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- van Odijk, J, et al.
(författare)
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Breastfeeding and allergic disease: a multidisciplinary review of the literature (1966-2001) on the mode of early feeding in infancy and its impact on later atopic manifestations
- 2003
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Ingår i: Allergy. - : Wiley. - 1398-9995 .- 0105-4538. ; 58:9, s. 833-843
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Strategies to prevent children from developing allergy have been elaborated on the basis of state-of-the-art reviews of the scientific literature regarding pets and allergies, building dampness and health, and building ventilation and health. A similar multidisciplinary review of infant feeding mode in relation to allergy has not been published previously. Here, the objective is to review the scientific literature regarding the impact of early feeding (breast milk and/or cow's milk and/or formula) on development of atopic disease. The work was performed by a multidisciplinary group of Scandinavian researchers. Methods: The search in the literature identified 4323 articles that contained at least one of the exposure and health effect terms. A total of 4191 articles were excluded mainly because they did not contain information on both exposure and health effects. Consequently, 132 studies have been scrutinized by this review group. Results: Of the 132 studies selected, 56 were regarded as conclusive. Several factors contributed to the exclusions. The studies considered conclusive by the review group were categorized according to population and study design. Conclusions: The review group concluded that breastfeeding seems to protect from the development of atopic disease. The effect appears even stronger in children with atopic heredity. If breast milk is unavailable or insufficient, extensively hydrolysed formulas are preferable to unhydrolysed or partially hydrolysed formulas in terms of the risk of some atopic manifestations.
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| 4. |
- Benson, Mikael, et al.
(författare)
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Allergen-reactive antibodies are found in nasal fluids from patients with birch pollen-induced intermittent allergic rhinitis, but not in healthy controls
- 2003
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Ingår i: Allergy. European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0105-4538 .- 1398-9995. ; 58:5, s. 386-392
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Increased levels of allergen-reactive immunoglobulins (Igs) have been reported in nasal fluids from patients with intermittent allergic rhinitis (IAR) sensitive to ragweed and grass. The aims of this study were to make a detailed characterization of nasal fluid Igs in birch pollen-induced IAR.METHODS: Nasal fluids were obtained from 23 patients with birch pollen-induced IAR during and after the birch pollen season, and from 20 healthy controls. Nasal fluid total and Bet v 1-reactive (IgA), IgE and IgG as well as albumin were analyzed by immunoassays. The integrity of IgA and IgG, and the molecular form of IgA were assessed by Western blotting and column fractionation, respectively.RESULTS: Nasal fluid total IgE and IgG, but not IgA, were higher in patients compared with controls. Western blotting indicated no significant degradation of IgA (including S-IgA) and IgG. Most of the IgA, including Bet v 1-reactive antibodies, was of the secretory form and of the IgA1 subclass. Bet v 1-reactive IgA and IgG were present in all patients, but was mostly nondetectable in controls. No significant differences in the levels of Bet v 1-reactive IgA and IgG were found in patients during the birch pollen season compared with off season. Both Bet v 1 and Bet v 2-reactive IgE were nondetectable in most samples.CONCLUSIONS: Nasal fluid Bet v 1-reactive IgA and IgG were found in all patients with birch pollen-induced IAR, but not in controls. However, no significant differences were found between patients during and after the birch pollen season.
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| 5. |
- Bolin, Kristian, et al.
(författare)
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Asthma and allergy: the significance of chronic conditions for individual health behaviour.
- 2002
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Ingår i: Allergy. - : Wiley. - 1398-9995 .- 0105-4538. ; 57:2, s. 115-122
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: In health economics, health is regarded as part of an individual's human capital. As such it depreciates over time, and investments in health are made in order to keep the stock of health capital at the desired level. Using this framework for analysis of health-related behaviour and Swedish panel data, we examined whether the presence of asthma or allergy affects perceived health and investments in health. METHODS: A set of panel data for approximately 3800 individuals interviewed repeatedly in 1980/81, 1988/89, and 1996/97 was created from the Swedish biannual survey of living conditions. Self-assessed health was chosen as the indicator of health capital and the reported number of sick days as the indicator of health investment. The presence of asthma or allergy, age, wage rate, wealth, marital status, number of children, exercise and smoking habits, gender, and geographic location of household were all chosen as explanatory variables. An ordered probit model was estimated for the health equation and a Poisson model for the investment equation. RESULTS: We found that both asthmatics and those who suffer from allergy invested more in their health than the general population. We also found that asthmatics reported significantly lower self-assessed health than the general population, while those who suffered from allergy did not differ significantly from the general population regarding their self-assessed health. CONCLUSION: The human capital approach was found suitable for studying the impact of asthma and allergy on individual health behaviour. Health policy measures, which reduce the individual's costs of investing in his or her health, would improve health levels. Because asthmatics were found less healthy than those suffering from allergy, the potential gains would be larger for patients with asthma than for patients with allergy. The issue of whether this would be a cost-effective policy or not would require a different design and, hence, could not be solved within the present study.
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| 6. |
- Downie, SR, et al.
