Als u denkt een voedselallergie te hebben
bespaar u dan de moeite van een bezoek aan de huisarts. Die kan dat waarschijnlijk niet
met zekerheid vaststellen. Bovendien bestaat er geen goede testmethode voor.
Wetenschappers aan de Amerikaanse Stanford University in Paolo Alto (Californië) stelden
bij analyse van duizenden verslagen vast dat artsen volslagen onkundig zijn op het terrein
van voedselallergie. Er is zelfs geen algemeen aanvaard onderscheid tussen voedselallergie
en voedselintolerantie en evenmin tussen de kwaliteit van de ene test en de andere. Al te
vaak vindt de arts een ....
In de VS lijden naar schatting 60 miljoen
mensen aan allergische rhinitis, beter bekend als hooikoorts. Aldus een studie van de
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, gepubliceerd in een uitgave van
Phytotherapy Research (14/06/2010). Daarin wordt aangetoond dat pycnogenol - een
antioxidant plantextract, getrokken uit de bast van dennebomen aan de Franse kust –
de syptomen van hooikoorts merkelijk verbetert.
Allergieën versterken het lichaam
en bestrijden kanker
Goed nieuws voor hooikoorts- en
allergielijders: de kwaal maakt je lichaam sterker. Daardoor krijgen heel wat kankers
minder kans, zo blijkt uit recent Amerikaans onderzoek.
Aanleg voor allergieën samenspel
tussen genen en omgeving
Meer dan honderd genen en vele
omgevingsfactoren bepalen of iemand een allergie ontwikkelt. Dat maakt het onderzoek naar
het ontstaan van allergische aandoeningen als astma en hooikoorts ook zo complex. Renske
Bottema onderzocht de ontstaanswijze van allergie en astma door in biologische
signaalroutes meerdere genen tegelijk te bestuderen. Bottema ontdekte dat een genetische
aandoening ontstaat doordat biologisch en functioneel gerelateerde genen elkaar
beïnvloeden. De ontwikkeling van genetisch bepaalde allergieën kan dus door
omgevingsfactoren teniet worden gedaan. Deze kennis biedt in de toekomst aanknopingspunten
voor preventie of behandeling van allergieën.
Een koolhydraat in vlees met de naam
alfa-galactose kan de tot nu toe onbekende oorzaak zijn van recidiverende ernstige
allergische reacties bij sommige mensen. Deze allergische reacties uiten zich in een
anafylaxie, een potentieel levensbedreigende toestand.
Als je hooikoorts hebt, dan zou een
visoliekuur met onderkinderachtige doses je daar misschien vanaf kunnen helpen. Dat idee
komt tenminste bij je op na het lezen van een studie die voedingsonderzoekers van de
Technical University of Munich 5 jaar geleden publiceerden in de European Journal of
Clinical Nutrition.
Parasieten in je darmen kunnen
beschermen tegen allergieën
Mensen en inwendige parasieten zouden op
een dusdanige wijze samen geëvolueerd kunnen zijn, dat de parasieten het menselijke
immuunsysteem helpen reguleren ter voorkoming van allergieën, volgens een studie
uitgevoerd door onderzoekers van de Universiteit van Nottingham. Toen 1500 Vietnamese
kinderen die veel parasieten bij zich droegen daar een geneesmiddel tegen kregen,
verdwenen inderdaad de parasieten, maar kreeg een significant deel van de kinderen later
last van allergieën. De onderzoekers stellen daarom dat we parasieten misschien niet meer
per definitie als "slecht" moeten beschouwen.
Men spreekt van een pseudo-allergie wanneer
een stof van buiten het lichaam zonder tussenkomst van het afweersysteem dezelfde klachten
kan veroorzaken als bij een echte allergie. Neemt deze vorm van allergie toe?
Something frightening is happening to the
citizens of the developed world. Despite major advances in health care we are battling an
epidemic of rare allergic and autoimmune diseases. This program reveals how increased
hygiene may be the cause.
Eiwit dat rol speelt bij
allergische reacties en ziektebeelden onderzocht
Het Syk-eiwit speelt een essentiele rol bij
allergische reacties en is ook van belang bij ziektebeelden zoals borstkanker. Joeri Kuil
heeft voor zijn promotieonderzoek vele liganden voor Syk gemaakt en hun invloed op het
Syk-eiwit getest. Door dit onderzoek is beter bekend geworden hoe Syk werkt en is een
basis gelegd voor de ontwikkeling van eventuele selectieve Syk-remmers.
Universiteit Utrecht
Patiënten met wespenallergie zeer
tevreden over immunotherapie
Mensen met een wespenallergie hebben een
aanmerkelijk betere kwaliteit van
leven als zij kiezen voor immunotherapie. Zij moeten dan weliswaar
gedurende enkele jaren meerdere malen naar het ziekenhuis om een injectie
te halen, maar hoeven niet meer voortdurend alert te zijn op wespen. Dit
vinden ze prettiger dan altijd een auto-injector bij zich te dragen, waarmee ze
de gevolgen van een eventuele wespensteek kunnen tegengaan. Dat blijkt uit
onderzoek van internist-allergoloog Hanneke Oude Elberink van het
Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen. Zij promoveert op 11 november aan
de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.
