Furosemide, one of the most used diuretic drugs, rarely induces type-1 allergic reactions It is included in the non-aromatic sulfonamides but a cross-reactivity mechanism between this group and the sulfonamides antibiotics, has not been clearly demonstrated.A 24-year-old woman, 10 minutes after the intake of one pill of Seguril 40mg experienced oral itching, generalized urticaria, facial angioedema, dyspnea and hypotension. She recovered after the administration of parental adrenaline, methyl-prednisolone and dyphenhydramine. An skin prick test with furosemide (10 mg/ml) was negative. The intradermal skin tests were positive to furosemide (1 %) as well as sulfamethoxazole (0.03 mg/ml), with 10 atopic and non-atopic negative controls. The patient rejected the performance of an oral challenge test with sulfamethoxazole.IgEmediated reactions to furosemide are infrequent, but it could be the cause of life-threatening reactions. We have reported a case of anaphylaxis after the oral administration of furosemide with a demonstrated hypersensitivity mechanism through the positive intradermal skin test. The previous administration of the drug could probably the mechanism of sensitization, but the positive intradermal test to sulfamethoxazole would open the hypothesis of a cross-reactivity between non-aromatic and antimicrobial sulfonamides. It could be necessary an oral challenge test with furosemide in allergic patients to sulfamides.

Background: Sensitivity to Chenopodiaceae is a frequent cause of allergic respiratory diseases in geographic areas where sensitization to Salsola kali and Chenopodium album has been reported. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pattern of sensitization to 3 Salsola species in patients residing on the Mediterranean coast of south-eastern Spain. Methods:S. kali, S. vermiculata and S. oppositifolia pollen extracts were prepared. Patients reporting respiratory and/or cutaneous symptoms were skin prick tested with the 3 Salsola extracts. Individuals with positive skin prick tests to at least 1 of the 3 Salsola species were included. Specific IgE was determined by direct ELISA. SDS-PAGE and 2-D analysis were conducted to elucidate the protein profile. The allergenic profile was investigated by immunoblot. Inhibition experiments were conducted to establish cross-reactivity between different species. Results: 246 patients were included. 237 patients (96.3%) tested positive to S. oppositifolia, 189 (76.8%) to S. kali and 185 (75.2%) to S. vermiculata. Protein profile and immunoblot demonstrated similar patterns in all extracts, except in low-molecular-weight allergens of S. oppositifolia. Immunoblot inhibition experiments demonstrated that most high-molecular-weight allergens of S. oppositifolia were inhibited by S. kali whereas low-molecular-weight allergens were totally inhibited only by C. album. Conclusions: This study confirms the allergenic importance of other Salsola species, especially S. oppositifolia. We have demonstrated that the 3 species show a high degree of cross-reactivity, but S. oppositifolia shares more allergenic similarities with C. album than S. kali.

OBJECTIVE: To study nocturnal melatonin suppression induced by exposure to light in patients with bilateral optic neuropathies. METHODS: Observational, prospective case control study. Twenty patients were included in this study and distributed in 3 groups: Group A (n=5, Healthy Control Subjects), Group B (n=10, Experimental Patients) and Group C (n=5, Blind Control Subjects). LogMAR best-corrected visual acuity, standard automated perimetry mean deviation, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness by Optical Coherence Tomography and multifocal electroretinograpy (mfERG) were used to evaluate the changes. Melatonin was analysed in the saliva by radioimmunoassay after exposure to light (600 lux for 1 hour)(nocturnal melatonin suppression test). RESULTS: Statistically significant differences between the groups were found. No changes in the mfERG results were detected. The nocturnal melatonin suppression test was positive in all cases in Group A, 50% in Group B and none in Group C. CONCLUSIONS: Half of the patients with optic neuropathies and severe visual loss were shown to suffer significant melatonin regulation anomalies, probably due to the dysfunction of the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGC).

OBJECTIVE:To measure the serum levels of IgG anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) and human heat shock protein (hHSP) 60 antibodies in patients with active giant cell arteritis (GCA) and to determine whether such levels decrease with corticosteroid therapy and remission of symptoms.METHODS:IgG anti-C. pneumoniae and anti-hHSP60 antibodies were quantified by commercial and in-house ELISA tests, respectively, in serum samples from 17 GCA patients, 39 polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) patients and 23 age-matched healthy subjects.RESULTS:Serum IgG anti-hHSP60, but not anti-C. pneumoniae, antibodies were significantly increased in GCA patients in comparison with PMR patients or healthy controls. After steroid therapy, both anti-hHSP60 and -C. pneumoniae antibodies decreased significantly in both groups of patients.CONCLUSIONS:Although some infectious agents have been suggested to participate in GCA pathogenesis, our data do not suggest that C. pneumoniae might be one of them. The production of anti-hHSP60 antibodies is shared in GCA with other systemic diseases and may be triggered by unknown infectious agents and/or other inflammatory factors.

