Allergies, Asthma, Author Interviews, Microbiome / 14.08.2015

Yvonne J. Huang, MD Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine University of Michigan Health System Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5642 MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Yvonne J. Huang, MD Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine University of Michigan Health System Ann Arbor, MI  48109-5642   Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Dr. Huang: Asthma is a disease with many different clinical manifestations, and it is likely that multiple mechanisms play a role in asthma. Understanding the biological processes that contribute to this heterogeneity is an important goal of current translational research in asthma. One hypothesis that dates back several decades is whether asthma, at least in some forms, is linked to chronic airway infection or colonization by particular species of bacteria.  Results of early investigations in this regard were mixed, in part due to reliance on less sensitive methods to detect bacterial infection, but a new spin on this hypothesis has emerged in recent years.   This stems from the technological advances that now enable one to molecularly profile all bacteria present in a sample, such as via sequence analysis of conserved bacterial genes (such as that for 16S ribosomal RNA). 16S rRNA-based methods are now commonly used to profile bacterial microbiota in a variety of human niches, including in studies of respiratory disease. Prior to our current study, a few investigations had shown that the lower respiratory microbiome in adult asthmatics differs in bacterial composition (i.e. the types and relative abundance of bacteria present), compared to healthy controls.   In a previous study of patients with mild-moderate asthma, we also had found that clinical features of asthma, such as bronchial hyper-responsiveness, were associated with increased abundance of specific bacterial groups.  However, whether similar relationships between clinical features and the  microbiome exist in severe asthma was unknown, which we addressed in the current study. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, OBGYNE / 24.06.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Professor of Pediatrics Hans Bisgaard, MD, DMSc Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Prof. Bisgaard: Programming of the immune response in perinatal life seems to contribute to the increased prevalence of immune-mediated diseases We hypothesized that initiation of labor could affect the developing newborn immune system. Medical Research: What are the main findings? Prof. Bisgaard: Pre-labor cesarean section is associated with a distinct and gestational age-related distribution of circulating immune cells in newborns suggesting that changes in specific immune compartments occur during the approach of labor. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews / 14.05.2015

Dr. Christine McCusker MD Associate Professor, Department Pediatrics Meakins-Christie Laboratories McGill University and the MUHCRI, Montreal Quebec, CanadaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Christine McCusker MD Associate Professor, Department Pediatrics Meakins-Christie Laboratories McGill University and the MUHCRI, Montreal Quebec, Canada Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. McCusker: When the body is exposed to new substances, the immune system must evaluate the “threat” and choose the type of response that will best protect the host. Allergies and allergic asthma develop after the response to “allergens” follows the TH2-type inflammatory pathway instead of the non-inflammatory tolerant pathway.  Evidence suggests that there is some plasticity in this “choice” and thus it may be possible to influence the immune response to preferentially choose the tolerant pathway when exposed to allergens. We therefore treated very young mice to a molecule designed to inhibit activation of the TH2 pathway. We showed that this early treatment resulted in long-lasting protection from the development of allergies.  Instead of allergic responses, vaccinated animals developed tolerant responses to allergens and did not show any signs of allergies or asthma.  Importantly, while the influence of the treatment was long-lasting, the molecule itself is rapidly removed from the system. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Pediatrics / 06.04.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Professor of Pediatrics Hans Bisgaard, MD, DMSc Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Dr. Bisgaard: Extended breast-feeding is recommended for newborn children at risk of allergy-associated diseases, but the evidence of a protective effect on sensitization and these diseases remains elusive. Medical Research: What are the main findings? Dr. Bisgaard: Exclusive breastfeeding does not affect sensitization in early childhood or associated diseases at 7 years of age in at-risk children. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Infections, Microbiome / 27.03.2015