Wie niet allergisch is, houdt doorgaans een
ongevaarlijke zwelling over aan een
wespensteek. Maar ongeveer één op de honderd Nederlanders is wél allergisch voor
wespengif. Deze mensen kunnen met verschillende symptomen te maken krijgen: van
galbulten en opgezwollen lichaamsdelen, tot misselijkheid, shockreacties en zelfs
overlijden toe. Jaarlijks overlijden in Nederland vijf tot tien mensen aan de gevolgen
van een wespensteek. Wie eenmaal een allergie heeft, houdt hiervan meestal zijn hele
leven last, hoewel de symptomen wel in ernst kunnen afnemen.
Injector
Om de gevaren van een wespensteek teniet te
doen, zijn er voor mensen met een
wespenallergie verschillende oplossingen. Een mogelijkheid is een auto-injector bij zich
te dragen. Zodra men gestoken is door een wesp, kan men zich hiermee zelf op
eenvoudige wijze adrenaline toedienen. Dit gaat de ernstige gevolgen van de
allergische reactie tegen. In principe moeten patiënten de injector levenslang met zich
meedragen.
Immuun worden
Een andere mogelijkheid is een behandeling
met immunotherapie te ondergaan.
Hiervoor worden meermaals kleine oplopende doses gezuiverd wespengif dicht onder
de huid geïnjecteerd. Aan het begin van de therapie moet de patiënt hiervoor een dag
worden opgenomen in het ziekenhuis. Dan volgen een instelperiode van gemiddeld
zeven weken (wekelijks een injectie) en een onderhoudsperiode van drie tot vijf jaar
(elke zes weken een injectie). Daarna is de patiënt de rest van zijn leven beschermd
en loopt hij evenveel risico als de gemiddelde Nederlander.
Kwaliteit van leven
Voor haar onderzoek vergeleek Oude Elberink
de kwaliteit van leven van twee groepen
patiënten. De ene groep kreeg immunotherapie en de andere een auto-injector. Patiënt
en werden door het toeval aan een groep toegewezen. De kwaliteit van leven van
patiënten met immunotherapie nam duidelijk toe, onder patiënten met een auto-injector
nam de kwaliteit van leven af. Oude Elberink: "Opmerkelijk is dat immunotherapie de
kwaliteit van leven verbetert, terwijl de patiënten niet eens daadwerkelijk konden
ervaren dat de therapie werkte. Immers: de meeste patiënten werden in de periode
van het onderzoek niet door een wesp gestoken."
Minder bang, minder alert
Anders dan veel artsen aannemen, vindt de
overgrote meerderheid van de patiënten de
immunotherapie niet belastend, zo blijkt verder uit het onderzoek. Sterker nog: zij zijn
zeer positief over de therapie, en volgen deze zeer trouw. Ook patiënten die slechts
lichte allergische reacties vertonen, hebben een duidelijke voorkeur voor
immunotherapie. Oude Elberink: "Door de immunotherapie zijn de patiënten minder
bang, en hoeven ze niet meer voortdurend alert te zijn op wespen, dat is het grote
voordeel."
Luchtweginfecties bij kinderen
Variatie in twee genen van het
afweersysteem, TLR4 en TLR5, leidt bij kinderen mogelijk tot een verhoogd risico op
frequente infecties van de luchtwegen. Deze relatie lijkt te worden beinvloed door
allergie bij de moeder. Variatie in andere genen van het afweersysteem (MBL2, FCN2 en
FCN3) is niet geassocieerd met frequente luchtweginfecties. Dit concludeert Jopje Ruskamp
in haar proefschrift.
Ruskamp bestudeerde het effect van zowel
algemene omgevings- en gastheerfactoren, als plausibele genetische factoren in het
optreden van frequente luchtweginfecties in een grote Nederlandse geboortecohort-studie
(4146 kinderen), de Preventie en Incidentie van Astma en Mijt Allergie (PIAMA) studie. Zij
beschrijft dat blootstelling aan tabaksrook tijdens de zwangerschap gerelateerd is aan
frequente luchtweginfecties bij kinderen met vroege tekenen van allergie.
Verder hebben kinderen van allergische
moeders die zelf ook tekenen van allergie vertonen ook een verhoogd risico op frequente
luchtweginfecties. Ruskamp stelt tot slot dat toekomstig onderzoek naar de achtergrond van
frequente luchtweginfecties bij kinderen zich moet concentreren op interacties tussen
risicofactoren uit de omgeving en gastheer factoren zoals genetische variatie.
