Background: Under the ARIA guidelines, allergic rhinitis (AR) is classified as intermittent (IAR) or persistent (PER) disease depending on the duration of symptoms. In addition, AR may co-exist with or exacerbate allergic co-morbidities. As part of a prospective study of desloratadine (DL) in the treatment of IAR, we studied the epidemiology of concomitant allergic diseases and allergen sensiti...

background: the aim of this study was to identify the most common aeroallergens in patients with asthma and rhinitis. methods: the study enrolled 102 participants including 64 patients with respiratory allergies (among them 15 were clinically diagnosed as asthma patients, 41 with rhinitis, 8 were both) and 38 healthy controls. all of participants were subject of skin prick tests (spt) with seri...

A compromised skin barrier plays a major role in many dermatoses including irritant and allergic contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, dry skin, aged skin, xerosis, rosacea, and acne [1–5]. Many of these conditions share common defects in the skin barrier and an association with inflammation [4,6]. The knowledge we have regarding specific lipid deficiencies, pH aberration, inflammation, irregu...

BACKGROUND Component-resolved diagnostics is gaining importance in allergy diagnostics. Allergen extracts contain components with different rates of prevalence and clinical relevance, which can be subdivided at molecular level into major and minor allergens. Clinical complaints are usually triggered by major allergens, while the role of sensitization to the panallergens profilin and polcalcin s...

BACKGROUND Sensitization to flour or fungal alpha-amylase is a prerequisite for the development of respiratory allergy in bakers. The knowledge of occupational allergen sensitization among bakery workers will facilitate the implementation of preventive measures for respiratory allergies in bakeries. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with sensitiz...

Fungal alpha-amylase is an important occupational allergen in the bakery industry. Epidemiologic studies focusing on the relationship between alpha-amylase allergen exposure and work-related respiratory allergy, however, have not been reported yet. In this cross-sectional study, sensitization to occupational allergens and work-related symptoms were studied in 178 bakery workers and related to a...

BACKGROUND It is widely accepted that there is a molecular weight (MW) cut-off of 500, such that single chemicals with MWs higher than 500 cannot be skin sensitizers. If true, this could serve as a useful principle for designing non-sensitizing chemicals. OBJECTIVES To assess whether the 500 MW cut-off is a myth or a reality. METHODS A database of 699 chemicals tested for skin sensitization...

BACKGROUND Trimellitic anhydride (TMA) can induce specific IgE and occupational asthma. The significance of dermal exposure to TMA in immunologic sensitization and on subsequent airway responses is not clearly known. An animal model displaying both an early-phase airway response (EAR) and a late-phase airway response (LAR) after sensitization and subsequent inhalation challenge to a low-molecul...

OBJECTIVE Sensitization to perennial aeroallergens is associated with asthma in industrialized countries with a Western lifestyle. Because silk products are commonly used in Chinese society, we were interested in examining the relation between sensitization to silk and asthma. DESIGN Cross-sectional study of 871 children in 503 families living in Anqing, a predominantly rural province of Chin...

Sens-it-iv is an FP6 Integrated Project that finished in March 2011 after 66 months of activity, thanks to 12 million € of funding. The ultimate goal of the Sens-it-iv project was the development of a set of in vitro methods for the assessment of the skin and respiratory sensitization potential of chemicals and proteins. The level of development was intended to be at the point to enter the pre-...