Vijay R. Ramakrishnan, MD Assistant Professor University of Colorado Department of Otolaryngology Aurora, CO 80045MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Vijay R. Ramakrishnan, MD Assistant Professor University of Colorado Department of Otolaryngology Aurora, CO 80045 Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Ramakrishnan: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is an extremely common problem, associated with major quality of life alterations and financial burden. Bacteria are thought to play a role in the initiation or sustenance of the disease, at least in a subset of CRS patients. Chronic rhinosinusitis is probably a group of heterogeneous diseases with different pathways that result in the same endpoint. Here, we study the bacterial microbiome of a large group of CRS and healthy sinuses, and discover that a few clinical subtypes display unique bacterial microbiome profiles and that the microbiome may predict outcomes from severe Chronic rhinosinusitis patients electing to undergo surgery. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, FASEB, Imperial College / 11.03.2015

Professor Jane A. Mitchell Head of Vascular Biology Section Head of Cardiothoracic Pharmacology National Heart and Lung Institute, Institute of Cardiovascular Medicine & Science, Imperial College, LondonMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Professor Jane A. Mitchell Head of Vascular Biology Section Head of Cardiothoracic Pharmacology National Heart and Lung Institute, Institute of Cardiovascular Medicine & Science, Imperial College, London Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: In 2006 a drug called TGN1412 was given to 6 healthy male volunteers as a final test for safety. The drug had passed all of the preclinical tests and showed no problem when it was given to laboratory animals. However when it was given to people it caused a catastrophic side effect known as a ‘cytokine storm response’. All 6 volunteers became sick very quickly and needed immediate hospital treatment, they nearly died and remain at risk of immune problems still. We found a way to mimic the effects of TGN1412 in the laboratory using stem cell technology to engineer two different types of cells from the same donor to be grown and mixed together in a dish. Our test is better than the current tests used because it mimics better the human body and uses cells from one individual donor. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Microbiome, Pediatrics / 04.03.2015

Anita Kozyrskyj Ph.D Professor, Department of Pediatrics University of AlbertaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Anita Kozyrskyj Ph.D Professor, Department of Pediatrics University of Alberta Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Prof. Kozyrskyj: Our study determined what "good" gut bacteria were present in 166 full-term infants enrolled in the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study. Funded by CIHR and AllerGen NCE, this landmark study involves more than 3,500 families and their newborn infants across Canada. Gut bacteria were identified by DNA sequences extracted from infant poop. Infants with a fewer number of different bacteria in their gut at 3 months of age were more likely to become sensitized to foods such as milk, egg or peanut, by the time they were 1 years old. Infants who developed food sensitization also had altered levels of two specific types of bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and Bacteroidaceae, compared to infants who didn’t. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, University Texas / 27.02.2015

Rana Suzette Bonds, MD The University of Texas Medical BranchMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Rana Suzette Bonds, MD The University of Texas Medical Branch MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? Dr. Bonds: Both anaphylaxis and asthma can be life threatening disorders requiring prompt treatment. Each disorder can be successfully treated with medication which is delivered by devices designed for self-administration. Unfortunately there has been evidence in the literature that patients frequently do not use the devices appropriately. We sought to determine which factors were associated with incorrect use of metered dose inhalers and epinephrine autoinjectors, and to determine if rates of correct use have improved since earlier reports. MedicalResearch: What are the main findings? Dr. Bonds: Sixteen percent of patients used the epinephrine autoinjector properly and 7 percent of patients used the metered dose inhaler correctly. The most common error with the autoinjector was not holding the unit in place for at least 10 seconds after triggering. For patients using the metered dose inhaler the most commonly missed step was exhaling to functional residual capacity or residual volume prior to actuating the canister. Male sex, Caucasian race, and previous medical education correlated with correct use of epinephrine autoinjector device. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Microbiome, Pediatrics / 24.02.2015