Universiteit Utrecht
Winter tip : De neti-pot
De beste investering bij
verkoudheid/allergie
Ik heb de netipot al 3 jaar geleden ontdekt
en zodra ik merk dat ik verkouden wordt ga ik 2-3 per dag mijn holtes met lauw water + 1/2
theelepel zout spoelen. Je spoelt zo de rommel eruit, maakt de slijmvliezen vochtig (vaak
door verwarming uitgedroogd) en ontsmet de neusholtes met zout. Het grote voordeel is dat
je meteen verlichting merkt en dat je voorkomt dat de rommel verder de holtes infecteert
of een keelontsteking veroorzaakt. Eenmaal de netipot ontdekt dan nooit meer neussprays,
stomen etc etc etc. Ik zou niet meer zonder kunnen....
Ron
SLIT Allergy Treatment
Stress, Anxiety Can Make Allergy
Attacks Even More Miserable And Last Longer
A new study here shows that even slight stress and anxiety can substantially worsen a
person’s allergic reaction to some routine allergens. Moreover, the added impact of
stress and anxiety seem to linger, causing the second day of a stressed person's allergy
attack to be much worse.
Can vitamin D and turmeric in
combination have an effect on allergy and asthma?
I started taking 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily several months ago. I am also taking turmeric
capsules. This spring I have had no allergies, no sinus infections and no asthma problems
at all. Perhaps these supplements are keeping my immune system from overreacting to
pollen.
Antibodies to cockroach and mouse
proteins associated with asthma and allergies risk
A study released by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health
(CCCEH) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health shows that developing
antibodies to cockroach and mouse proteins is associated with a greater risk for wheeze,
hay fever, and eczema in preschool urban children as young as three years of age. The
study, published in the November 2008 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical
Immunology, is the first to focus on the links between antibody responses to cockroach and
mouse proteins and respiratory and allergic symptoms in such a young age group.
"These findings increase our understanding of the relationship between immune
responses to indoor allergens and the development of asthma and allergies in very young
children," said lead author of the study, Kathleen Donohue, MD, fellow in Allergy and
Immunology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. The study found
evidence that the likelihood of developing wheeze, hay fever, and eczema in preschool
urban children was significantly increased among the children who were exposed to
antibodies of both cockroach and mouse allergens. This study is part of a broader
multi-year research project launched in 1998 by CCCEH that examines the health effects of
exposure of pregnant women and babies to indoor and outdoor air pollutants, pesticides,
and allergens. The Center's prior research findings have shown that exposure to multiple
environmental pollutants is associated with an increase in risk for asthma symptoms among
children. These latest findings contribute to a further understanding of how the
environment impacts child health.
Possible link between baby swimming
and breathing problems in children
Children with mothers who have allergies or asthma have an increased risk of wheezing in
the chest if they take part in baby swimming before 6 months of age. This is shown in a
new study using data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Study (MoBa) at the Norwegian
Institute of Public Health (NIPH). The results come from a study of 30 000 participants
from MoBa. Approximately 25 percent of these children took part in baby swimming from 0-6
months of age.
Exposing pregnant mothers and infants to probiotic bacteria could help stimulate the
growth of the immune system and potentially play a role in preventing allergies, say
researchers.
Together with colleagues from the Department of Dermatology and Allergy and the Center for
Allergy and Environment (ZAUM) of the Technische Universität München, scientists at the
Helmholtz Zentrum München have pinpointed a major gene for allergic diseases. The gene
was localized using cutting edge technologies for examining the whole human genome at the
Helmholtz Zentrum München. Schematic representation of the high affinity receptor for
IgE. Variants within the gene encoding the alpha chain are associated with increased
levels of IgE antibodies The newly discovered FCER1A gene encodes the alpha chain of high
affinity IgE receptor, which plays a major role in controlling allergic responses. The
team of scientists led by Dr. Stephan Weidinger from the Technische Universität München
and Dr. Thomas Illig from the Helmholtz Zentrum München found that certain variations of
the FCER1A gene decisively influence the production of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies.
IgE antibodies are a particular type of antibody that is normally used to protect against
parasites. In Western lifestyle countries with less contact, however, elevated IgE levels
are associated with allergic disorders. In genetically susceptible individuals the immune
system becomes biased and produces IgE antibodies against harmless agents such as pollen,
dust mites or animal hair. These IgE antibodies then work in conjunction with certain
cells to get rid of the allergens, a process that gives rise to the symptoms of allergy
such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever), atopic dermatitis or asthma.
New knowledge points to the fact that a genetically induced lack of filaggrin, a key
protein of the skin barrier, plays a decisive role in the origin of allergies. In a large
study on more than 3000 school-children scientists of the Helmholtz Zentrum München and
the Technische Universität München found that about 8% of the German population carry
variations of the filaggrin gene, which raise the risk to develop atopic dermatitis more
than threefold. In addition, these genetic variations predispose to hay fever and asthma
in those with atopic dermatitis. Allergic diseases have increased considerably in the past
decades in most industrial countries. A combination of genetic and environmentally related
factors is said to be the cause. In recent years, several genes were examined for a role
in allergic diseases, and one of them actually turned out to be a key player. This gene
encodes filaggrin, an essential protein in the horny layer of the skin. If this protein is
reduced or lacking due to a genetic defect, the natural cornification is impeded and the
natural barrier function of the skin is limited.
