Some chironomid (non-biting) midges contain potent human allergens, principally in the form of insect haemoglobins. In view of previously demonstrated immunological cross-reactivity between some different midge species, the possible role of British midges in allergic disease was studied. The chosen site, Farmoor near Oxford, is a village that has been subject to several annual nuisance midge sw...

This study had two main objectives: (1) to determine if differences in Functional Movement Screen (FMS) scores exist between two levels of competition; and (2) to analyze the association between FMS individual and overall scores and physical performance variables of lower-limb power (jumps), repeated sprint ability and shot speed. Twenty-two Under 16 (U16) and twenty-six Under 19 (U19) national...

412 Letters to the Editor Sir, Efalizumab (Raptiva ®) is a recombinant humanized mono-clonal IgG1 antibody that binds to CD11a, the α-subunit of leukocyte function antigen-1 (LFA-1). CD-11a modulates several key steps in the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis, including initial T-cell activation, trafficking from the circulation into psoriatic lesions, and reactiva-tion therein (1). Efalizumab is ...

Food Dependent Exercise-Induced Allergy is a rare condition. However, the occurrence of anaphylaxis is increasing especially in young people. The diagnosis of anaphylaxis is based on clinical criteria and can be supported by laboratory tests such as serum tryptase and positive skin test results for specific IgE to potential triggering allergens. Anaphylaxis prevention needs strict avoidance of ...

The allergen-specific IgE antibody was determined in 20 men and 120 women with psoriasis and the results were correlated with a history of current and previous allergic disease. Allergic disease was reported in 21% of the patients, but a positive RAST test was obtained in 44%. In chronic plaque-type psoriasis a positive RAST test was significantly more common (58%) than in active psoriasis (22%...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Despite the increase of latex allergy in general population, severe anaphylactic events during some surgical procedures are still rare; however, they are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of patients affected by this event represent a challenge for anesthesiologists. The objective of this report was to des...

BACKGROUND the six minute walking distance test (6MWD) is widely used to evaluate exercise capacity in several diseases due to its simplicity and low cost. AIM to establish reference values for 6MWD in healthy Chilean individuals. MATERIAL AND METHODS we studied 175 healthy volunteers aged 20-80 years (98 women) with normal spirometry and without history of respiratory, cardiovascular or ot...

Metagenomic sequencing has produced significant amounts of data in recent years. For example, as of summer 2013, MG-RAST has been used to annotate over 110,000 data sets totaling over 43 Terabases. With metagenomic sequencing finding even wider adoption in the scientific community, the existing web-based analysis tools and infrastructure in MG-RAST provide limited capability for data retrieval ...