ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1995.tb00019.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1995.tb00020.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1995.tb00021.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1995.tb00022.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryBackground:A previous study has shown a twofold increase in prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) in Swedish recruits during the 1970s. The increase was higher in more northerly colder regions.ObjectivesTo follow up the previously found trend to increasing prevalences with time as well as the climatic variations within the country.Methods:The prevalences of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema were assessed using two questionnaire studies, 12 years apart (1979 and 1991) with identical questions about the diseases. The study comprised representative samples of children from the Göteborg area on the south‐western coast (in 1979: 7‐year‐olds,n= 4255, in 1991: 7‐year‐olds,n= 1649) and in Kiruna, a mining town in the northernmost inland mountains (in 1979: 7‐year‐olds,n= 427, in 1991: 7‐9‐year‐olds,n= 832). In 1991 there was also a personal interview and a skin‐prick test (SPT) on subsamples.Results:The prevalence of all these diseases present over the last year had roughly doubled over the 12‐year period. On both occasions, most symptoms were more prevalent in the northern area. In 1991, the prevalence of one or more symptoms in Goteborg was 23.8% and 32.5% and in Kiruna 29.9% and 44.8% in the questionnaire and the interview, respectively.Conclusion:Asthma, AR and eczema increase continuously in prevalence in Sweden and the climatic distribution of the prevalences suggests possible major risk factors to be found in

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1995.tb00023.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryBackground:Recently it has been suggested that the bronchospasm and hyperresponsiveness phenomena observed in asthma are secondary to the actions of the eosinophils; the purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the peripheral number of eosinophils and various markers of disease activity in a group of asthmatics examined in childhood (mean age 10 years) and early adulthood (mean age 21 years).Methods:The relationship between eosinophil count and pulmonary function (FEV1), respiratory symptoms, bronchial responsiveness to histamine and diurnal variation in peak expiratory flow rate (PEF) was studied in 70 subjects with bronchial asthma, of whom 24 had intrinsic and 46 extrinsic asthma. Self‐reported symptoms of asthma were graded on a scale from 0 to 5, where 0 = no symptoms within the preceding 12 months and 5 = daily including nocturnal symptoms, and histamine responsiveness was analysed by means of the dose‐response slope (DRS).Results:In both childhood and adulthood, a direct correlation was found between blood eosinophil count and symptom score (r= 0.69,P<0.001 andr= 0.58,P<0.001, respectively), whereas inverse correlations were observed between number of eosinophils and FEV, % predicted (r= .0.75,P<0.001 andr= 0.80,P<0.001. respectively). Furthermore, in adulthood, eosinophil count was found to be significantly correlated to hisiamine responsiveness (log DRS) (r= 0.65,P<0.001) and diurnal PEF variation (r= 0.81,P<0.001); these correlations were also noted after dividing the subjects into intrinsic and extrinic asthmatics. In both groups of subjects a significant inverse correlation was also found between histamine responsiveness and pre challenge FEV1% predicted. The eosinophil count in childhood was weakly correlated to the symptom score in adulthood (r= 0.29,P<0.02).Conlusions:This study showed a relationship between eosinophil count and seventy of asthmatic symptoms, level of pulmonary function, histamine responsiveness and diurnal variation in PEF in both intrinsic and extrinsic asthma; suggesting that the peripheral eosinophil count reflects asthmatic activity, and possibly the degree of inflammation in the airways, in both children and adults. Furthermore, a low number of eosinophils in childhood might be related to a relatively favourable prognosis with regard to symptoms of asthma in early adulth

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1995.tb00024.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryBackground:The mechanism of immunotherapy is unclear. Allergic disease is known to involve enhanced TH‐2 cytokine responses to allergen.Objective:In order to investigate the mechanisms of immunotherapy, we have examined changes in cytokine secretion before (13 patients) and during (nine patients) both rush and conventional venom immunotherapy (VIT) in nee venom allergic patient.MethodPeripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulatedin vitrowith see venom, non‐specific antigen or mitogen and secretion of IL‐4 (TH‐2) and IFNγ (TH‐1) over the culture period measured.Results:Untreated patients had TH‐2 responses to venom and TH‐1 responses to antigen and strong proliferative responses to venom. Controls showed no response (proliferation or cytokines) to venom and the normal TH‐1 response to antigen. VIT resulted in marked changes in cytokine secretion to venom, with reduction of the abnormal TH‐2 response and induction of a TH‐1 response. The pattern differed in rush and conventional VIT. One day after rush VIT there was a significant fall in IL‐4 secretion (P<0.01), which rose by 3 weeks then declined. In conventional ViT there was a gradual reduction of IL‐4 production significant after 2 months and undetectable by 6 months. IFNγ secretion was induced by VIT. Proliferative responses mirrored the IL‐4 changes. One day after rush VIT there was a loss of T cells, monocytes and NK cells from peripheral blood.Conclusion:This study shows that immmotherapy shifted cytokine responses to allergen from a TH‐2 to a TH‐1 dominant pattern, suggesting direct effects on T cells. How these cytokine changes relate to clinical desensitization is not clear. In the longer term they would result in an isotype switch from IgE to IgG. Early changes in cytokine or chemokine production might down regulate mast cell or basophil reactivity and explain the ra