One tablespoon of honey per day may
make your allergies go away!
I speak with many parents in search of an alernative to the allergy medications and shots
that make their children exhausted. After trying a daily regimen of honey, many of them
see incredible results.
When infected, the body has two types of immune defence to deploy – innate immunity
and acquired immunity. In her dissertation, Shanie Saghafian Hedengren studies monocytes,
a type of white blood corpuscles that are part of the innate immune system. “Innate
immunity plays a crucial role at the beginning of life as protection against bacteria and
other microbes, since the acquired immune system is not fully developed at that stage.
What’s more, acquired immunity and its memory are formed by ‘communication
molecules’ that are initially transmitted by monocytes, among other sources.
Imbalance in the monocyte function, as a result of less stimulation by microbes and
viruses early in life, may therefore play an important role in the development of
allergies,” maintains Shanie Saghafian Hedengren. In this dissertation, a group of
children is followed from birth to the age of five years. It shows the correlation between
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) contraction before the age of two and a lower risk of producing
antibodies against allergens, so-called allergic sensitization. It is also of interest
that EBV infection after the age of two was correlated with a greater risk of
sensitization in five-year-olds. EBV is a common herpesvirus that the majority of the
world’s population carry throughout their lives. It is a highly successful virus that
is normally spread via saliva and infects people early in life. Most people hardly notice
when their children become infected.
Scientists identify new role for
lung epithelial cells in sensing allergens in the air
Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of
the National Institutes of Health, and at Ghent University in Ghent, Belgium, have
identified a new role for certain lung cells in the immune response to airborne allergens.
Many foreign substances, called antigens, are inhaled daily, but the lungs have mechanisms
that usually prevent people from making unwanted immune responses to these materials.
Sometimes, however, immune responses are generated to these substances, resulting in
allergic responses and asthma. Scientists have been working to understand what triggers
these undesirable airway responses. In this new study, conducted in mice, scientists
discovered that special sensors called Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which dot the surface
of epithelial cells that line the lungs, detect the presence of antigens and produce
signals that activate immune cells. The researchers observed that a particular TLR, TLR4,
promoted allergic airway responses to antigen mixtures containing bacterial material or a
very common allergen from house dust mites. Previously, it was unclear whether TLRs on
non-immune epithelial cells at mucosal surfaces such as those in the lungs were involved
in antigen sensing, or if it was TLRs found on immune cells in these areas that were
critical to these allergic responses. The research team observed that TLR4 on airway
epithelial cells, not on immune cells, helped induce the initial immune response to
antigens in the lungs. Eliminating TLR4 or blocking TLR4 function on the airway epithelial
cells reduced the recruitment of immune cells to the lungs and the development of allergic
disease. This study demonstrates that TLR4 found on non-immune cells in the lungs
contributes to the immune response to airborne antigens. The new results suggest that
targeting TLRs may be a research avenue for developing novel treatments for allergic
diseases such as asthma.
Allergies have become more common in the last few decades. It is still not fully clear why
certain people develop allergies, but a strong risk factor is if the mother is allergic.
Also, changes in life style are seen as playing a major role and several studies indicate
that early exposure to bacteria and viruses may reduce the risk of allergies later in
life. A dissertation in immunology at Stockholm University can now demonstrate a
connection between infection by the herpesvirus, Epstein-Barr virus, in small children and
protection against the production of allergy-related antibodies. When infected, the body
has two types of immune defence to deploy - innate immunity and acquired immunity. In her
dissertation, Shanie Saghafian Hedengren studies monocytes, a type of white blood
corpuscles that are part of the innate immune system.
Reported symptoms of food
hypersensitivity and sensitization to common foods in 4-year-old children
FHS was reported in 11% of the children (n = 397). Eczema was the most commonly reported
symptom and the only symptom in half of these children. Food-related reactions from the
airways, facial oedema or urticaria were reported in 198 children, and the majority of
these children (75%) reported multiple symptoms. Furthermore, a combination of airway
symptoms, facial oedema or urticaria together with sensitization to food suggested a more
severe form of FHS. This was found in 1.6% of all children. Symptoms caused by peanut were
closely associated with sensitization to peanut (p <0.001). Food hypersensitivity in 4-year-old children with any of asthma, rhino-conjunctivitis, facial oedema or urticaria in combination is in most cases associated to sensitization to food. This phenotype of FHS is likely to represent a more severe form of food hypersensitivity.
Cell that triggers symptoms in
allergy attacks can also limit damage, Stanford researchers find
A blood cell known as a troublemaker for triggering the itch and inflammation in allergy
attacks, the mast cell, can also calm down the flare-ups, researchers from Stanford
University School of Medicine have found.
