Search results for "Allergen"
showing 10 items of 253 documents
Cat Allergy as a Source Intensification of Atopic Dermatitis in Adult Patients
2020
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is characterized by exacerbations and remissions of eczematous skin, underlain by impaired skin barrier and aberrant Th2-type and Th-22 cytokine production. A number of allergens, in particular contact with fur animals, may aggravate the disease. This study seeks to define the influence of having a regular contact with a pet cat at home on the severity of symptoms and signs of AD. We addressed the issue using the SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) and visual analog (VAS) scores to assess the intensity of pruritus and by measuring the blood content of specific IgE and IL-4, IL-13, and IL-22 cytokines. The study group consisted of 47 adult patients suffering from AD sin…
Intralaboratory validation of four in vitro assays for the prediction of the skin sensitizing potential of chemicals
2011
Abstract Allergic contact dermatitis is induced by repeated skin contact with an allergen. Assessment of the skin sensitizing potential of chemicals, agrochemicals, and especially cosmetic ingredients is currently performed with the use of animals. Animal welfare and EU legislation demand animal-free alternatives reflected in a testing and marketing ban for cosmetic ingredients beginning in 2013. The underlying mechanisms of induction and elicitation of skin sensitization are complex and a chemical needs to comply several properties being skin sensitizing. To account for the multitude of events in the induction of skin sensitization an in vitro test system will consist of a battery of vario…
PRELIMINARY DATA ON HYDROLYTIC ACTIVITY OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA ON ß-LACTOGLOBULIN IN MILK
2014
β-Lactoglobulin (β-lg) is the major whey milk protein and it represents the main allergen in cow and sheep milk (1). Microbial fermentation produces some proteolytic enzymes and leads to the degradation of milk protein allergens. In this study, the results of a screening on the ability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from typical Sicilian cheeses to reduce the β-lg are shown. This screening was carried out through an indirect competitive ELISA. The lactic acid fermentation was found to be suitable for decreasing milk immunoreactivity. Twenty three strains of cheese LAB, belonging to six genera (Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus and Streptococcus), wer…
Importance of the inducible costimulator molecule for the induction of allergic immune responses and its decreased expression on T helper cells after…
2004
The inducible costimulator (ICOS), a newly identified member of the CD28 receptor family that is induced after T-cell activation, and its ligand (ICOSL), being expressed on activated monocytes and dendritic cells play a key role in T-cell-mediated immune responses. As ICOS costimulation also seems to regulate T helper 2 effector cells, the aim of this study was to analyse the function of this molecule in allergic immune responses and their specific therapy, mainly venom immunotherapy (VIT). CD4+ T cells from grass pollen-, or bee or wasp venom-allergic donors were stimulated in the presence of autologous mature dendritic cells, which were pulsed with different allergen doses. In this system…
Bioaerosols in the Earth system: Climate, health, and ecosystem interactions
2016
Abstract Aerosols of biological origin play a vital role in the Earth system, particularly in the interactions between atmosphere, biosphere, climate, and public health. Airborne bacteria, fungal spores, pollen, and other bioparticles are essential for the reproduction and spread of organisms across various ecosystems, and they can cause or enhance human, animal, and plant diseases. Moreover, they can serve as nuclei for cloud droplets, ice crystals, and precipitation, thus influencing the hydrological cycle and climate. The sources, abundance, composition, and effects of biological aerosols and the atmospheric microbiome are, however, not yet well characterized and constitute a large gap i…
A statistical model for predicting the inter-annual variability of birch pollen abundance in Northern and North-Eastern Europe
2018
The paper suggests a methodology for predicting next-year seasonal pollen index (SPI, a sum of daily-mean pollen concentrations) over large regions and demonstrates its performance for birch in Northern and North-Eastern Europe. A statistical model is constructed using meteorological, geophysical and biological characteristics of the previous year). A cluster analysis of multi-annual data of European Aeroallergen Network (EAN) revealed several large regions in Europe, where the observed SPI exhibits similar patterns of the multi-annual variability. We built the model for the northern cluster of stations, which covers Finland, Sweden, Baltic States, part of Belarus, and, probably, Russia and…
Low zone tolerance induced by systemic application of allergens inhibits TC1-mediated skin inflammation
2005
Background The induction of tolerance may be a promising target of strategies aimed at preventing harmful allergic diseases. Low zone tolerance (LZT), induced by epicutaneous application of low doses of contact allergens, inhibits the development of T C 1-mediated contact hypersensitivity (CHS). Objective We evaluated the effect of systemic (oral, intravenous) administration of low amounts of haptens on specific immune reactions and tolerance induction. Methods By using the mouse model of LZT, we analyzed immune reactions in vivo (skin inflammation) and T-cell responses in vitro after oral, intravenous, or epicutaneous application of low amounts of the contact allergen 2,4,6-trinitro-1-chlo…
Critical role of IL-10 in the induction of low zone tolerance to contact allergens
2003
The development and mechanisms of tolerance to allergens are poorly understood. Using the murine low zone tolerance (LZT) model, where contact hypersensitivity (CHS) is prevented by repeated topical low-dose applications of contact allergens, we show that LZT induction is IL-10 dependent. IL-10 is required for the generation of LZT effector cells, that is, CD8+ regulatory T cells. Only T cells from tolerized IL-10+/+ mice or IL-10-/- mice reconstituted with IL-10 during LZT induction adoptively transferred LZT to naive mice and prevented CHS, whereas T cells from IL-10-/- mice failed to do so. The IL-10 required for normal LZT development is derived from lymph node CD4+ T cells, the only sk…
Allergological implication of the quaternary hexameric structure of the cockroach allergen Per a 3.
2007
Summary Background Cockroach allergens play a very important role in allergic diseases, especially asthma. The major allergen of the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana), Per a 3, naturally occurs as isoforms of hexamers. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate whether the hexameric structures of Per a 3 influence their allergenicity and immunogenicity. Methods Therefore, we compared the different effects of native hexamers and dissociated monomers of cockroach haemolymph (HL), containing almost only Per a 3 proteins (HL-Per a 3), on proliferation and T-helper type 1 (Th1)/Th2 cytokine production of human CD4+ T cells in co-culture with allergen-pulsed monocyte-derived auto…
Allergen-induced IgE-dependent gut inflammation in a human PBMC-engrafted murine model of allergy.
2011
Background Humanized murine models comprise a new tool to analyze novel therapeutic strategies for allergic diseases of the intestine. Objective In this study we developed a human PBMC–engrafted murine model of allergen-driven gut inflammation and analyzed the underlying immunologic mechanisms. Methods Nonobese diabetic (NOD)– scid -γc −/− mice were injected intraperitoneally with human PBMCs from allergic donors together with the respective allergen or not. Three weeks later, mice were challenged with the allergen orally or rectally, and gut inflammation was monitored with a high-resolution video miniendoscopic system, as well as histologically. Results Using the aeroallergens birch or gra…