurately described as oral allergy symptoms. The term oral allergy syndrome applies specifically to pollen allergy (pollinosis) accompanied by reactions to certain raw foods when they are in direct contact with oral tissues. Individuals with Oral allergy syndrome typically have hay fever symptoms caused by allergies to trees, grasses, and weeds. They experience irritation in the mouth (lips, tongue, roof of the mouth) and sometimes the throat after eating specific types of raw fruits, vegetables, and sometimes nuts.

The oral allergy syndrome is difficult to detect. Common allergy tests to examine allergy are using extracts only in skin scratch testing. But this method is quite useless due to many enzymes involved in allergy reaction are already broken out in the process of extraction. They are not as effective as the original enzymes. Oral Allergy Syndrome is usually diagnoses by symptoms that are appeared. The other method is to look for allergy history to pollen, if any. (more…)

The allergen extracts used for diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases. In the process of fabricating of allergen extracts, it is important to apply the standards to address the variability nature of the materials. Other important consideration is to look for the way to reproduce and control the optimum safety and efficaciousness when used in clinics. (more…)

Allergen vaccines are complex mixtures of antigenic components produced by the extraction of naturally occurring source materials, which are known to vary considerably in composition. Without intervention, this variation will be reflected in the final products.

The purpose of standardization is to minimize both qualitative and quantitative variations in composition so that a higher level of safety, efficacy, accuracy, and simplicity in allergy diagnosis and allergy vaccination may be obtained. Standardization of allergen vaccines can never be absolute, but it can be improved progressively as new methodologies and technologies are developed and the understanding of the properties of the allergens and the immune responses of allergic patients is increased. (more…)