Allergic response tied to lipid
molecules in cell membrane
A team of Penn State University researchers is the first to demonstrate that lipid
molecules in cell membranes participate in mammals' reactions to allergens in a living
cell. The finding will help scientists better understand how allergy symptoms are
triggered, and could contribute to the creation of improved drugs to treat them.
'Fruity vegetables' and fish reduce
asthma and allergies
Giving children a diet rich in fish and "fruity vegetables" can reduce asthma
and allergies, according to a seven-year study of 460 Spanish children, published in the
September issue of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology.
Food “superallergies”:
the first Italian study proves that they can be cured with the incriminated allergen
By setting an alimentary desensitization protocol against milk and egg proteins, the
medical team of the Pediatric Clinic of the University of Trieste, located at the
Institute of Child Health Burlo Garofolo, has demonstrated the possibility to reeducate
the organism of “superallergic” children to accept incriminated foods without
suffering from severe, and occasionally lethal reactions such as anaphylaxis or edema of
the glottidis. The study – directed by professor Alessandro Ventura, Director of the
Clinic – lasted three years, at the end of which 36% of the children involved, once
severely allergic with important, generalized reactions to even minimal contact with the
dangerous food, and therefore life threatened, has re-achieved the ability to follow a
normal diet without presenting any adverse reactions. On the other hand, 54% of the
patients involved in the study were able to tolerate minimal quantities of the
incriminated food in their diet.
A dose of dirt could be the best medicine for preventing allergies in kids who've never
had them. While avoiding excessive contact with germs can help prevent the spread of
infections, going overboard with cleanliness could be at least partly responsible for an
increase in allergies among children, mounting research suggests.
Scientists find the cellular on and
off switch for allergies and asthma
If you're one of the millions who dread the spring allergy season, things are looking up.
A research study appearing in the May 2009 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology
(http://www.jleukbio.org) shows how a team of American scientists have identified a
previously unknown cellular switch that turns allergies and asthma both on and off.
Equally important, this study also suggests that at least for some people with asthma and
allergies, their problems might be caused by genes that prevent this switch from working
properly. Taken together, this information is an important first step toward new
medications that address the root causes of allergies, asthma and other similar diseases.
"This study uncovers some of the basic mechanisms that control whether or not people
have asthma and allergies and the severity of the symptoms," said John Ryan, Ph.D.,
Professor of Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University, and a senior scientist involved
in the research. "This understanding opens new avenues for treating these and other
related diseases." Ryan and colleagues made this discovery in mouse experiments that
examined cells from bone marrow and umbilical cord blood that ultimately help create a
type of immune cell (mast cells). Too many mast cells lead to an over-aggressive immune
response, which causes allergies and asthma. The scientists found that when chemicals
(cytokines IL-4 and IL-10) used to initiate an immune response (the "on switch")
are added to developing mast cells, the developing cells die. Because bone marrow makes
both mast cells and these cytokines, the researchers conclude that just as the cytokines
serve as the "on switch" for the immune system, bone marrow cells also use them
as the "off switch" to stop mast cells from getting out of hand. Further
supporting their discovery was the finding that strains of mice prone to allergies and
asthma had genes which affected the production of this chemical "off switch" in
their bone marrow. "The immune system has an incredible capacity for balance and
counterbalance to maintain optimal and properly tuned immune responses," said John
Wherry, Ph.D., Deputy Editor of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, "The studies by
Ryan and colleagues are an excellent example of this inherent self-regulation of the
immune system and how an imbalance in mast cell regulation could contribute to allergy and
disease."
Folic acid, or vitamin B9, essential for red blood cell health and long known to reduce
the risk of spinal birth defects, may also suppress allergic reactions and lessen the
severity of allergy and asthma symptoms, according to new research from the Johns Hopkins
Children's Center. In what is believed to be the first study in humans examining the link
between blood levels of folate – the naturally occurring form of folic acid —
and allergies, the Hopkins scientists say results add to mounting evidence that folate can
help regulate inflammation. Recent studies, including research from Hopkins, have found a
link between folate levels and inflammation-mediated diseases, including heart disease. A
report on the Hopkins Children's findings appears online ahead of print in the Journal of
Allergy & Clinical Immunology. Cautioning that it's far too soon to recommend folic
acid supplements to prevent or treat people with asthma and allergies, the researchers
emphasize that more research needs to be done to confirm their results, and to establish
safe doses and risks. Reviewing the medical records of more than 8,000 people ages 2 to 85
the investigators tracked the effect of folate levels on respiratory and allergic symptoms
and on levels of IgE antibodies, immune system markers that rise in response to an
allergen. People with higher blood levels of folate had fewer IgE antibodies, fewer
reported allergies, less wheezing and lower likelihood of asthma, researchers report.
"Our findings are a clear indication that folic acid may indeed help regulate immune
response to allergens, and may reduce allergy and asthma symptoms," says lead
investigator Elizabeth Matsui, M.D. M.H.S., pediatric allergist at Hopkins Children's.
