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The article focuses on treating mastocytosis disorders in children and adults with vaccination. Topics discussed include characterization of the disease through presence of clonal mast cells (MC) in cutaneous tissues and extracutaneous organs; risk factors related to patients with mastocytosis such as anaphylaxis with hymenoptera venom (HV); epidemiological data on frequency and severity of mastocytosis; and presence of idiopathic anaphylaxis among children's.

Objectives: Synthetic calcium phosphate bone substitutes such as hydroxyapatite (HA), β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) or mixtures are alternatives to autogenous bone grafts. TricOs T® and Collagraft® are resorbable bone substitutes consisting of biphasic calcium phosphate and a bioactive matrix. Both products have a similar HA to β-TCP ratio, but differ by their matrix. It was the aim of this study to determine the influence of matrix and autologous bone marrow on bone regeneration in a rabbit femoral condyle model. Material and methods: A critical-sized bicortical channel with a diameter of 4.5 mm was drilled through the femoral condyles in male New Zealand rabbits. Collagraft® with bone marrow harvested from the posterior iliac crest or TricOs T® with and without bone marrow was introduced into the defect. Rabbits were euthanized 8 weeks later. The percentage of newly formed bone was determined by micro-computed tomography. Results: There was no significant difference between bone ingrowth at 8 weeks. Thus, TricOs T® without bone marrow showed similar bone ingrowth as Collagraft® with bone marrow. Furthermore, no increase of bone ingrowth could be achieved by adding bone marrow to TricOs T® in the present setting. Conclusion: Both bone substitutes showed similar bone ingrowth in this investigation. Using TricOs T® without bone marrow could avoid donor site morbidity due to harvesting of bone marrow. Further prospective clinical trials will be needed to investigate this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments on an article regarding hepatitis B vaccine-related acute transverse myelitis, published in a 2001 issue of the 'European Journal of Neurology.' Presenting signs and symptoms; Past medical history; Diagnostic procedures; Treatment outcome.

Drug hypersensitivity reactions ( DHRs) are a matter of great concern, both for outpatient and in hospital care. The evaluation of these patients is complex, because in vivo tests have a suboptimal sensitivity and can be time-consuming, expensive and potentially risky, especially drug provocation tests. There are several currently available in vitro methods that can be classified into two main groups: those that help to characterize the active phase of the reaction and those that help to identify the culprit drug. The utility of these in vitro methods depends on the mechanisms involved, meaning that they cannot be used for the evaluation of all types of DHRs. Moreover, their effectiveness has not been defined by a consensus agreement between experts in the field. Thus, the European Network on Drug Allergy and Drug Allergy Interest Group of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology has organized a task force to provide data and recommendations regarding the available in vitro methods for DHR diagnosis. We have found that although there are many in vitro tests, few of them can be given a recommendation of grade B or above mainly because there is a lack of well-controlled studies, most information comes from small studies with few subjects and results are not always confirmed in later studies. Therefore, it is necessary to validate the currently available in vitro tests in a large series of well-characterized patients with DHR and to develop new tests for diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Suspected vaccine allergy may be a cause of incomplete or delayed vaccination. Patients at risk of adverse reactions or suspected contraindications need specialized consultation about subsequent vaccinations. Objective To analyse consultancy results for patients at risk of allergic reactions to vaccines as evaluated by the Green Channel University Hospital Immunization Consultancy Clinic. Methods A review of cases of allergic reactions to vaccines or contraindications due to underlying diseases or sensitization to vaccine components submitted to the Green Channel was carried out. Analysed data included detailed clinical reaction history, skin and in vitro allergy testing with vaccine components, recommendations for vaccination and outcome of subsequent vaccine administrations. Results A total of 519 cases, 370 referred for previous local or systemic reactions to vaccines, mostly cutaneous, and 149 sent for suspected contraindications were evaluated. Skin testing was performed on 152 patients, specific IgE determination in 37 subjects and patch testing in 173 cases. After consultation, 442 (85%) subjects were advised to continue vaccination, with personalized precautions (premedication, or alternative brand, or administration in graded doses) for 200 of them. Among the 352 (80%) patients vaccinated as per Green Channel instructions, 33 subjects (9.3%) reported mild allergic or non-specific symptoms and one (0.3%) urticaria with bronchospasm. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance Even though vaccine allergy occurs very rarely, a safe procedure for immunization can be applied, through specialized allergy consultancy, for most subjects with suspected allergy to vaccines, and who could be potentially excluded from vaccination for risk of adverse reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Chronic idiopathic urticaria is a common skin disorder characterized by recurrent, transitory, itchy weals for more than 6 weeks. An autoimmune origin has been suggested based on the findings of auto-antibodies (Abs) directed against either the α subunit of the high-affinity IgE receptor or the IgE molecule in nearly half of the patients. Objective To identify other autoantigen targets in patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria. Methods We used pooled IgG derived from 133 patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria to screen a random peptide library to identify disease-relevant autoantigen peptides. Among the identified peptides, one was recognized by the vast majority of patients' sera. Abs against this peptide were affinity purified from the patients' sera and assayed for their ability to induce histamine release from basophils. Results We identified a peptide that showed similarity with the low-affinity IgE receptor (FcℇRII/CD23) expressed on lymphomonocytes and eosinophils. Anti-peptide IgG Abs purified from the patients' sera bound cell surface CD23 and were able to induce histamine release from basophils. This effect appeared to be mediated by the release of major basic protein from eosinophils upon engagement of CD23. The same effects were obtained with the sera from mice immunized with the CD23 peptide. Conclusion Our results indicate that patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria have Abs against CD23 and that eosinophils, which infiltrate the skin of these patients, play a crucial role in maintaining the disease through the release of major basic protein upon engagement of the low-affinity IgE receptor by such auto-Abs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundAllergic asthma is a multifactorial disease for which there is a widely assessed, although poorly understood, genetic involvement. Genome-wide screens reported evidence for linkage of allergic asthma-related phenotypes to several chromosomal locations. Markers on chromosome 19 have been linked to allergic asthma phenotypes in different populations in independent studies. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to perform a genetic linkage analysis on chromosome 19 to search for DNA markers linked to phenotypes related to allergic asthma. MethodsUsing non-parametric multipoint linkage analysis on a total of 22 random DNA markers in 2 stages, a sample of 111 families (542 subjects) from north-eastern Italy, recruited through an asthmatic allergic proband, was investigated. Phenotypes examined were: clinical asthma, total serum elevated IgE, skin prick test positivity, bronchial hyper-responsiveness, and atopy defined as skin prick test positivity and/or elevated IgE. Simulation studies were performed to confirm the significance of the results. ResultsA novel linkage of atopy and skin prick test positivity to marker D19S601 (19q13.3) was found. Modest evidence for linkage of atopy, skin prick test positivity, and IgE was also found to marker D19S591 (19p13.3). Simulation analysis for atopy gave an NPL-Z > 3.326 in 2 replicates out of 1000 (P = 0.002) for D19S601, and an NPL-Z > 2.56 in 16 replicates out of 1000 (P = 0.016) for D19S591. ConclusionsOn chromosome 19, suggestive linkage of atopy and skin prick test positivity with marker D19S601 (19q13.3) and modest evidence of linkage of marker D19S591 (19p13.3) to the atopic phenotypes investigated were found. These results suggest that these regions may contain susceptibility loci associated to atopic phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]