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Mite Antigen (mite + antigen)
Selected AbstractsHistamine release test and measurement of antigen‐specific IgE antibody in the diagnosis of allergic conjunctival diseasesJOURNAL OF CLINICAL LABORATORY ANALYSIS, Issue 2 2001Eiichi Uchio Abstract Although systemic allergic laboratory tests for the quantification of allergen‐specific serum IgE antibody have been widely used, in these tests a high titer of serum specific IgE does not necessarily indicate evidence of allergy. We evaluated the diagnostic value of the glass microfiber‐based histamine release test (HRT) using small amounts of whole blood, in 36 cases of allergic conjunctival diseases: 17 cases of allergic conjunctivitis and 19 of atopic keratoconjunctivitis. The patients were evaluated by HRT, capsulated hydrolic carrier polymer (CAP)‐RAST, and conjunctival provocation test (CPT) against ten allergens. The positive rates for all allergens were higher in CAP‐RAST than in HRT. The mean concordance of HRT with CAP‐RAST results was 0.789. The mean concordance of HRT with CPT was 0.892 and that of CAP‐RAST with CPT was 0.693. A significantly higher concordance was observed in HRT than CAP‐RAST for Japanese cedar and mite antigen. The mean sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency of HRT were higher than those of CAP‐RAST. These results indicate that CAP‐RAST is good for the screening of allergens and that HRT has an advantage in the confirmation of clinical allergens in allergic conjunctival diseases because of its high sensitivity, specificity, efficiency, and higher concordance with CPT. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 15:71–75, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. [source] Age and sex as factors of response to RSV infections among those with previous history of wheezingPEDIATRIC ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 5 2006Yoko Nagayama Although enhanced immune reaction caused by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in allergen-sensitized animal model has been reported, RSV illnesses in children already sensitized or having recurrent wheezing episodes have not been completely studied. In addition, the reason for male dominances in RSV infection at young ages was also inconclusive. Therefore, gender analysis in recurrent wheezing children with RSV infection can shed light on asthma pathogenesis. We studied the clinical features and the laboratory data of RSV infections in children who had recurrent wheezing histories. The subjects with RSV infection consisted of 98 boys and 58 girls. The children under 4 yr of age were 123 (78.8%) in number. Children with pneumonia were 78 and those with febrile episode were 119. Children above 1 yr of age were highly sensitized with mite antigen (75/96, 78.1%). The clinical symptoms and signs differed according to their ages. Children in each age group behaved differently in their immune reaction to RSV. Above all, 3-yr-old children deteriorated clinically during acute RSV infection, accompanied by transient elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and suppressed blood eosinophil counts. Clinical features differed in several points between boys and girls. In general, the white blood cell count and the CRP levels were higher in girls in every age group. Blood eosinophil counts at the acute illness were significantly higher in boys than girls aged 2 and 3< yr. Age and gender comparison in already sensitized children might suggest a clue to asthma pathogenesis. [source] Double-blind placebo-controlled house dust mite control measures in adult patients with atopic dermatitisBRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2001C. Gutgesell Background Avoidance of allergens has been shown to be of benefit in patients with atopic asthma sensitized to indoor allergens. In atopic dermatitis, there is so far little information about the effect of house dust mite elimination strategies. Objectives We therefore performed a randomized controlled study of house dust mite control in patients with this disease. Methods Twenty adult patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis were included. Inclusion criteria were a positive RAST to house dust mite antigen (CAP class >,3) and a concentration of >,2 µg g,1 of the house dust mite antigen Der p1 in the patient's mattress dust. Patients were randomized to either the active treatment group (allergen-impermeable mattress encasing, acaricide spray containing tannic acid and benzylbenzoate) or a control group (allergen-permeable encasing, spray containing water and traces of ethanol). Severity of disease was estimated every 2 months by an established score (SCORAD), and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in the serum was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Furthermore, the use of topical steroids was quantified. Patients assessed daytime pruritus and pruritus-induced sleeplessness weekly on a visual analogue scale. The study lasted 1 year. Results At the end of the study, the active treatment group showed a statistically significant reduction in Der p1 exposure as compared with the control group. However, when comparing the change from the start to the end of the study, there was no statistically significant difference between active treatment and control groups as measured by the SCORAD score and by ECP levels in the serum. Some patients in the active treatment group reported less pruritus-induced sleeplessness, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two treatment groups. Conclusions For adult patients with atopic dermatitis it was shown that 1 year of house dust mite avoidance reduced the allergen exposure, but an improvement of overall disease activity was not demonstrated. [source] Lipoteichoic acid from Staphylococcus aureus enhances allergen-specific immunoglobulin E production in miceCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, Issue 6 2003K. Matsui Summary Background Our previous study demonstrated that lipoteichoic acid (LTA) from Staphylococcus aureus induced T helper type 2 (Th2)-prone dermatitis resembling that seen in atopic dermatitis (AD) patients in mice sensitized percutaneously with an allergen. However, the effects of LTA on allergen-specific IgE production in such sensitized mice have not been elucidated. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of LTA from S. aureus on allergen-specific IgE production in mice sensitized percutaneously with a house dust mite antigen (MA). Methods Mice were sensitized with a single topical application of MA and/or LTA to barrier-disrupted abdominal skin. One to 5 weeks later, MA-specific IgE antibodies in sera from sensitized mice were detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Expression of B7.1 (CD80), B7.2 (CD86) and CD40L molecules by CD40-positive (CD40+) and CD4-positive (CD4+) cells in the lymph nodes of sensitized mice were analysed by flow-cytometry (FACS). Results Simultaneous sensitization with MA and LTA increased IgE production 3 weeks later, significantly more than sensitization with MA alone. FACS analysis of CD40+ cells in the lymph nodes from sensitized mice showed that simultaneous sensitization with MA and LTA did not enhance CD80- or CD86-expression by antigen-presenting cells such as B lymphocytes and dendritic cells more than sensitization with MA alone. However, analysis of CD4+ cells in the lymph nodes showed that simultaneous sensitization with MA and LTA increased the number of CD40L-expressing Th cells more than sensitization with MA alone. Conclusion These results suggest that LTA enhances allergen-specific IgE production by a mechanism associated with up-regulation of CD40L-expressing Th cells and this might explain the role of skin colonization with S. aureus in AD patients. [source] Allergic rhinitis in children: environmental factorsCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY REVIEWS, Issue 1 2004Y. Okamoto Summary Increasing numbers of patients with allergic rhinitis are being noted on a global scale. Over 90% of Japanese patients with perennial allergic rhinitis show allergic reaction to the mite antigen and major pollen allergens such as Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress, which are carried long distances (> 100 km) by wind and hence can produce substantial harmful effects even in metropolitan areas. This situation is distinct from that in the West, where the most common anemophilous allergen, ragweed, travels much shorter distances of up to only several hundred metres. Environmental factors such as increased antigen, air pollution, diet, intestinal microflora, decreased incidence of infections, smoking, breastfeeding and vaccination may play important roles in the development and manifestation of allergic rhinitis in genetically predisposed subjects. In particular, in newborn infants, who carry the Th2 predominant state, environmental factors may greatly affect the development of balanced production of Th1 and Th2 cytokines. However, the contribution of any environmental factor to the postnatal development of allergic rhinitis has not been sufficiently determined. A better understanding of the processes involved may lead directly to better treatment or cure of allergic rhinitis. [source] Role of protease-activated receptor-2 during cutaneous inflam-mation and the immune responseEXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY, Issue 9 2004M. Steinhoff Protease-activated receptors (PARs) constitute a new subfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors with seven transmembrane domains which are activated by various serine proteases such as thrombin, cathepsin G, trypsin or tryptase, and bacterial proteases or mite antigens, for example. PAR2 is a receptor for mast cell tryptase or house dust mite allergens, which is released during inflammation and allergic reactions. In the skin, PAR2 is diversely expressed by keratinocytes, endothelial cells, and occasionally sensory nerves of human skin in various disease states. Moreover, immunocompetent cells such as T cells and neutrophils express functional PAR2, thereby contributing to inflammation and host defense. Own data revealed that PAR2 contributes to neurogenic inflammation by releasing neuropeptides from sensory nerves resulting in oedema, plasma extravasation and infiltration of neutrophils. Thus, mast cells may communicate with sensory nerves in inflammatory tissues by activating PAR2 via tryptase. Moreover, PAR2 agonists upregulate the expression of certain cell-adhesion molecules and cytokines such as interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 on dermal microvascular endothelial cells or regulate neutrophil migration, indicating that PAR2 plays an important role in leucocyte/endothelial interactions. These effects may be partly mediated by NF-,B, an important transcription factor during inflammation and immune response. PAR2 stimulation results in the activation of NF-,B on microvascular endothelial cells and keratinocytes, thereby regulating ICAM-1 expression. We also demonstrate evidence for a diverse expression of PAR2 in various skin diseases and highlight the recent knowledge about the important role of PAR2 during inflammation and the immune response. Together, PAR2 -modulating agents may be new tools for the treatment of inflammatory and allergic diseases in the skin. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||