"But we still need to figure out the exact mechanism behind it, and to do so we need
studies that follow people receiving treatment with folic acid, before we even consider
supplementation with folic acid to treat or prevent allergies and asthma."
New data analysis shows possible
link between childhood obesity and allergies
A new study indicates there may be yet another reason to reduce childhood obesity —
it may help prevent allergies. The study published in the May issue of the Journal of
Allergy and Clinical Immunology showed that obese children and adolescents are at
increased risk of having some kind of allergy, especially to a food. The study was funded
by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), both parts of the National
Institutes of Health. "We found a positive association between obesity and
allergies," said Darryl Zeldin, M.D., acting clinical director at NIEHS and senior
author on the paper. The researchers analyzed data on children and young adults ages 2
to19 from a new national dataset designed to obtain information about allergies and
asthma. "While the results from this study are interesting, they do not prove that
obesity causes allergies. More research is needed to further investigate this potential
link," Zeldin said. The study is the first to be published using new data from the
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). NHANES is a large nationally
representative survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, a part of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NHANES is designed to assess the health
and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States. An allergy/asthma
component was supported by NIEHS and added to the 2005? NHANES study, making it the
largest nationally representative dataset of allergy and asthma information ever assembled
in the United States. "We have all the pieces of the puzzle in this dataset,"
said Zeldin. "The allergy and asthma component of NHANES provides allergen exposure
information, allergic sensitization information, as well as disease outcome information.
There is a wealth of knowledge we will be able to gain by analyzing these data that will
be useful to allergy and asthma sufferers."
Allergy disorders linked with
irritable bowel syndrome
There may be a link between allergies and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in adults, says a
study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found that more than 50
percent of the current asthma cases in the country can be attributed to allergies, with
approximately 30 percent of those cases attributed to cat allergy. "It has long been
debated whether people who develop asthma have a genetic propensity to develop allergies,
or atopy," said Darryl C. Zeldin, M.D., a senior investigator at the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). "This new research shows that
56.3 percent of asthma cases are attributed to atopy." Atopy is a condition that
results from gene-environment interactions and can be measured by a positive skin test to
allergens (or allergy causing substances in the environment).
Half of all food allergies are not food allergies at all. This is what Cornelia S. Seitz
et al., allergologists from Würzburg University, concluded in a study with 419 patients,
as presented in the current edition of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl
Int 2008; 105[42] 715-23).After extensive allergy testing, food allergy was only confirmed
in 214 patients. Thus, food allergies are more often suspected than proven. This can
clearly impair the patient's quality of life, as he or she has to avoid specific foods or
has to be nervous all the time. On the other hand, food allergy may be unrecognized or
underestimated and this can even be potentially fatal. Other diseases must also be
considered, such as intolerance, gastrointestinal disease or psychovegetative reactions.
Only an intensive allergological investigation can confirm or disprove food allergy. This
is something for experts.
veryone knows that smoking can kill you, but did you know that it may help with your
allergies? A new study shows that cigarette smoke can prevent allergies by decreasing the
reaction of immune cells to allergens. Smoking can cause lung cancer, pulmonary disease,
and can even affect how the body fights infections. Along with many harmful effects,
smoking cigarettes has a surprising benefit: cigarettes can protect smokers from certain
types of allergies. Now, a study recommended by Neil Thomson, a member of Faculty of 1000
Biology and leading expert in the field of respiratory medicine, demonstrates that
cigarette smoke decreases the allergic response by inhibiting the activity of mast cells,
the major players in the immune system's response to allergens. Researchers at Utrecht
University in the Netherlands found that treatment of mast cells with a cigarette
smoke-infused solution prevented the release of inflammation-inducing proteins in response
to allergens, without affecting other mast cell immune functions. The mast cells used in
the study were derived from mice, but it is likely that the same anti-allergy effect will
hold true in humans. While taking up smoking to cure allergies is unwise, Thomson
concludes that the findings presented in this study are "consistent with a dampening
of allergic responses in smokers."
Silk might prevent nighttime from
becoming mite time
Less moisture for dust mites means more comfort for people. Producers of silk products
also suggest that dust mites actually find silk an inhospitable environment and that the
bugs are less likely to set up housekeeping inside a comforter made with silk fibre.
allergie
The miseries of allergies just may help prevent some cancers, study finds
There may be a silver -- and healthy -- lining to the miserable cloud of allergy symptoms:
Sneezing, coughing, tearing and itching just may help prevent cancer -- particularly
colon, skin, bladder, mouth, throat, uterus and cervix, lung and gastrointestinal tract
cancer, according to a new Cornell study. These cancers, interestingly, involve organs
that "interface directly with the external environment," said Paul Sherman,
Cornell professor of neurobiology and behavior, who led the study. He and colleagues
analyzed 646 studies on allergies and cancers published over the past 50 years, putting
together "the most comprehensive database yet available" on allergies and
cancers. The study revealed "a strong relationship" between allergies and cancer
in environmentally exposed tissues, Sherman said. This relationship seldom exists, he
noted, between allergies and cancers of tissues that are not directly exposed to the
environment, such as cancers of the breast and prostate, as well as myelocytic leukemia
and myeloma.
