BACKGROUND Cannabis is the illicit drug most widely used by young people in high-income countries. Allergy symptoms have only occasionally been reported as one of the adverse health effects of cannabis use. OBJECTIVES To study IgE-mediated response to cannabis in drug users, atopic patients, and healthy controls. METHODS Asthmatic patients sensitised to pollen, and all patients sensitised t...

BACKGROUND The new European Regulation on chemical safety, REACH, (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of CHemical substances), is in the process of being implemented. Many chemicals used in industry require additional testing to comply with the REACH regulations. At the same time EU member states are attempting to reduce the number of animals used in experiments under the 3...

There may be a causal relationship between n-6 PUFA intake and allergic disease and there are biologically plausible mechanisms, involving eicosanoid mediators of the n-6 PUFA arachidonic acid, that could explain this. There is some evidence that high linoleic acid intake is linked with increased risk of atopic sensitisation and allergic manifestations. Fish and fish oils are sources of long-ch...

OBJECTIVES To assess the prevalence of enzyme sensitisation in the detergent industry. METHODS A cross sectional study was conducted in a detergent factory. Sensitisation to enzymes was examined by skin prick and radioallergosorbent (RAST) tests. 76 Workers were tested; 40 in manufacturing, packing, and maintenance, and 36 non-exposed people in management and sales departments. The workers we...

The dietary intake of certain fatty acids might contribute to the development of allergic diseases such as hay fever and asthma. We investigated the association between the concentrations of fifteen fatty acids in serum phospholipids, as a marker of dietary intake and metabolism, and hay fever, allergic sensitisation and total IgE in adults. Data from a population-based cross-sectional study on...

AIM To investigate the possibility of antenatal sensitisation to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). METHODS A total of 36 cord blood specimens were obtained from newborn infants; serum IgA was measured to exclude maternal blood contamination. Cord peripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated and cultured in the presence of either uninfected negative control cells or cells containing ultr...

AIMS To investigate the effect of caesarean section on gastrointestinal symptoms, atopic dermatitis, and sensitisation to nutritional allergens in infants. METHODS A total of 865 healthy full term neonates with parental history of allergy participating in the prospective German Infant Nutritional Intervention Program (GINI) were exclusively breast fed during the first four months of life and ...

BACKGROUND Statins are widely used to treat hyperlipidaemia. Their immunosuppressive effect has recently been confirmed in various immune mediated disease models. However, relatively few studies have been conducted on allergic inflammation, so the precise mechanisms of their actions against allergies have not been fully clarified. On the other hand, the role of interleukin (IL)17 in immune resp...

We have observed a 'heat-sensitisation' phenomenon in a large proportion of patients receiving suspended moxibustion treatment. Patients become thermally sensitised to moxibustion stimulation at certain locations on the body, indicated by sensations of strong warmth or heat penetrating into the body (heat penetration), warmth spreading around the stimulation site (heat expansion), warmth conduc...

The present study evaluated in mice the possible modification of psychostimulant methamphetamine (MET) effects by co-administration of piracetam (PIR) and the development of behavioural sensitisation to the psychostimulant in the case of combined treatment. On the Day 1 mice were randomly allocated into 4 groups and control open field test was performed. On the Day 7, after 5 days without treat...