Anaphylaxis to olive fruit due to lipoprotein sensitization

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House dust mite species and allergen levels in Galicia, Spain: a cross-sectional, multicenter, comparative study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mites are important sources of allergens in Galicia, Spain. The objective of this study were to identify the main mite species and to determine allergen levels in mattresses from different locations in Galicia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Dust samples were collected with a portable vacuum cleaner for 2 minutes from 2 m2 of the surface of the mattress used by mite allergic patients and controls. After collection, samples were immediatel frozen. Mite species were collected, identified, and counted, and the results expressed as mites per gram of dust. Mite allergen levels (Der p 1 and Der f 1) were measured using monoclonal antibodies. All individuals answered a questionnaire about the characteristics of their homes. RESULTS: A total of 332 dust samples were collected (112 from mite allergic patients and 220 from controls). Thirty-two species were identified. The mean age +/-SD of all the participants was 32.4 +/- 20.8 years and of the mattresses 7.6 +/- 5.9 years. The geometric mean of the total mite counts was 910.2 mites per gram (896.2 mites per gram in the mattresses of mite allergic patients and 917.3 in the mattresses of control subjects; P > .05). The main species was Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, which was present in 97.6% of the samples (geometric mean, 584.7 mites per gram). The geometric mean level of Der p 1 was 13.1 microg/g of dust: 11.9 in the mattresses of mite allergic patients and 13.8 in the mattresses of control subjects. The geometric mean level of Der f1 was 1.1 microg/g: 1.5 in the mattresses of mite allergic patients and 0.8 in the mattresses of control subjects. Environmental risk factors associated with high mite counts included obvious signs of humidity in the bedroom and the age of the mattress. CONCLUSIONS: The mite fauna in Galicia is comprised of many species, several of which are known to be of allergologic importance. The total population is exposed to very high levels of mite allergens.

Characteristics of pollinosis caused by Betula in patients from Ourense (Galicia, Spain).

UNLABELLED: A retrospective study was performed to describe the features of the pollinosis caused by Betula in the area of Ourense, Spain. The pollen count was carried out with a Lanzoni volumetric Hirts spore trap (1993-2000). The Betula pollen represented 5% over the annual total (annual mean quantity: 965 grains). It was present in the air from March to mid-May. The highest peaks took place in April (maximum values mean: 131 grains/m3). The medical records of 222 patients (mean age 25.66 years) diagnosed with pollinosis (1998-2000), who lived at less than 30 km. from the spore trap, were reviewed. In all of them, the skin-prick test (SPT) was carried out with pollen allergens. The percentages of positive SPT were: Lolium perenne, 91.89% (16.6% monosensitized); Plantago lanceolata, 71.17% (1.26% monosensitized); Betula alba, 41.89% (10.75% monosensitized); Platanus hybrida, 34.95%; Olea europea, 10.36%; and Parietaria judaica, 6.3%. The mean age of Betula monosensitized patients was 44.7 years. The majority of them had symptoms in March-April, 40% had asthma symptoms, 80% had lived in Central Europe, and 30% of them presented an oral allergy syndrome to fruits. There were 41.93% of the patients with positive SPT to Betula pollen who had asthma symptoms, in comparison with 23.25% of the patients with negative SPT to Betula (p = 0.0034). There were 20.28% of the patients with positive SPT to Betula pollen, who had lived in Central Europe, in comparison with 4.27% of the patients with negative SPT to Betula, p: 0.00049. The relative risk of sensitization was 2.05. CONCLUSIONS: Betula pollen was the second cause of clinical pollinosis in our patients, after grass, being responsible of the symptoms in the early spring, in a small number of the patients in their forties. The presence of asthma was higher in Betula sensitized patients, and the residence in Central Europe was a sensitization risk factor.

Dermatitis de contacto profesional por fotopolímero. Remisión clínica tras la realización de pruebas epicutáneas / Occupational dermatitis to photopocymer. Clinical remission after epicutaneous test

Se presenta el caso de un varón de 61 años, trabajador en una imprenta, que presentaba desde hacía 4 años dermatitis en las manos; en el ejercicio de su actividad laboral manipulaba habitualmente películas fotográficas y planchas de fotopolímero YET®. Las pruebas epicutáneas fueron positivas con un raspado de la placa de fotopolímero YET®, etilenglicol dimetacrilato, e hidroxietil metacrilato. Esto sugirió que el paciente presentaba una dermatitis alérgica de contacto profesional por acrilatos presentes en el fotopolímero. Se repitieron las pruebas epicutáneas con el fotopolímero a los 11 días, observando una disminución en la intensidad de las mismas. A los 3 meses acudió a la consulta totalmente asintomático, refiriendo una mejoría paulatina de las lesiones, sin tratamiento ni medidas preventivas. (AU)

A prospective safety-monitoring study of immunotherapy in mite-allergy patients with mass-units-standardized extract.

To determine the tolerance of an allergen extract standardized in mass units, we closely monitored the side-effects, during the buildup phase of immunotherapy treatment, in 88 patients with well-documented respiratory allergy to house-dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus). Thirty-four patients (38.6%) suffered from moderate perennial rhinitis, and 54 had mild to moderate bronchial asthma (61.4%). For the desensitizing treatment, we used a depot extract adsorbed in aluminum hydroxide of D. pteronyssinus (Pangramin Depot UM), biologically standardized and having the major allergens Der p 1 and Der p 2 quantified in micrograms. A total of 1244 doses were administered. All patients except one (98.9%) reached the expected maximum dose of 4 micrograms Der p 1. Only five patients suffered mild adverse reactions (5.7%). All adverse reactions except one appeared to be related to the vial of maximum concentration: vial III (4 micrograms Der p 1). Considering the number of patients who had adverse reactions and the frequency of adverse reactions per dose, we found no significant differences between rhinitis and asthma sufferers. We think that immunotherapy in doses of 4 micrograms Der p 1 and 2 micrograms Der p 2 is well tolerated and should not be avoided in mildly to moderately asthmatic patients when treating house-dust mite allergy.

Contribution to the etiopathogenesis of urticaria in children.

For hundreds of years urticaria has been an intriguing problem for researchers. Together with angioedema it constitutes a common condition that affects 20% of the general population. The etiologic diagnosis is obtained in a variable percentage of cases, according to the different studies published. The clinical course and the association with angioedema are also variables in the different works. It was the diversity of results that led us to undertake the present study. We selected 161 histories of children who came to our department of allergology; these children whose ages ranged from 1-12 years were diagnosed of urticaria and/or angio edema. The number of males was slightly higher than females and the most affected age group was that between 7-12 years. The acute and acute intermittent forms predominated especially in atopic children, highly associated with angioedema; chronic urticaria was less frequent. Within the etiologic factors, food allergy played an important role, followed by drug allergy. It was not possible to reach an etiologic diagnosis in 39.13% of cases.