Selective allergy to lobster in a case of primary sensitization to house dust mites.

Allergy to only 1 kind of seafood is uncommon. We report a case of selective allergy to lobster. We studied a 30-year-old man who suffered generalized urticaria, facial erythema, and pharyngeal pruritus after eating lobster. He had a more than 10-year history of mild persistent asthma and sensitization to house dust mites. The study was performed by skin prick test, and prick-prick test, oral food challenge, specific immunoglobulin (Ig) E determinations by CAP (Phadia, Uppsala, Sweden) and ADVIA-Centaur (ALK-Abelló, Madrid, Spain), and IgE-immunoblotting. The patient's serum recognized 2 allergens of around 198 kDa and 2 allergens of around 65 kDa from the lobster extract, allergens of around 15, 90, and 120 kDa from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extract, and allergens of around 15 and 65 kDa from Dermatophagoides farinae extract. Serum did not recognize purified shrimp tropomyosin. Immunoblot-inhibition assay results indicated cross-reactivity between lobster and mite allergens. This is the first report of selective allergy to lobster.

Lettuce-induced anaphylaxis. Identification of the allergen involved.

BACKGROUND: Only 2 allergenic proteins have been described in lettuce allergy: a 16-kDa protein (putative profilin) and a lipid transfer protein (LTP) named Lac s 1. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to identify the allergens involved in the anaphylactic reactions of 2 patients who had eaten lettuce. METHODS: The study was performed by Ig (immunoglobulin)-E immunodetection and immunodetection-inhibition assays. RESULTS: Both patients' sera showed specific IgE binding to a single protein from the crude lettuce extract (apparent molecular weight of 14 kDa). To characterize the allergen detected, the lettuce extract underwent proteolytic digestion and heat treatment and was highly resistant to both. The patients' sera also recognized the major peach allergen Pru p 3 by immunodetection. When the lettuce allergen was incubated with both Pru p 3 from peach peel and recombinant Pru p 3, the immunodetection-inhibition assay indicated that patients were sensitized to the lettuce LTP Lac s 1. CONCLUSIONS: The allergen involved in the lettuce-induced anaphylaxis of our patients was the LTP Lac s 1.

Comparative cytotoxicity of C-1311 in colon cancer in vitro and in vivo using the hollow fiber assay.

The aim of this study was to investigate the antiproliferative effects of C-1311 (Symadex), a member of the imidazoacridinone family, in human colorectal cancer cells. In the in vitro screen, C-1311 led to the most prominent growth inhibition in HT29, HCT116, and COLO205 cell lines when compared to oxaliplatin, CPT-11, DFUR, 5-FU and capecitabine. The GI(50)values for C-1311 ranged from 0.12 to 0.83 microM and the TGI concentrations (resulting in total growth inhibition) were 6- to 13-fold lower than those of other agents. In the hollow fiber assay in vivo, C-1311 caused 77% growth inhibition of HT29 in the intraperitoneal site as compared to paclitaxel (17% growth inhibition). In the subcutaneous site, C-1311 produced 57% growth inhibition while paclitaxel showed no cell growth inhibition effects. This unique cytotoxicity profile of C-1311 warrants further investigation and supports its clinical development in colon cancer patients. Symadex (C-1311) is currently in phase 2 clinical trials.

Sensitization to serum albumins in children allergic to cow's milk and epithelia.

Patients with persistent milk allergy and specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) to bovine serum albumin (BSA) have a greater risk of rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma because of animal dander. To prove the cross-reactivity between serum albumin (SA) of different mammals in milk, meat, and epithelia and determine if heat treatment of meats decrease the allergenicity of albumins. The study was performed using SDS-PAGE and IgE-immunoblotting using sera from eight patients sensitized to milk, BSA, and animal danders. Sera from non-allergic and only animal dander allergic subjects served as a control. With one exception, all patients' sera recognized SA in different meats (beef, lamb, deer, and pork), epithelia (dog, cat, and cow), and cow's milk. Some patients even were only sensitized to SA in meat and epithelia. Danders' allergic only recognized other proteins in epithelia but not SA. No patients reacted to SA from heated meat extracts. Serum albumin is an important allergen involved in milk, meat, and epithelia allergy. The first contact with SA was through cow's milk and patients developed sensitization to epithelia SA even without direct contact with animals. Patients with both BSA and cow's milk allergy must avoid raw meats and furry pets.

Comparative analysis of xanafide cytotoxicity in breast cancer cell lines.

Xanafide, a DNA-intercalating agent and topoisomerase II inhibitor, has previously demonstrated comparable cytotoxicity to the parent drug amonafide (NSC 308847). The current study was conducted to investigate further the anti-proliferative effects of xanafide in human breast cancer cell lines, in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro activity of xanafide against MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, SKBR-3 and T47D cell lines was compared to that of paclitaxel, docetaxel, gemcitabine, vinorelbine and doxorubicin. In MCF-7, xanafide demonstrated comparable total growth inhibition (TGI) concentrations to the taxanes and lower TGI values than gemcitabine, vinorelbine and doxorubicin. MCF-7 (oestrogen receptor (ER)+/p53 wild-type) was the most sensitive cell line to xanafide. MDA-MB-231 and SKBR-3 exhibited similar sensitivity to xanafide. T47 D (ER+/p53 mutated), showed no response to this agent. The in vivo activity of xanafide was further compared to that of docetaxel in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines using the hollow fibre assay. Xanafide was slightly more potent than docetaxel, at its highest dose in MCF-7 cell line, whereas docetaxel was more effective than xanafide in MDA-MB-231 cell line. Our results show that there is no relationship between sensitivity of these cell lines to xanafide and cellular levels of both isoforms of topoisomerase II and suggest that ER and p53 status and their crosstalk may predict the responsiveness or resistance of breast cancer patients to xanafide.

Freezing protects against allergy to Anisakis simplex.

BACKGROUND: Allergic reactions to Anisakis simplex have been described following ingestion of fish and were thought to be possible even if seafood is frozen or well-cooked. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to confirm, by challenge test, that dead A. simplex larvae are not able to trigger allergic reactions in patients with proven hypersensitivity to this parasite. METHODS: Simple-blind, placebo-controlled, oral challenge tests with frozen A. simplex larvae were performed in 12 patients who had suffered severe anaphylactic reactions after ingestion of seafood and diagnosed of A. simplex hypersensitivity by skin prick test and specific IgE. If no reaction appeared, they were told to eat frozen seafood. 63 patients who had suffered urticaria or urticaria/angioedema by demonstratred hypersensitivity to A. simplex were also advised to eat frozen seafood. All of them were reevaluated 6 months later. RESULTS: All patients tolerated the dead larvae challenge test. After eating previously frozen seafood at least two times per week, all patients, including those who had suffered anaphylactic reactions and those who had only presented cutaneous manifestations, remained asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: Anisakis simplex-allergic patients tolerate ingestion of dead larvae. It is probable that these patients can eat frozen fish and that a seafood-free diet is not necessary.

Allergy to Anacardiaceae: description of cashew and pistachio nut allergens.

Some members of the Anacardiaceae family, such as cashew nut, pistachio nut and mango, have been reported to cause immediate allergic reactions. We report three cases of anaphylaxis to cashew nuts. With the aim of describing the allergens existing in cashew and pistachio nuts, patients were prick tested with cashew and pistachio extracts. Specific IgE against both nuts was studied by CAP and SDS-PAGE/immunoblotting. It was found that skin tests and specific IgE to cashew and pistachio nuts were positive in the three patients. Both nuts showed several protein bands in SDS-PAGE. The strongest IgE-binding bands had similar molecular weights (15, 30 and 60 kDa) in cashew and pistachio nuts. These main bands were found to be sensitive to reducing agents. It was concluded that these three patients suffered immediate reactions to cashew nut due to an IgE-mediated mechanism.