Summary Background Chemical modification of allergen vaccines to reduce IgE binding improves safety while maintaining clinical efficacy. However, this also complicates the characterization of allergoids using techniques as for native allergen extracts. Objectives The objective of this study was to analyse the molecular size of Betula alba depigmented allergoids, conservation of major allergens in the allergoids and in vivo antibody response to immunization. Methods The molecular size of depigmented allergoids was evaluated by high performance-size exclusion chromatography and light scattering techniques. Protein composition was compared with native extracts by capillary liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry based peptide mapping. Rabbits were immunized with depigmented allergoid of Betula pollen adsorbed onto aluminium hydroxide (Depigoid((R))). IgG antibodies against individual allergens were determined by ELISA and immunoblot. Results Depigmented allergoids contained a range of high molecular weight particles, approximately 60% of which had a molecular weight of 1-3 MDa. Peptide sequencing confirmed the preservation of five isoforms of Bet v 1, as well as Bet v 2, Bet v 6 and Bet v 7. Sera from immunized rabbits showed high levels of specific IgG to rBet v 1.0101 and rBet v 2. Conclusions The mean protein content was 544+/-106 mug per mg of freeze-dried material for depigmented allergoids and 434+/-71 for native extracts. They retain the capacity to induce specific IgG antibodies against individual allergens present in the native extract. These findings confirm the immunogenicity of depigmented allergoids and may explain why patients treated with these vaccines are protected against the native allergens. Analysis of molecular size and allergen content may be useful techniques for characterization and standardization of allergoid products.

Between 1995 and 2008, a case-control study was conducted to determine the role of drugs as risk factors for severe food anaphylaxis in adults. Data including exercise, alcohol intake, and use of aspirin, non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, beta-blockers, and angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) were prospectively recorded. Multivariate analysis was used to compare 76 cases of severe anaphylaxis (SA) with 235 cases of mild to moderate food allergy (mmFA). The M/F sex ratio was 54.6% in SA and 36% in mmFA (p <.003). SA represented 17.3% of all food allergies below 45 years and 54.6% over this age. Drug intake did not differ between the two age categories. Drug use was noted in 40.8% of SA and 14.9% of mmFA (p <.0005). Aspirin, NSAIDs, betablockers and ACEI were associated with respectively 15.8%, 6.6%, 10.5% and 5.3% of SA, and with 1.7%, 0.9%, 1.7% and 0.4% of mmFA (p <.003). The respective odds ratios were 10.8, 8.2, 6.8 and 13.0. No other drugs were associated with FA. Exercise and alcohol intake were associated to drugs with respectively 10.5% and 27.6% of SA and 0.4% and 8.1% of mmFA (p <.0005). Exercise drastically increased the risk of drugs. We conclude that aspirin, NSAIDs, betablockers and ACEI are significant risk factors for severe IgE-dependent food allergy. The underlying mechanisms are discussed. Adults with food allergy or sensitization should avoid taking aspirin and NSAIDs before meals and should receive drug families other than ACEI and betablockers for hypertension. In case of pre-existing heart disease, the benefit-risk ratio of ACEI and beta-blockers has to be carefully considered.

BACKGROUND.AIM: Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) to plant foods is often caused by cross-reactivity to pollen. We investigated whether there was any significant correlation between sensitization to the pollen of alder and Japanese cedar flying off in spring and prevalence of OAS in Yokohama region. METHODS: We measured specific IgE antibodies (CAP-FEIA: CAP) against alder and Japanese cedar in 337 outpatients with skin allergy in 2005 (M:F=167:170, 33.4 years of age, on the average). In the patients who showed positive response to CAP against alder and Japanese cedar, we also tested response to CAP against rBet v 1 and rBet v 2. In addition, we statistically analyzed whether there was any correlation between prevalence of OAS and sensitization to the pollen. RESULTS: Ratio of positive response to CAP against alder was 23.4%(79 cases) while that to CAP against Japanese cedar was 73.7%(244 cases). Response to CAP against rBet v 1 and rBet v 2 was tested in 55 cases, and the ratio of positive response to CAP against rBet v 1 was 43.6%(24 cases) while that to CAP against rBet v 2 was 27.3%(15 cases). Prevalence of OAS showed a significant positive correlation (p<0.001) with sensitization to alder, but no correlation with sensitization to Japanese cedar. CONCLUSION: It was suggested that sensitization to alder pollen would be involved in prevalence of OAS in Yokohama region.

Many types of seafood require cooking before ingestion and it has been demonstrated that this cooking process may affect the antigenicity and allergenicity of the food. We describe a case of anaphylaxis caused by selective sensitization to razor shell, a mollusc. In vivo and in vitro studies confirmed sensitization to boiled razor shell. Analysis of the nature of the allergen yielded results that were consistent with the findings of other authors and suggested that allergens involved in seafood allergy are commonly high molecular weight proteins that, in most cases, are heat stable.

In article the activity of inhibitors of treepsin of a grain string bean dissolved in water and physiological solution is investigated at various ways of culinary processing. Step cooking is carried to the most perspective ways of hydrothermal processing. The subsequent freezing to the maximum reduces activity of inhibitors of treepsin.

A 30-year-old man exhibited systemic edema, dyspnea and wheal immediately after eating raw fish and cuttlefish served on an abalone shell. He had history of anaphylaxis after eating abalone and beef 4 years ago and had avoided shellfish including abalone since then. He also had past history of bronchial asthma and anaphylaxis due to shrimp. CAP-FEIA was performed to determine the allergen and was positive for scallop and oyster. Refined extracts made from abalone are not commercially available in Japan. Therefore, we purchased several kinds of shellfish, which are commonly consumed by Japanese, and used them, as is, for skin testing. Prick-by-prick tests were conduced using these shellfish, and yielded positive results for abalone and effluent from washing the abalone shell. Consequently, he was diagnosed with anaphylaxis caused by abalone extracts attached to the surface of raw fish. In our case, prick-by-prick test with shellfish was useful for the diagnosis of type I food allergy. If there are no commercial reagents of suspected food allergens for skin testing or challenge-test is not available, prick-by-prick tests might be performed for the diagnosis of food allergy.