(författare)
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Association between nasal and bronchial symptoms in subjects with persistent allergic rhinitis
- 2004
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Ingår i: Allergy. - : Wiley. - 1398-9995 .- 0105-4538. ; 59:3, s. 320-326
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The association between nasal and bronchial symptoms, and the course of bronchial responsiveness and airway inflammation in house dust mite sensitive persistent rhinitis over a prolonged time period has not been thoroughly explored. Objective: To determine if nasal symptoms were associated with bronchial symptoms in persistent rhinitic subjects, and to assess their bronchial responsiveness and airway inflammation in comparison to nonrhinitic, nonatopic controls. The additional impact of pollen sensitivity on the lower airways in rhinitic subjects was also addressed. Methods: Rhinitics and controls answered telephone symptom questionnaires once every 2 weeks for 1 year. Every 3 months, exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) and bronchial responsiveness to histamine were measured. Results: Thirty-seven rhinitics and 19 controls completed the study. High nasal symptom scores in rhinitic subjects were associated with bronchial symptoms (OR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.2-2.5). Bronchial hyper-responsiveness was present in 32.4% of rhinitic subjects on at least one clinical visit during the year. Pollen allergy caused seasonal variation in eNO (P = 0.03). Conclusion: In persistent rhinitic subjects, high nasal symptom scores were associated with bronchial symptoms, and many subjects experienced bronchial hyper-responsiveness during the year. Persistent rhinitic subjects were more at risk than healthy adults of bronchial symptoms and airway inflammation, which are likely risk factors for asthma.
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| 8. |
- Karlsson, Anne-Li, et al.
(författare)
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Bet v 1 homologues in strawberry identified as IgE-binding proteins and presumptive allergens
- 2004
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Ingår i: Allergy. - : Wiley. - 1398-9995 .- 0105-4538. ; 59:12, s. 1277-1284
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: No strawberry allergen has so far been identified and characterized. Methods: Serum samples were collected from patients with a suggestive case history of adverse reactions to strawberry and other fruits. Extracts from fresh and frozen strawberries were analysed by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), Western blotting and mass spectrometry. Patient blood samples were analysed for inhibition of IgE binding and basophil degranulation. Results: Several IgE-binding proteins could be detected. In more than half of the patient sera, a 20/18-kDa doublet band was observed in Western blotting. These two bands were excised and analysed by mass spectrometry showing the presence of proteins belonging to the Bet v 1 family of allergens. Inhibition of the IgE binding to the 20/18-kDa doublet was obtained by addition of two recombinantly expressed allergens belonging to the Bet v 1 family (Bet v 1 and Mal d 1) and strawberry protein extract. In a cell-based assay of patient blood samples, basophil degranulation could be induced by strawberry protein extract and by Bet v 1 and Mal d 1. Conclusions: We conclude that strawberry homologues to Bet v 1 may be allergens of importance for adverse reactions to strawberry.
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| 9. |
- Rydén, Olof, et al.
(författare)
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Disease perception and social behaviour in persistent rhinitis: a comparison between patients with allergic and nonallergic rhinitis.
- 2004
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Ingår i: Allergy. - : Wiley. - 1398-9995 .- 0105-4538. ; 59:4, s. 461-464
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although the understanding of the pathophysiology and pharmacology of rhinitis has increased within recent years, few studies have examined the impact of rhinitis on patients’ behaviour. This study compared two forms of chronic rhinitis, perennial allergic rhinitis due to house dust mites (PAR) and perennial non-allergic rhinitis (or so-called vasomotor rhinitis) (VMR) in terms of patients’ perception of their disease and its psychosocial concomitants. Thirty-one patients with PAR and 32 patients with VMR responded to a standard symptom list and were interviewed in-depth regarding their complaints and the impact of rhinitis on their daily life. PAR and VMR patients reported similar somatic and psychosocial complaints. In both disease groups the adverse effects of rhinitis were reported to be substantially limiting, particularly in social contacts, the impact appearing to be more severe in the women. Disease perception and social adjustment appear not to depend appreciably on whether or not an objective diagnosis of rhinitis can be established.
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| 10. |
- Wallengren, Joanna
(författare)
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Cutaneous field stimulation of sensory nerve fibers reduces itch without affecting contact dermatitis.
- 2002
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Ingår i: Allergy. - : Wiley. - 1398-9995 .- 0105-4538. ; 57:12, s. 1195-1199
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: A new technique, cutaneous field stimulation (CFS), which activates electrically unmyelinated C-fibers, is used to treat localized itch. Its action is similar to that of capsaicin, the pungent agent in hot peppers, which enhances delayed allergic reactions. The aim of the study was to investigate how experimental contact dermatitis responds to CFS. Methods: Twelve patients with contact dermatitis in response to nickel were treated by CFS for 1 h each for four consecutive days. A flexible plate containing electrodes was applied to a test area on the upper arm and was stimulated by a constant current (0.8 mA). On the fifth day, patients were provoked by epicutaneous application of nickel sulfate (allergic contact dermatitis) and benzalkonium chloride (irritant contact dermatitis), and by intradermal tuberculin (delayed immunologic reaction). Twelve other patients with IgE-mediated allergy were treated by CFS on the lower arm for 1 h and were then pricked with histamine and allergen extracts (wheal volume was measured) and were tested using benzoic acid (nonimmunologic contact urticaria; closed test). Ten of these patients were also treated by CFS for four days, and experiments were performed on the fifth day. Results: Test reactions to nickel, benzalkonium, and tuberculin were found to be unaffected by CFS treatment. Although allergic prick test reactions were enhanced (by 28%) after a single CFS treatment, the associated itch was significantly reduced both after single and repeated CFS treatments (by 65% and 38%, respectively). Conclusions: Repeated use of CFS to reduce itch has no adverse effects on contact dermatitis.
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