BACKGROUND Synthetic contiguous overlapping peptides (COPs) may represent an alternative to allergen extracts or recombinant allergens for allergen specific immunotherapy. In combination, COPs encompass the entire allergen sequence, providing all potential T cell epitopes, while preventing IgE conformational epitopes of the native allergen. METHODS Individual COPs were derived from the sequen...

REVIEWERS COMMENTS. Although it is not commercially available in the United States, SLIT for pollen allergy has gained widespread acceptance in Europe, and evidence supporting its safety and efficacy is accumulating. The promise of SLIT is that it might provide a safer and more-convenient alternative to subcutaneous immunotherapy while maintaining efficacy. Much of the literature supporting its...

Various allergens are implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases in different regions. This study attempted to identify the most common allergens among patients with allergies based on the results of skin prick tests in different parts of Iran. Relevant studies conducted from 2000 to 2016 were identified from the MEDLINE database. Six common groups of allergen types, including animal, ...

Pollen allergens play important roles in plant development in addition to their allergenic nature for human. More than 10 groups of pollen allergens have been reported. Among them, Pollen_Ole_e_I (Ole), Pollen_allerg_1 (Allerg1) and Pollen_allerg_2 (Allerg2) domain-containing proteins are the majority of allergens. We have identified 114 pollen-allergen-like genes in rice genome by bioinformati...

PURPOSE Japanese hop (Humulus spp.) and mugwort (Artemisia spp.) are notable causes of autumn pollinosis in East Asia. However, Japanese hop and mugwort pollen extracts, which are widely used for the diagnosis, have not been standardized. This study was performed to standardize Japanese hop and mugwort pollen extracts. MATERIALS AND METHODS Allergen extracts were prepared in a standardized wa...

BACKGROUND Over the last 100 years, several persistent misconceptions or 'false beliefs' have built up around allergen immunotherapy and its use in allergic rhinitis. This is perhaps because enthusiastic physicians administered complex allergen extracts to a diverse population of patients suffering from heterogeneous atopic conditions. Here, we review evidence that counters seven of these 'fals...

Chenopodiacea/Amaranthacea pollen is an important cause of respiratory allergy around the world. The problem could be aggravated because in desert or desert-like countries, these weeds are used in greening programmes or as ornamental plants. As climate tendencies should maintain in future decades, relevance of Chenopodiacea/Amaranthacea pollen allergy will go up. Relationship between airborne p...

Despite the fact that extensive degranulation is a likely prerequisite for a pathogenic role of eosinophils, little is known about the degranulation status of these cells in eosinophilic conditions. The present study of the ultrastructure of tissue eosinophils explores eosinophil degranulation in allergic rhinitis before and during seasonal allergen exposure. A total of 23 patients scored sympt...

BACKGROUND Osteopontin (OPN) is a multifunctional cytokine that has been primarily investigated in Th1 diseases. Recently, it has also been implicated in Th2-mediated allergic diseases, such as asthma. The expression of OPN in allergic rhinitis (AR) is currently unknown, as is the effect of intranasal glucocorticosteroids (GCs) on that expression. METHODS Subjects with AR were randomised to r...