allergie
Experts Report Progress in Food Allergy Prevention and Diet Restrictions
Dr. Wood has the following recommendations for children at high risk of allergic diseases
- avoidance of peanut and tree nuts in pregnancy and while breast feeding, Supplement
breast feeding with a hypoallergenic formula (extensively or partially hydrolyzed), delay
solid foods until age six months, delay introduction of milk and egg until age 1 and
peanut and tree nuts until age 3, early intervention when signs of food allergy appear
(secondary prevention).
allergie
Effect of Allergens and Tobacco Smoke on Laryngeal Mucosa
Everyday exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, allergens, and air pollution may be the
root of chronic cases of laryngitis, says new research presented at the 2008 American
Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual
Meeting & OTO EXPO in Chicago, IL. Laryngitis symptoms include hoarseness of the
voice, cough, and chronic clearing of the throat. Researchers and physicians generally
attribute laryngitis to a viral infection and overuse of the voice. Other factors,
including consistent exposure to second-hand smoke, have also been cited as a trigger.
Researchers have now found through animal models that exposure to different environmental
pollutants, including dust mites and everyday air pollution, can cause what they term as
"environmental laryngitis." The findings are significant, given recent reports
on diminishing air quality and increased unhealthy levels of ozone and particle pollution,
especially in countries like China, which could lead to more cases of laryngitis and
chronic laryngitis.
allergie
New national study links asthma to allergies
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found that more than 50 percent of
the current asthma cases in the country can be attributed to allergies, with approximately
30 percent of those cases attributed to cat allergy.
allergie
The Upside to Allergies - Cancer Prevention
A new article in the December issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology provides strong
evidence that allergies are much more than just an annoying immune malfunction. They may
protect against certain types of cancer. The article, by researchers Paul Sherman, Erica
Holland and Janet Shellman Sherman from Cornell University, suggests that allergy symptoms
may protect against cancer by expelling foreign particles, some of which may be
carcinogenic or carry absorbed carcinogens, from the organs most likely to come in with
contact them. In addition, allergies may serve as early warning devices that let people
know when there are substances in the air that should be avoided. Medical researchers have
long suspected an association between allergies and cancer, but extensive study on the
subject has yielded mixed, and often contradictory, results. Many studies have found
inverse associations between the two, meaning cancer patients tended to have fewer
allergies in their medical history. Other studies have found positive associations, and
still others found no association at all.
Scientists from 16 different
countries study the link between children’s nutrition and the development of adult
diseases such as diabetes or allergies
Researchers from the Department of Pediatrics of the University of Granada, in
collaboration with another 38 universities and companies from 16 European countries, will
study the effects of children’s nutrition on the onset of cardiovascular problems,
diabetes, obesity, allergies, weak bones, neuromotor functioning and children’s
behavioural aspects. The EARNEST project (The Early Nutrition Programming Project) aims to
help in the development of policies, information campaigns, documents, guides and
recommendations on the nutritional components of children’s food, for the improvement
of children’s formulas. It also collaborates in the design of plans preventing and
avoiding nutrition effects on the metabolism.
Oral intake of allergens via lactic acid bacterium Lactococcus lactis might be new
strategy for treating auto-immune and allergic disorders. VIB researchers associated with
Ghent University, in collaboration with Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, have shown
that auto-antigens or allergens can be administered orally via the lactic acid bacterium.
Based on this principle, patented by VIB, ActoGeniX -- spin-off from VIB and Ghent
University -- is developing a variety of biopharmaceutical medicines.
Tolerance to cats can be built up in allergic kids by placing increasing doses of
standardized cat dander extract under the tongue, according to Spanish researchers.
Finding that could shed light on
'golden staph,' candida and allergies
Recent scientific findings explain why patients with a rare immunodeficiency disorder are
unusually susceptible to certain common infections. By revealing the exact molecular
mechanisms involved, they also give us clues as to why some "healthy" people are
more prone to these infections than others, and suggest potential treatments.
Silencing of molecular
'conversation' may help curb severe allergies
Scientists in Sydney have identified a process, a synergistic encounter between two
molecules, that may account for the extreme allergic reactions some people experience. By
silencing at least one of these molecules, it may be possible to treat allergies.
Australian scientists discover
reason for extreme allergic reactions
Australian scientists believe they have discovered why some people experience extreme
allergic reactions and their find could lead to new treatments for what seems to be an
increasingly common problem.