Dr. Bill Hesselmar University of Gothenburg SwedenMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Bill Hesselmar University of Gothenburg Sweden MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Hesselmar: The hygiene hypothesis is the background for this study, and the hypothesis states that children’s immune system need to be stimulated by bacteria and microbes to mature in a proper way prevent the children from developing immune mediated diseases such as allergies. There are increasing support for the hygiene hypothesis, with less allergies found in children from milieus with a rich microbial exposure such as: growing up on a farm or in a developing country, in children with many siblings, and after vaginal delivery as compared to caesarean section. Even though these findings are interesting from a theoretical point of view, they can’t be use in primary prevention since you can’t recommend anyone to live by a farm. We are investigating if there are harmless “microbial sources” in different daily life-situations that are good enough to stimulate children’s immune system. So far we have observed two such possible sources, the sharing of children’s pacifier (Pediatrics 2013) and hand dishwashing (this study). These are, however, only observational data – we have only found an association between hand dishwashing and a lower risk of allergy, we don’t know for sure that the lower risk of allergy was just because of the hand dishwashing. So far we regard it as an “interesting observation”, which need to be confirmed in new studies before any general conclusions could be made. The main findings was a lower risk of allergy (Odds Ratio 0,57) in children from hand dishwashing families as compared to children from families who use machine dishwashing.        (more…)
Allergies, Microbiome / 23.02.2015

Christine Cole Johnson, PhD, MPH Senior Staff Epidemiologist & Henry Ford Distinguished Scientist Department Chair Department of Public Health Sciences Henry Ford Hospital and Health System Detroit MichiganMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Christine Cole Johnson, PhD, MPH Senior Staff Epidemiologist & Henry Ford Distinguished Scientist Department Chair Department of Public Health Sciences Henry Ford Hospital and Health System Detroit Michigan   Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Johnson: Our research group is focused on the environmental and infant gut microbiomes. We are interested in studying what environmental, lifestyle and behavioral factors affect the microbial community of the baby's gastrointestinal tract, and how that microbial community composition affects the development of allergic disorders. We have been following a birth cohort called WHEALS in Detroit and its suburbs since 2003, collecting data on potential risk and preventive factors as well as environmental samples and stool samples from the babies. We have used sequencing of the v4 region of the 16s rRNA gene, common and unique to all bacteria, to develop a fingerprint of the bacterial community in the stool samples. We have found that many variables shown in the past by ourselves and others to allergic disorders are associated with different types of bacterial communities, such as breastfeeding, mode of delivery, first born status, socioeconomic status, pets in the home, levels of endotoxin in the home, and environmental tobacco smoke. Current breastfeeding is the most important variable at both 1 and 6 months, and at one month, mode of delivery is next most important. Endotoxin levels in house dust samples, a crude marker of bacteria levels, are important at 1 month but even more important at 6 months. We also found that certain bacterial community patterns in the baby's gut impact whether or not they have parental-reported allergic symptoms when exposed to cats and dogs when the children are about 4 years of age. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Dermatology / 25.01.2015

Dr. Alan Irvine, MD Professor in Dermatology Department of Clinical Medicine Trinity College DublinMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Alan Irvine, MD Professor in Dermatology Department of Clinical Medicine Trinity College Dublin   Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Atopic diseases include atopic dermatitis (AD, also know as eczema), food allergy, allergic rhinitis and asthma.  The prevalence of these diseases has increased in recent decades causing considerable morbidity in childhood. The putative “Atopic March” refers to the typical sequence of clinical manifestation of atopic disease, usually initiated by atopic dermatitis from early infancy. Parental atopy is an independent risk factor for development of atopic disease. The genetic mechanisms and inheritance pattern of atopic diseases are not fully elucidated but recent candidate gene studies and Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have yielded some insights. The most widely replicated and most significant gene to influence atopic dermatitis is Filaggrin (FLG). Filaggrin is a filament binding protein in the stratum Corneum. FLG loss-of-function mutations (FLG mut) occur in 10% of Europeans, imparting an increased risk of atopic dermatitis, food allergy and asthma.  The overall increase in risk of atopic dermatitis conferred by a single FLG loss-of-function mutation is approximately 3.3, with a significant additional and independent effect conferred by intragenic copy number variations in FLG. Importantly FLG mutations increase the risk of developing asthma only in the presence of atopic dermatitis. While loss-of-function mutations in the skin barrier protein filaggrin (FLG) are a major risk for atopic dermatitis, the pathogenic sequence of disturbances in skin barrier function prior to or during the early development of atopic dermatitis is not fully understood. A more detailed understanding of these events is needed to develop a clearer picture of disease pathogenesis. A robust, non-invasive test to identify babies at high risk of atopic dermatitis would be important in planning early intervention and/or prevention studies. We found that raised transepidermal water loss at birth and at two months in asymptomatic infants predates the development of atopic dermatitis. This signal is independent of FLG status and parental atopy. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Genetic Research / 28.11.2014