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1995.tb00025.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryBackground:It has been reported for the peripheral T cell repertoire that CD4 molecules may enhance adhesion between T cells and antigen presenting cells and, through their physical association with T cell antigen receptors, contribute to signal transduction.Objective:The aims of this study were to determine if the modulation of CD4 molecules had differential effects on T cell recognition, antigen induced cytokine (IL‐4 and IFNγ), release and the induction of specific anergy for human TH‐0, TH‐1 and TH‐2 cells.Methods:A panel of anti‐CD4 antibodies was examined for its ability to modulate T cell proliferation, cytokine production and tolerance induction in house dust mite (TH‐0 and TH‐2) and influenza haemagglutinin (TH‐1) specific human CD4+ T cell clones all restricted by DRB1*1101 and isolated from dust mite allergic individuals.Results:We observed that anti‐CD4 antibodies may inhibit or enhance antigen mediated T cell proliferation, which may reflect the differential requirements of T cells for selective functions of CD4. Furthermore, IFNγ and IL‐4 production was differentially modulated depending on the specificity of the anti‐CD4 antibody and the clone of T cells. However, pretreatment of T cells with anti‐CD4 antibody alone neither induced nor enhanced the susceptibility of T cells to peptide mediated anergy.Conclusion:Antigen recognition by different subsets of human CD4+ T cells has differential requirements on CD4, whereas the induction of specific anergy appeared to be independent of the functions of CD4 molecules. Antigen induced IFNγ production was more susceptible than IL‐4 to the inhibitory effects of anti‐CD4 antibodies. Furthermore, it appeared that certain anti‐CD4 antibodies can dissociate antigen induced IFNγ and IL‐4 production, and may downregulate IFNγ synthesis without inhibi

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1995.tb00026.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryBackground:Japanese cedar (Cryptmeria japonica: CJ) pollinosis is one of the most important allergic diseases in Japan. Recently, the second major allergen (Cry jII) was isolated from CJ pollen. There have been no prevalence studies of sensitivity toCry jI andCry jII among a large number of patients with pollinosis.Objective:This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of sensitivity toCry jI andCry jII. We measured specific IgE antibodies to these allergens in the sera of 145 patients. Furthermore, comparison of the sensitivity toCry jI andCry jII was examined by the hisiamine release assay.Methods:Specific IgE antibodies toCry jI andCry jII were assayed by a fluorometric ELISA. Allergen‐specific histamine release was measured by a radioimmunoassay kit,Results:More than 90% of 145 patients had specific IgE antibodies to both allergens. the remainder had specific IgE to either one or the other. There were seasonal changes in the level of specific IgE. The changes in the levels of anti‐Cry jII IgE antibodies were parallel to those of anti‐Cry jI IgE. The histamine release assay with leucocytes from the patients demonstrated that the allergenic potency of the two allergens is almost the same.Conclusion:Cry jII is an as important a major allergen asC

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1995.tb00027.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryBackground:The pollen of canary grass, which was introduced as a pasture grass from Europe, is a major allergen source in the external environment of southern Australia. This study was performed to characterize the major recombinant allergens of canary grass pollen. It is anticipated that recombinant allergens may be useful in diagnosis and immunotherapy of grass pollen induced allergies.Objective:To clone major canary grass pollen allergens and assess their nucleotide and amino acid sequence homologies with other grass pollen allergens. This sequence information may then be useful in T and B cell epitope mapping studies.Methods:A canary grass pollen λgtl 1 cDNA expression library was constructed and screened with sera of grass‐pollen‐sensitive patients. IgE‐reactive clones were isolated, sub‐cloned intoEscherichia coli, sequenced and, along with the deduced amino acid sequences, compared with other sequences in nucleotide and amino acid databases.Results:One of the clones encoded the group 1 allergen of canary grass pollen, Pha a 1, with a deduced amino acid sequence identity of 88.8% with Lol p 1, from rye‐grass pollen, 88.1% with Hol 1 1, from velvet grass pollen and 86.6% with Phi p 1, from timothy grass pollen. The other clones (e.g. clones, 5, 14, 28, 29) encoded polymorphic forms of Pha a 5. These polymorphic forms showed between 60.6–95.5% nucleotide and 40.1–81.7% deduced amino acid sequence identities with each other. Moreover, they shared significant sequence identity with other group 5 allergens from rye‐grass, timothy and Kentucky bluegrass pollens.Conclusions:Group 1 and four isoforms of group 5 allergens of canary grass pollen have been cloned and upon sequencing demonstrated strong nucleotide and amino acid sequence identities with other group 1 and 5 grass

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1995.tb00028.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY