Serodominance Profile in a Dust Mite Complex Region.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the molecular sensitization profile of mite allergy in an area with a high environmental exposure of house dust mites (HDM) and storage mites. METHODS: Skin prick tests were performed with standardized extracts (DIATER, Madrid, Spain). A specific commercial molecular panel (MADx) for Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpt), Dermatophagoides farinae (Dfar), Lepidoglyphus destructor (Ldt), Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Tput), and Blomia tropicalis (Blot) was correlated with clinical parameters in Galician (northwestern of Spain) HDM allergic patients. RESULTS: Fifty patients (60% female) met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All of the patient's present rhinitis (50), 28% (14) rhinitis and asthma, and 18% (9) atopic dermatitis (AD). Hundred patients had a positive prick test for Dpt, followed by Dfar (92%), Ldt and Tput (74%), and Blot (68%). More than 50% recognized specific IgE for Der p 1, Der p 2, reaching 86% in the case of Der p 23. No statistically significant differences in IgE levels were found between patients with/without asthma and those with mild or moderate-severe rhinitis. Der p 7 was higher among rhinitis patients (p value 0.05). AD relative risk (RR) was increased in patients sensitized to Der f 2, Der p 2, and Der p 23. Der p 10 decreases the risk to have AD (RR 0.80). CONCLUSION: The evaluation of IgE results in a comprehensive panel of allergens allows differentiation of serological reactivity profiles with their clinical expression, to perform an optimal management. Improvements in component resolved diagnosis and more research on the clinical relevance of mite allergens are needed to achieve a genuine diagnosis leading to specific immunotherapy.

Quality of life against seasonal vs perennial allergens: ESPRINT-15 modified in the pediatric population.

INTRODUCTION: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a clinical syndrome characterized by IgE-mediated inflammation of the nasal mucosa. The present study investigates the quality of life (QoL) with AR among adults, using widely validated questionnaires, unlike in pediatric patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive observational study was conducted, analyzing the QoL of 102 children with AR aged between 10-15 years, belonging to two health centers (HC) in Zaragoza and two HC in Coruña. The comparison of means between the two groups is carried out using the Student's test or the Mann-Whitney test, considering a value of p˂0.05 to be significant. RESULTS: Around 102 children were studied, with a majority (59.8%) being male and a mean age of 12 years. Around 76.5% have a family history of atopy. It was found that AR is more prevalent in Zaragoza (p ˂0.005), and asthmais highly prevalent in Coruña (p ˂0.001). The most important sensitizations are pollen in Zaragoza (p ˂0.05) and dust mites in A Coruña (p ˂0.001). More treatment needs and associated comorbidities (p˂0.05) were observed in A Coruña. The results of the ESPRINT-15 show that 63% of the patients have a good QoL, 27% fair, and 8.8%, poor. Those sensitized to mites have a worse score (p = 0.02). It was found that 52% of children experienced improvement during home confinement, with no notable differences between the two populations. The use of the mask favored QoL in patients from Zaragoza (p ˂0.001). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that AR influences the QoL in pediatric patients. Greater QoL involvement, need for treatment, and comorbidities are observed in patients sensitized to dust mites compared to those sensitized to pollens. It was also observed that masks improved the symptoms, stopping patients being sensitized to pollens.

Autoinflammatory gene mutations associated with eosinophilia and asthma.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory conditions, such as asthma, are infrequently associated with auto-inflammatory diseases. We describe five patients with uncontrolled respiratory symptoms that were seen at St. Joesph's Healthcare in Hamilton for severe asthma management diagnosed with rare autoinflammatory conditions using genetic molecular analysis. CASE PRESENTATION: Five patients are included in this case series. Gene mutations associated with familial Mediterranean fever, Yao syndrome, Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome, and Majeed syndrome were considered to explain partly the patient's clinical manifestation after comprehensive clinical, biochemical, hematological investigations ruled out other disorders such as parasitosis, Allergic Bronchopulmonary Fungosis, Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Poly Angitis, IgG4 disease, and Hypereosinophilia syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Complex patients initially presenting with respiratory conditions in addition to unexplained autoinflammatory conditions are a diagnostic challenge. Genetic molecular testing provides healthcare practitioners with useful information that may diagnose underlying auto-inflammatory diseases in undifferentiated patients. Role of inflammasome-activation in asthma and eosinophilia needs further investigation.