May Medical Journal Review
Prof. Richard F. Lockey, WAO Web Editor-in-Chief, reviewed premiere May journal articles for practicing allergists. Read his top picks below:
1. REVISED ALLERGY NOMENCLATURE FOR GLOBAL USE BY THE WORLD ALLERGY ORGANIZATION NOMENCLATURE REVIEW COMMITTEE, OCTOBER 2003. Revised nomenclature for asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, urticaria, food hypersensitivity, drug hypersensitivity, insect sting or bite hypersensitivity, and anaphylaxis are defined. Johansson SGO et al, J Allergy Clin Immunol 2004;113:832.
2. RANDOMIZED, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TREATMENT WITH NEBULIZED LIDOCAINE PROVIDED EFFECTIVE AND SAFE THERAPY IN SUBJECTS WITH MILD- TO-MODERATE ASTHMA. 4 times daily treatment improved FEV 1, nighttime awakenings, symptoms, use of bronchodilator, and blood eosinophil counts. Hunt LW et al, J Allergy Clin Immunol 2004;113:853.
3. BAL FLUIDS OBTAINED BEFORE AND 48 HOURS AFTER ALLERGEN SEGMENTAL CHALLENGE. Th2 chemokines correlated with eosinophils and interleukin-5 and -13. Airway lymphocytes correlated with both Th2 and Th1 chemokines. Both Th1 and Th2 associated chemokines were significantly greater in subjects with a dual-response phenotype indicating that both Th2 and Th1 chemokines are associated with allergen-induced airway inflammation. Liu L et al, Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2004;169:1118.
4. SEASONAL ALLERGIC RHINITIS AIRWAY INFLAMMATION AND NASAL AIRFLOW CORRELATED WITH EOSINOPHIL INFILTRATION AND IL4 LEVELS, EOSINOPHILS AND IL5 LEVELS, AND EOSINOPHILS AND IL8 LEVELS, BUT NOT EOSINOPHILS AND IFN g LEVELS. Ciprandi G et al, Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2004;134:34.
5. BRONCHIAL BIOPSIES FROM 14 SUBJECTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE ASTHMA INDICATE THAT AIRWAY SMOOTH MUSCLE PROLIFERATION AND NOT HYPERTROPHY IS A PATHOLOGIC CHARACTERISTIC OF SUBJECTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE ASTHMA. No gene expression of a hypercontractile phenotype was observed in vitro. Woodruff PG et al, Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2004;169:1001.
6. BCG VACCINE EFFICACY PERSISTED FOR 50 TO 60 YEARS IN AMERICAN INDICANS AND ALASKA NATIVES IN A PLACEBO-CONTROLLED BCG VACCINE TRIAL DURING 1935-1938. The estimate of vaccine efficacy was 52% (95% confidence interval, 27% - 69%). Aronson NE et al, JAMA 2004; 291:2086.
7. ROUNDTABLE CONFERENCE OF EXPERTS CONVENED TO DEVELOP APPROPRIATE TRIALS TO ESTIMATE THE THRESHOLD DOSES FOR ALLERGENIC FOODS. Using protocol, it should be possible to estimate the lowest amount of a food that causes mild, objective symptoms in highly sensitive individuals. Taylor SL et al, Clin Exp Allergy 2004; 34:689.
8. BIRCH-POLLEN IT DECREASES ALLERGY TO FOOD CONTAINING BET v 1 – HOMOLOGOUS ALLERGEN (APPLE). In a controlled study of 25 adult birch- pollen and apple-allergic patients, DBPCFC confirmed efficacy. Bolhaar STHP et al, Clin Exp Allergy 2004; 34:761.
9. INCREASED HOMOCYSTEINE LEVELS APPEAR TO BE A STRONG AND INDEPENDENT RISK FACTOR FOR OSTEOPOROSIS FRACTURES IN OLDER MEN AND WOMEN. van Meurs JBJ et al, N Engl J Med 2004;350:2033 and McLean RR et al, N Engl J Med 2004;350:2042.
10. LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE INHIBITS ALLERGIC INFLAMMATION IN EXPLANTATED NASAL MUCOSA OF ATOPIC CHILDREN (BUT NOT ADULTS) BY SKEWING LOCAL IMMUNE RESPONSES FROM Th2 TO Th1 AND UPREGULATING IL-10. The process is mediated by toll-like receptor (TLR4) in nasal mucosa and suggests TLR4 could mediate the Th2 to Th1 shift in young children. Tulic M et al, Lancet 2004;363:1689. (A link is not available to view the full abstract.)