Dr. Hakon Hakonarson MD PhD The Center for Applied Genomics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Department of Pediatrics, The Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Hakon Hakonarson MD PhD The Center for Applied Genomics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Department of Pediatrics, The Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Hakonarson: We have built the world’s largest pediatric biobank at the Center for Applied Genomics at CHOP. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is among the projects we have sampled in collaboration with the EoE Center in collaboration with Dr. Spergel. We have nearly 1,000 samples now of this relatively rare disorder, which is now well powered for GWAS.  We previously  reported association of the TSLP locus with Eosinophilic esophagitis. Here we report genome-wide significant associations at four additional loci; c11orf30 and STAT6, which have been previously associated with both atopic and autoimmune diseases, and two EoE-specific loci, ANKRD27 that regulates the trafficking of melanogenic enzymes to epidermal melanocytes and CAPN14, that encodes a calpain whose expression is highly enriched in the esophagus in EoE.  This discovery not only improves our understanding of the pathobiology of  EoE, but also represents novel targets for the development of new therapies to treat the disease. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Pediatrics / 20.11.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Maria Pesonen MD, PhD Specialist in Dermatology Assistant Chief Medical Officer Finnish Institute of Occupational Health Occupational Medicine Helsinki, Finland Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Pesonen: Skin prick test is a widely used, established methods in assessing immediate (i.e. immunoglobulin E-mediated) sensitization. However, the knowledge on long-term reproducibility and predictive value of skin prick testing in children has been limited. We assessed the predictive value of skin prick testing in the setting of a follow-up study on healthy, unselected newborns, who were followed up to age 20 years with skin prick testing with 11 common allergens, structured interview and clinical examination at ages 5, 11 and 20 years. The reproducibility of skin prick test positivity at age 5 years was 100% at ages 11 and 20 years, i.e. none of the skin prick positive subjects turned negative during the follow-up. Gaining of new sensitizations to aeroallergens was common. Skin prick test positivity at age 5 years predicted allergic symptoms at ages 11 (sensitivity 28%, specificity 94%) and 20 years (sensitivity 23%, specificity 91%), but not atopic dermatitis. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Infections, Nutrition, Pediatrics / 22.10.2014

Georg Loss, PhD Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich Munich, GermanyMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Georg Loss, PhD Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich Munich, Germany Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Loss: In this large population based cohort study we observed that consumption of fresh unprocessed cow’s milk protected from respiratory infections, febrile illness and inflammation of the middle ear during the first year of life. The risk of developing these conditions was reduced by up to 30%, and the effect was diminished if the milk was heated at home before consumption. Conventionally pasteurized milk retained the ability to reduce the risk of febrile illness, while exposure to the higher temperatures used in UHT (Ultra-heat-treatment) processing eliminated the effect altogether. Importantly, the positive impact of fresh milk could be clearly separated from the confounding effects of other elements of the children’s nutrition. Furthermore, infants fed on unprocessed milk were found to have lower levels of the C-reactive protein, which is a measure of inflammation status. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Dermatology / 10.10.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Shawn Demehri, M.D., Ph.D. Instructor of Medicine Division of Dermatology Washington University in St. Louis andShawn Demehri, M.D., Ph.D. Instructor of Medicine Division of Dermatology Washington University in St. Louis and   Wayne M. Yokoyama, M.D. Howard Hughes Medical Institute Rheumatology Division Washington University Medical Center St. Louis, MO 63110-1093Wayne M. Yokoyama, M.D. Howard Hughes Medical Institute Rheumatology Division Washington University Medical Center St. Louis, MO 63110-1093 MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Research: This bedside to bench research has clearly demonstrated a cause and effect relationship between chronic allergic contact dermatitis and skin cancer development. This research originated from a clinical case of invasive skin cancer that developed in the context of chronic allergic contact dermatitis to a nickel-containing metal implant. Using animal models, we have demonstrated that chronic exposure to a contact allergen creates an inflammation that drive skin cancer development. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Kaiser Permanente / 29.09.2014