Surgical Reconstructive Screws
Cause Unexplained Allergy In Man
Researchers at the University of Athens Hospital provide supportive testimony with a
scientific review of a 30 year old patient who complained of inability to focus mentally,
rash, chronic fatigue, decreased sex drive, and hair loss. Detailed allergy testing showed
a positive value for biodegradable poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA). As it turns out, the patient
had two PLLA screws placed after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructive surgery
on his knee. His symptoms began a few months after the surgery and produced a systemic
allergic reaction.
Allergic diseases appear more often in children who grow up near busy roads. This is the
result of a study of several thousand children, now published in the American Journal of
Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Long-suffering victims of allergies such as asthma and hay fever might enjoy a surprise
benefit, according to research led by UNSW. In a paper presented at an international
symposium in Sydney, the researchers have shown that people with one of these atopic
diseases are up to 25 percent less likely to get the most common type of Non-Hodgkin
Lymphoma (NHL). The InterLymph Symposium was co-hosted by the Leukaemia Foundation, the
Cancer Institute NSW, UNSW and the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical
Research.
Novel study finds proton channels
inhibit the release of histamine during allergic reactions
Inhibiting the proton currents in basophils, a rare type of white blood cell, can stop the
release of histamine and could provide a new target for allergy and asthma drugs according
to a new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and the Johns
Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center in Baltimore.
Allergieën voor schimmels uit woningen zijn divers. Hoewel astma aan Alternaria alternata
en aan hiermee verwante Dematiae (Ulocladium, Epicoccum) vooral bij kinderen de meest
voorkomende allergische aandoening is, werden een hele reeks andere schimmels duidelijk
geassocieerd met tal van rhinitis- en astmagevallen.
Fight against hay fever and other
allergies helped by new immune system discovery
A mechanism which can lead to hay fever and other allergic reactions, by preventing the
immune system from regulating itself properly, has been discovered by scientists.
Researchers hope their finding, published today in PLoS Biology, will allow therapies to
be developed that treat allergies by stopping this mechanism.
Allergic-like reactions occur in
premedicated patients
Allergic-like reactions can occur in patients (both children and adults) when given
gadolinium containing contrast agents, even if they have been premedicated with
corticosteroids and antihistamines, according to a recent study conducted by researchers
at the University of Michigan Health Systems in Ann Arbor.
Protein a possible key to allergy
and asthma control
Activating a protein found on some immune cells seems to halt the cells' typical job of
spewing out substances that launch allergic reactions, a study by Johns Hopkins
researchers suggests. The findings could eventually lead to new treatments for allergic
reactions ranging from annoying bouts of hay fever to deadly asthma attacks.
A Canadian-led study has confirmed that a common blood enzyme seems to decrease the
severity of allergic reactions, a finding that could lead the way to developing drugs that
protect against life-threatening allergies.
Breast-Feeding Seems to Protect
Against Some Allergies
Atopic disease -- which includes eczema, asthma and food allergies -- may be delayed or
even prevented in high-risk infants if they are exclusively breast-fed for at least four
months or fed infant formula without cow milk protein.
DEHP Heightens Inflammatory
Response in Allergy Sufferers
Past research has suggested that di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a commonly used
plasticizer, contributes to asthma symptoms in children [EHP 116-98–103 (2008)] and
to dermatitis caused by dust mite allergens in mice [EHP 114-1266–1268 (2006)]. Both
the prevalence of allergic diseases and environmental exposure to phthalates have
increased dramatically in the past several decades, but few studies have examined how
people's mucosal airways respond to inhaled DEHP. A new study reveals that exposure to
DEHP in house dust altered the response of nasal mucosa in allergic people but not in
nonallergic people.
Taking antihistamines can be a great way to fight off an allergic attack. But new research
suggests it also might also make the next attack come on stronger.
A growing number of allergy sufferers in the United States are turning to the ancient
therapy of acupuncture to bring them relief from the sneezing, congestion and watery eyes
that plague them.
Study helps explain how allergic
reactions are triggered
In demonstrating that a group of calcium ion channels play a crucial role in triggering
inflammatory responses, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have not only
solved a longstanding molecular mystery regarding the onset of asthma and allergy
symptoms, but have also provided a fundamental discovery regarding the functioning of mast
cells.
Study Helps Explain How Allergic
Reactions Are Triggered
In demonstrating that a group of calcium ion channels play a crucial role in triggering
inflammatory responses, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have
not only solved a longstanding molecular mystery regarding the onset of asthma and allergy
symptoms, but have also provided a fundamental discovery regarding the functioning of mast
cells. Their findings appear in the January 2008 issue of Nature Immunology.A group of
immune cells found in tissues throughout the body, mast cells were once exclusively known
for their role in allergic reactions, according to the study’s lead author Monika
Vig, PhD, an investigator in the Department of Pathology at BIDMC and Instructor of
Medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Mast cells store inflammatory cytokines and
compounds [including histamine and heparin] in sacs called granules,” she explains.
“When the mast cells encounter an allergen – pollen, for example – they
‘degranuate,’ releasing their contents and triggering allergic reactions.”
