Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy Mechanisms & The Involvement Of Treg Cells

allergen specific immunotherapy
Allergen-specific immunotherapy is highly effective in the treatment of IgE-mediated allergy diseases such as rhinitis, conjunctivitis, asthma, and venom allergy hypersensitivity. It is the only treatment that leads to lifelong tolerance against previously disease-causing allergens due to restoration of the normal immunity. (more…)

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) Regulation and Biology

immunoglobulin e
Normally present at very low levels in plasma, antibodies of the immunoglobulin E (IgE) isotype were first discovered in 1967, decades after the description of IgA, IgG, and IM. IgE antibodies are produced primarily by plasma cells in mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue and their levels are uniformly elevated in patients suffering from atopic conditions like allergic rhinitis, asthma and atopic dermatitis. Production of allergen-specific IgE in atopic individuals is driven both by a genetic predisposition to the synthesis of this isotype as well as by environmental factors, including chronic allergen exposure. (more…)

Allergic Reactions To Penicillin and Skin Test Evaluation via Intradermal Injection

Intradermal Injection
This study compared the diagnostic value of intradermal tests and patch tests in 20 patients with non-immediate reactions to penicillin (none had IgE antibodies to benzylpenicillin or amoxicillin detectable using a commercial RAST [radioallergosorbent test] method), using 30 patients tolerant to penicillin as controls. Intradermal tests assessed reactivity to injection of major and minor determinants of benzylpenicillin, amoxicillin and ampicillin. Allergy patch testing involved the same hapten solutions used for intradermal testing, either embedded in a patch disk or mixed with petrolatum. (more…)

Allergen Vaccine and Allergenic Source of Material

Allergen Vaccine
Being an immunological disease, the characteristics of allergy are those of specificity and memory. Regardless of whether the clinical manifestation is rhinoconjunctivitis, rhinitis, or asthma, the underlying immunological response disorder is based on the adverse reactions of cells in the immune system upon contact with allergens. These cells are specific for epitopes that are structural parts of allergens present in the allergenic source material. Two types of cells (i.e., T cells and B-cells) produce receptor molecules (i.e., T-cell receptors and immunoglobulin [IgE] antibodies) that, through high-affinity interactions with the allergen, efficiently catalyze the presence of even minute amounts of allergens into clinical symptoms, the extreme consequence of which may be life-threatening to the patient. (more…)

Allergen-Specific IgE and Serum IgE: Early Immune Development Underlying Allergies

Serum IgE
A paradigm of immune development underlies allergy development and progression in early childhood. Briefly, the immune system of the fetus is maintained in a tolerogenic state, preventing adverse immune responses and rejection between the mother and fetus. Placental interleukin-10 (IL-10) suppresses the production of immune-potentiating inter-feron gamma (IFN-y) by fetal immune cells. IFN-y downregulates the production of pro-allergic cytokines, such as IL-4 and IL-13. (more…)

Systemic Allergic Reactions: Causes, Reaction, and Treatment

Systemic Allergic Reactions
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…)

Cow’s Milk Allergy: Immune Response to Protein in Milk

milk allergy

Cow’s milk is the most frequently encountered food allergen in infancy, and milk allergy is often the earliest indicator that a baby is atopic. Precise figures of the incidence of cow’s milk allergy are hard to find because of the difficulties in obtaining an accurate diagnosis, differences in the populations used for research studies, and disagreement about allergy symptoms (clinical criteria) for the condition. All studies agree, however, that cow’s milk allergy is most prevalent in early childhood with an incidence of 2 to 7.5 percent being reported. (more…)

Food Allergy Ingredients Monitoring and Identification

food allergy ingredients
At least a million Spanish suffer allergic reactions to food, some of them as common as milk, eggs, fruit or fish. Many of them are children who are constrained in their quality of life and opportunities to participate in activities as usual for other children and enjoy a family meal, eating at school, have a pizza or a bagel or even attend a children’s party. An accidental ingestion of a food to which you are allergic (which happens often due to lack of identification of many food allergy ingredients) can have serious consequences, from allergic urticaria to anaphylaxis symptoms. (more…)

Allergic Asthma In Children: Risk Factor Asthma In Childhood

Allergic Asthma In Children
The two strongest risk factors for asthma in childhood are a family history and immediate hypersensitivity to common allergens. This immune response includes both IgE antibodies and helper T cells type 2 (Th2), both of which are thought to contribute to the inflammation in the respiratory tract. Children with asthma who mount an immune response to inhalant allergens have an increased risk of developing asthma because of this combination of genetics and exposure. However, it is sensitization to indoor allergens (e.g. dust mites, cats, dogs, and cockroaches) that is strongly associated with asthma. (more…)

Cow’s Milk Allergy: IgE-Mediated Allergy or Lactose Intolerance?

cow milk allergy

Cow’s milk allergy results when antibodies against milk allergens are produced by the immune system.

Milk allergens are proteins; more than 25 distinct milk proteins have been identified in the various fractions of milk. The fractions include casein, whey, serum, and certain additional ingredients. (more…)

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