Eric Macy, MS, MS Allergy & Immunology Kaiser Permanente Medical Group-AllergyMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Eric Macy, MS, MS Allergy & Immunology Kaiser Permanente Medical Group-Allergy   Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Macy:
  • Cephalosporins are currently widely and relatively safely used in individuals with a history of a penicillin "allergy" in their medical record.
  • Cephalosporin associated anaphylaxis is very rare, even in individuals with a history of penicillin "allergy".
  • Cephalosporin associated serious cutaneous adverse reactions are extremely rare.
  • Cephalosporin associated Clostridium difficile and serious nephropathy are relatively common. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews / 07.09.2014

Elena Ramírez, MD, PhD Clinical Pharmacology Department Hospital Universitario la Paz, IdiPaz School of Medicine, U.A.M.MedicalResearch.com: Interview with: Elena Ramírez, MD, PhD Clinical Pharmacology Department Hospital Universitario la Paz, IdiPaz School of Medicine, U.A.M. Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Ramirez: We found that the presence of a past history of allergy, the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI), the number of times of previous administration of contrast media , and high values of creatinine are significant factors to hypersensitivity reactions to contrast media (CM). We found a low, but relevant, number of positive skin tests. The tolerability of an alternative skin test-negative contrast media or different contrast media was confirmed in all cases. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews / 29.08.2014

Dr. Richard Sharpe PhD Study - Health and Housing European Centre for Environment and Human Health University of Exeter Medical school Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital Truro, Cornwall,MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Richard Sharpe PhD Study - Health and Housing European Centre for Environment and Human Health University of Exeter Medical school Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital Truro, Cornwall, Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Sharpe: By systematically reviewing the findings from 17 studies across 8 different countries, we've found that increased levels of the fungal species Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Cladosporium can pose a significant health risk to people with asthma. The presence of these fungi in the home can worsen symptoms in both children and adults. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Dermatology, JAMA / 06.08.2014

upcoming JAMA publication: Shuen-Iu Hung, PhD, for the Taiwan SCAR consortium Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 112 TaiwanMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Shuen-Iu Hung, PhD, for the Taiwan SCAR consortium Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 112 Taiwan   Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Reply: Phenytoin, a widely prescribed antiepileptic drug, can cause severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCAR) (e.g., Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) ), which carry high mortality and morbidity. The genomic basis of phenytoin-induced SCAR has not been known. This study identifies CYP2C variants, including CYP2C9*3 known to reduce drug clearance, as the key genetic factors associated with phenytoin-related severe cutaneous adverse reactions. These findings have potential to improve the safety profile of phenytoin in clinical practice and offer the possibility of prospective testing for preventing phenytoin-related SCAR. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews / 01.08.2014

Supinda Bunyavanich, MD, MPH, MPhil Department of Pediatrics- Allergy/Immunology Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology Mindich Child Health and Development Institute Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY 10029 USAMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Supinda Bunyavanich, MD, MPH, MPhil Department of Pediatrics- Allergy/Immunology Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology Mindich Child Health and Development Institute Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY 10029 USA Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Bunyavanich: What is the prevalence of peanut allergy among US children? Given that 90% of US households consume peanut butter, this is an important question. We report and compare prevalence estimates of childhood peanut allergy according to varying criteria among 7-10 year-old children participating in a US birth cohort not selected for any disease. The prevalence of peanut allergy ranged from 2.0% to 5.0%, depending on definition. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, BMJ, Smoking / 29.06.2014

Dr. Wojciech Feleszko Department of Pediatric Respiratory Diseases and Allergy The Medical University of Warsaw Działdowska Warsaw, PolandMedicalResearch.com Interview with Dr. Wojciech Feleszko Department of Pediatric Respiratory Diseases and Allergy The Medical University of Warsaw Działdowska Warsaw, Poland MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Feleszko: We combined data from nineteen population-based cohort studies of 24 000 children and we found that household exposure to tobacco smoke after birth has immunomodulating effects.  We demonstrated an increased sensitivity to allergens, measured by serum IgE and skin testing which may contribute to the increased development of allergy in children exposed postnatally to household tobacco smoke. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, BMJ, Environmental Risks / 05.06.2014

