
One especially favored target for immune recognition is bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This macromolecule is found only in the outer lipid bilayer that surrounds the cell walls of gram-negative bacteria, such as Neisseria, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli. Each molecule of bacterial lipopolysaccharide consists of a core carbohydrate linked on one side to a phospholipid (called lipid A) that is anchored in the bilayer and on the other side to a long polysaccharide chain (called the O sidechain) that extends outward from the bacterial surface (Figure 1 bellow). The sequence of sugars making up the O sidechain is species-specific and highly variable, even within a single bacterial genus: For example, more than 1000 variants in Salmonella are known. (more…)
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) act as receptors for numerous stimuli of immune cells, including bacterial cell wall constituents (l ...
Bacteria cause allergic disease because of toxicity, invasiveness, immunopathology, or lends of these three mechanisms. Thus much ...
Exotoxins are noxious proteins secreted by many bacteria. These toxins are often heat-labile and thus can be heat-inactivated f ...
A few of the best known humoral effectors of innate immunity are listed in Table 1 bellow, along with the types of target molec ...
Breast milk contains a variety of bioactive substances, among them soluble CD14 (sCD14), which plays an important role in innat ...

CD14 is part of the receptor complex for endotoxin, which is a component of tobacco smoke. The CD14 gene is located on chromosome 5q, a region previously demonstrated to be linked to asthma when stratified for smoke exposure. This study was designed to extend these findings by determining whether polymorphisms in the CD14 gene are related to this gene–environment interaction on asthma. Puerto Rican (n = 362 trios) and Mexican (n = 259 trios) families ascertained through a child with asthma were studied. (more…)
This study sought to determine the influence of passive exposure to tobacco smoke during childhood on the results of genetic linkag ...
The Tcell Ig domain and mucin domain (TIM) proteins, the genes for which are located on chromosome 5q, have been suggested to b ...
Although ADAM33 was the first gene identified by positional cloning to underlie the risk factor of asthma, attempts to replicate th ...
A previous genome-wide screen for mite-sensitive atopic dermatitis asthma in Japanese families indicated linkage to chromosome 5q33 ...
Increasing evidence demonstrates that cytokines of Th1 and Th2 cells play important roles in allergic disorders. This study exa ...
Avoidance of any one of the individual risk factors associated with childhood asthma has not been successful in preventing its development. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a multifaceted intervention programme for the primary prevention of asthma in high-risk infants at 7 years of age. Five hundred and forty-five high-risk infants with an immediate family history of asthma and allergies were prospectively randomized into intervention and control groups pre-natally. (more…)
The authors investigated whether environmental control during pregnancy and early life affects sensitization and lung function at t ...
Two factors thought to influence the risk factor asthma are the promoting effect of sensitization to house dust mites and the preve ...
The prevalence of atopic dermatitis is increasing in Western societies. The hygiene hypothesis proposes that this is due to red ...
To prevent the development of allergy, allergen avoidance has to be instituted before sensitization has occurred. The specific ...
Exposure to allergens plays a role in the development of BHR and in the chronic inflammatory response seen in asthmatic patients. R ...

There is increasing evidence relating body mass index to the prevalence of asthma and incidence of asthma in children and adults, males, and more consistently, in adolescent females. It is unlikely that the association is attributable to reverse causation, i.e. that asthma and obesity because of exercise-induced asthma symptoms. Rather, weight gain can antedate the development of asthma. Weight reduction among asthmatic patients can also result in improvements of lung function. (more…)
There have been concurrent increases in the prevalence of obesity and asthma in recent years in New Zealand and other countries ...
Asthma as disease affects approximately 15 million people in the United States alone. Asthma affected 70 percent more women tha ...
Breast milk contains a variety of bioactive substances, among them soluble CD14 (sCD14), which plays an important role in innat ...
The most important aspect of managing food allergies in children and babies is to be sure that the developing child has each an ...
The protective effect of breast-feeding on asthma and allergy has been debated for more than 60 years without any hope of a con ...

The prevalence of atopic dermatitis is increasing in Western societies. The hygiene hypothesis proposes that this is due to reduced exposure to environmental allergens and infections during early life. The authors examined factors associated with a diagnosis of atopic dermatitis at 3.5 years of age, especially those factors implicated by the hygiene hypothesis. The Auckland Birthweight Collaborative study is a case–control study of risk factors for small-for-gestational-age babies. Cases were born at term with birth weight at or below the 10th centile; controls were appropriate for gestational age, with birth weight above the 10th centile. (more…)
Atopic Dermatitis is considered to be one of the first manifestations in the atopic march. The aim of this study was to investi ...
Breast milk contains a variety of bioactive substances, among them soluble CD14 (sCD14), which plays an important role in innat ...
Atopic Dermatitis is a chronic relapsing skin disease. Several investigations concerning the long-term prognosis of Atopic Derm ...
Avoidance of any one of the individual risk factors associated with childhood asthma has not been successful in preventing its deve ...
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory condition of the skin which usually starts in infancy. It is sometimes called ‘atop ...

