Prospective study on prevalence of aeroallergens in allergic rhinitis in a teaching hospital, Telangana

Allergic rhinitis is an IgE antibody mediated, inflammatory disease.The most commonly encountered risk factors for allergic rhinitis are presence of atopy, asthma, eczema, and other allergic illnesses. Identification of aeroallergens helps in patient counseling to modify life style and prevent exposure to triggering factors.To determine the prevalence of aeroallergens in allergic rhinitis. This was a prospective study done in cases of allergic rhinitis over a duration of one year from January 2019 to December 2019. Complete history taking was followed by ENT examination including Rhinoscopy and endoscopy, peripheral smear examination for eosinophils, absolute eosinophil count testing and Skin prick testing with known allergens and serum IgE level testing. A total of 145 cases of allergic rhinitis were studied. The patient age ranged from 11 years to 50 years. The male to female ratio was 0.5:1. Most common allergen causing allergic rhinitis was dust mite which constituted about 44.1% cases. The next common allergen was Mold which accounted for 20.6% cases. We conclude that there are numerous aeroallergens that can cause allergic rhinitis and the most common ones are dust mites, molds, house dust, animal dander, pollen and others. Correct identification of the aeroallergen helps in the proper counseling of the patients so as to prevent exposure to those aeroallergens thereby reducing the episodes and severity of allergic rhinitis.

Chitinases as Food Allergens

Food allergies originate from adverse immune reactions to some food components. Ingestion of food allergens can cause effects of varying severity, from mild itching to severe anaphylaxis reactions. Currently there are no clues to predict the allergenic potency of a molecule, nor are cures for food allergies available. Cutting-edge research on allergens is aimed at increasing information on their diffusion and understanding structure-allergenicity relationships. In this context, purified recombinant allergens are valuable tools for advances in the diagnostic and immunotherapeutic fields. Chitinases are a group of allergens often found in plant fruits, but also identified in edible insects. They are classified into different families and classes for which structural analyses and identification of epitopes have been only partially carried out. Moreover, also their presence in common allergen databases is not complete. In this review we provide a summary of the identified food allergenic chitinases, their main structural characteristics, and a clear division in the different classes.

Role of patch testing with foot wear series in children with foot dermatoses in a tertiary centre in north Kerala, India

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> <span lang="EN-IN">Foot dermatoses are a common malady in children. It has a varied presentation ranging from patchy fissured scaly lesions to disabling highly inflammatory vesicular eruption. A role for foot wear exacerbating these dermatoses is a possibility, which could be confirmed by patch testing.</span><span lang="EN-IN">To evaluate the role of patch testing in determining the allergen either causing or exacerbating various foot dermatoses in children.</span></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> <span lang="EN-IN">Patch testing was done in 40 children with various foot dermatoses using the standard footwear series and the results were read after 48 hours, 96 hours and again after 7 days. Also, skin biopsy was done in 10 cases from the representative lesions</span>.<strong></strong></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> <span lang="EN-IN">Patch test was positive in 24(60%) patients to different antigens. Disperse orange (25%) was found to be the commonest allergen followed by epoxy resin (15%), neomycin sulphate (12.5%) and black rubber mix (10%). </span></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> <span lang="EN-IN">Patch testing has a major role in finding out the causative agent or at least the exacerbating footwear in various foot dermatoses. Disperse orange was found to be the most common allergen. The diagnosis of acrodermatitis or JPD should not deter doing a patch testing.</span></p><p> </p>

A parlagfű okozta légzőszervi allergiás megbetegedések előfordulása Magyarországon

Introduction: Although the prevalence of ragweed allergy in Europe is still low, it is increasing according to recent statistics. In contrast, in Hungary ragweed is the most common allergen with very high sensitisation in the general Hungarian population. Aim: We investigated the number and clinical characteristics of ragweed allergy in the Hungarian population, as the first comprehensive study to evaluate ragweed allergy in Hungary. Method: One thousand Hungarian adult subjects were screened with a questionnaire for ragweed allergy. People with ragweed allergy answered further specific questions about their disease history, symptoms and medication use. Results: 305 subjects reported allergy from which 218 patients had symptoms during ragweed pollination suggesting ragweed allergy. 40% of these had symptoms for more than 5 years. Asthma was reported in 18.3%. Around 24% of these patients were undiagnosed; they did not take any medications or visited professionals because of their symptoms. Compared to the non-ragweed allergic patients, subjects with ragweed allergy were older and better educated, but the dominance of female gender was less prominent than in the non-ragweed group (all p<0.05). Conclusions: Around 22% of the Hungarian population suffers from ragweed allergy. Studies should focus on eradication strategy and improvement of patient care. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(50), 1989–1993.

Patch Testing in Suspected Allergic Contact Dermatitis to Cosmetics

Background. Increasing use of cosmetics has contributed to a rise in the incidence of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) to cosmetics. It is estimated that 1–5.4% of the population is sensitized to a cosmetic ingredient. Patch testing helps to confirm the presence of an allergy and to identify the actual allergens which are chemical mixtures of various ingredients.Objectives. The aims of this study are to perform patch testing in suspected ACD to cosmetics and to identify the most common allergen and cosmetic product causing dermatitis.Methods. Fifty patients with suspected ACD to cosmetics were patch-tested with 38 antigens of the Indian Cosmetic Series and 12 antigens of the Indian Standard Series.Results. The majority (58%) of patients belonged to the 21–40 years age group. The presence of ACD to cosmetics was confirmed in 38 (76%) patients. Face creams (20%), hair dyes (14%), and soaps (12%) were the most commonly implicated. The most common allergens identified were gallate mix (40%), cetrimide (28%), and thiomersal (20%). Out of a total of 2531 patches applied, positive reactions were obtained in 3.75%.Conclusion. Incidence of ACD to cosmetics was greater in females. Face creams and hair dyes were the most common cosmetic products implicated. The principal allergens were gallate mix, cetrimide, and thiomersal.