BACKGROUND There is growing evidence for a pivotal role for tachykinins in gut neuroimmune interactions. AIMS To determine whether NK1, NK2, and NK3 tachykinin receptors are involved in milk protein induced allergic sensitisation. METHODS Eight groups of 12 Dunkin-Hartley guinea pigs (250-300 g) were used. Four groups were sensitised to milk proteins for three weeks. During this period, the...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the pattern of sensitisation to aero-allergens and food allergens among asthmatic children in Hong Kong, and to investigate any correlation between atopy and the severity of asthma. DESIGN Consecutive case series. SETTING Paediatric out-patient clinic of a university teaching hospital, Hong Kong. PARTICIPANTS Two hundred and four consecutive children with physicia...

PURPOSE To analyse the association between occupation (represented by job title) and contact allergy to thiuram vulcanising agents based on data of a clinical registry (IVDK, www.ivdk.org ). METHODS Clinical, demographic and allergy patch test data of all patients tested between 1992 and 2006 with the thiuram mix (1% in petrolatum) as part of the baseline series was analysed (n = 121,051). Po...

Rationale Food allergy is an increasing health problem with many proteins involved that belong mainly to a limited number of families. They show a high level of cross-reactivity. In the Mediterranean area, the most prevalent food allergens are those of vegetal origin. Although tomato (Solanum lycopersium L.) is one of the implicated foods, studies on the identification and relevance of their al...

BACKGROUND From 1970 to 1990 increasing rates of asthma and allergic sensitisation were observed in several countries. The aim of this study was to investigate time trends in the prevalence of asthma and allergic sensitisation among school children in Germany between 1992 and 2001. METHODS Parental reports of asthma, hay fever, and wheezing and measurements of specific serum IgE antibodies we...

BACKGROUND The diagnosis of anaphylactic reactions due to opiates during anaesthesia can be difficult, since in most cases various drugs may have been administered. Detection of specific IgE to poppy seed might be a marker for sensitisation to opiates in allergic people and heroin-abusers. This study assessed the clinical value of morphine, pholcodine and poppy seed skin-prick and IgE determina...

BACKGROUND Atopy is an important risk factor for asthma, rhinitis, atopic eczema and urticaria. For this reason, several studies have been done to determine the prevalence of atopy in the paediatric population. The important differences among these studies do not allow the extrapolating of results. In this study, we calculate the prevalence of atopy and atopy-related diseases in a paediatric po...

BACKGROUND Esparto is one the most frequent causes of hypersensitivity pneumonitis in Spain. OBJECTIVE Determination of risk factors in the working environment that could explain the sensitisation process, and assessment of the differences in specific IgG levels to Aspergillus fumigatus, Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula and Thermoactynomices vulgaris in patients with hypersensitivity pneumoniti...

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) is a potent pulmonary vasoconstrictor and mitogenic agent whose plasma level is increased in pulmonary hypertensive patients. Thus, we explored the signalling pathways involved in the contractile response to 5-HT in human pulmonary arteries (HPAs). Intact and beta-escin permeabilised rings from HPAs mounted in an organ bath system were used to assess both t...

BACKGROUND The pathophysiology of asthma involves the action of inflammatory/allergic lipid mediators formed following membrane phospholipid hydrolysis by phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)). Cysteinyl leukotrienes are considered potent inducers of bronchoconstriction and airway remodelling. Ovalbumin (OVA) induced bronchoconstriction in rats is associated with increased secretory PLA(2) (sPLA(2)) acti...