Breast milk contains a variety of bioactive substances, among them soluble CD14 (sCD14), which plays an important role in innate immunity. The authors analysed data of a large prospective birth cohort study to examine the determinants of sCD14 in breast milk, and investigated whether breast-feeding practice and sCD14 concentrations in breast milk are determinants of the risk of Atopic Dermatitis and asthma in children. Eight hundred and three mothers and their newborn infants were included in this analysis. (more…)
The prevalence of atopic dermatitis is increasing in Western societies. The hygiene hypothesis proposes that this is due to red ...
The protective effect of breast-feeding on asthma and allergy has been debated for more than 60 years without any hope of a con ...
Atopic Dermatitis is considered to be one of the first manifestations in the atopic march. The aim of this study was to investi ...
If the breast-fed baby is lactose intolerant (usually a temporary condition following intestinal infection at this age), moth ...
If an exclusively breast-fed baby is exhibiting the type of allergic to milk symptoms previously discussed, the mother will i ...

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…)
Two factors thought to influence the risk factor asthma are the promoting effect of sensitization to house dust mites and the preve ...
To prevent the development of allergy, allergen avoidance has to be instituted before sensitization has occurred. The specific ...
Avoidance of any one of the individual risk factors associated with childhood asthma has not been successful in preventing its deve ...
Allergen exposure plays a role in the development of asthma bronchial hyper-responsiveness and in the acute inflammatory response ...
Exposure to allergens plays a role in the development of BHR and in the chronic inflammatory response seen in asthmatic patients. R ...

Atopic Dermatitis is considered to be one of the first manifestations in the atopic march. The aim of this study was to investigate prospectively the natural course of Atopic Dermatitis to determine factors influencing its prognosis and to analyse the relationship of Atopic Dermatitis with childhood asthma. The Multicenter Allergy Study, a German birth cohort, followed 1314 children from birth to age 7 years. Physical examinations, parental interviews on atopic symptoms and diagnoses, and determination of specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E levels were performed regularly. (more…)
Atopic Dermatitis is a chronic relapsing skin disease. Several investigations concerning the long-term prognosis of Atopic Derm ...
The prevalence of atopic dermatitis is increasing in Western societies. The hygiene hypothesis proposes that this is due to red ...
Asthma is a complex syndrome rather than a single disease entity. Different phenotypes with varying prognosis and determinants have ...
Breast milk contains a variety of bioactive substances, among them soluble CD14 (sCD14), which plays an important role in innat ...
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory condition of the skin which usually starts in infancy. It is sometimes called ‘atop ...

The protective effect of breast-feeding on asthma and allergy has been debated for more than 60 years without any hope of a consensus. A major problem is the lack of randomized controlled trials. However, breast-feeding has a number of other benefits and should be recommended irrespective of any effect on asthma or allergy. This is why randomized trials are not considered ethical. Thus, we have to rely on observational studies, which have produced conflicting results. Mothers who do or do not breastfeed differ in several environmental exposures, including socio-economic class, smoking and area of living, which influence indoor and outdoor exposure to pollutants. Despite statistical adjustment for these confounding factors, the evidence is never as robust as it would be with an randomized controlled trial. (more…)
Breast milk contains a variety of bioactive substances, among them soluble CD14 (sCD14), which plays an important role in innat ...
The prevalence of atopic dermatitis is increasing in Western societies. The hygiene hypothesis proposes that this is due to red ...
The prevalence of asthma increases with increasing levels of Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE). However, the effect of early-l ...
If the breast-fed baby is lactose intolerant (usually a temporary condition following intestinal infection at this age), moth ...
Avoidance of any one of the individual risk factors associated with childhood asthma has not been successful in preventing its deve ...
If an exclusively breast-fed baby is exhibiting the type of allergic to milk symptoms previously discussed, the mother will inevitably question whether foods in her diet are responsible. Of course, the first thing she must do is consult her baby’s doctor to rule out any other cause for the symptoms. (more…)
If the breast-fed baby is lactose intolerant (usually a temporary condition following intestinal infection at this age), moth ...
There are still many people that are giving consultation to others, suggest the wrong advice in the context of the treatment of bab ...
Childhood is the period of life when allergies to food are most prevalent. Food allergy is much more common in babies and young ...
The most important aspect of managing food allergies in children and babies is to be sure that the developing child has each an ...
Many people will tell you that they have a food allergy; in fact in today's society it is considered to be trendy, with celebri ...