Elaine Fuertes Institute of Epidemiology I, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health Neuherberg, Germany and School of Population and Public Health University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Elaine Fuertes Institute of Epidemiology I, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health Neuherberg, Germany and School of Population and Public Health University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: The main finding of our study was that despite the use of identical study designs and statistical methods, the level of greenness (measured using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) around a child's home address was differentially associated with the development of allergic health outcomes among children living in two areas in Germany. In our urban study centre, which includes the city of Munich, we found that higher greenness levels around a child's home increased their risk of developing allergic rhinitis and experiencing eyes and nose symptoms. In contrast, greenness around the home appeared to be protective for allergic rhinitis, nose and eye symptoms and sensitization to inhalant allergens in the second more rural study centre investigated. These observations emphasize that the effects of greenness around the home on respiratory health is complex and multifaceted, and are based on 5,803 German children followed from birth to 10 years as part of the GINIplus and LISAplus birth cohorts. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Pediatrics / 12.05.2014

dr_julie_wangMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Julie Wang, MD Associate Professor of Pediatrics Division of Allergy and Immunology Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY 10029   MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Wang: The results of this study demonstrate that differences in prevalence of reported food allergies exist in elementary schools representing diverse socioeconomic and racial/ethnic characteristic.  In this study, we conducted a survey at 4 elementary schools in New York City, 2 private schools that had a predominantly White student body with over 80% of families having paid a full tuition of over $35,000 per year and 2 public charter schools that had a primarily Black and Hispanic student body where over 90% of students qualified for free or reduced price school lunch.  The results show a high rate of reported food allergy, with rates significantly higher in the private school population as compared to the public charter school population. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Vitamin D / 03.03.2014

Dr. Jill A Poole MD Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep, and Allergy Division, Department of Medicine College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center The Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NebraskaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Jill A Poole MD Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep, and Allergy Division, Department of Medicine College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center The Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Poole:  Our study found that adding vitamin D 4000 IU daily to a cocktail of anti-allergy medications resulted in a further 40% reduction in hive symptom scores at 3 months.  There was no further reduction in hive symptoms when 600 IU of vitamin D was added to the anti-allergy medications.  The anti-allergy regimen utilized was triple drug therapy with cetirizine (twice daily), ranitidine (twice daily), and montelukast (once daily).  No adverse reactions occurred. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Lung Cancer / 09.02.2014

Mariam El-Zein, PhD. Associée de recherche/ Research associate Unité d'épidémiologie et biostatistique / Epidemiology & Biostatistics Unit INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier Université du QuébecMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Mariam El-Zein, PhD. Associée de recherche/ Research associate Unité d'épidémiologie et biostatistique / Epidemiology & Biostatistics Unit INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier Université du Québec MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: The overall indication is that a prior history of allergic diseases (asthma, eczema or hay fever) might decrease lung cancer risk. There was a 36% (odds ratio= 0.64, 95% confidence intervals: 0.44-0.93) reduction in lung cancer risk among subjects who reported a history of asthma. Hay fever was associated with a 67% (odds ratio= 0.33, 95% confidence intervals: 0.19-0.59) reduction in lung cancer risk. Smoking was accounted for using a comprehensive smoking index that takes into account multiple dimensions of smoking behaviour (i.e., smoking status, intensity, duration, and time since cessation). A lower risk of lung cancer (reduction by 37%; odds ratio= 0.63, 95% confidence intervals: 0.38-1.07) was found among those having had eczema, but was not statistically significant. (more…)
Allergies, Asthma, Author Interviews, Dermatology / 05.02.2014

Sabina Illi, Dipl.-Stat., MPH University Children's Hospital Lindwurmstr. 4 80337 Munich GermanyMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Sabina Illi, Dipl.-Stat., MPH University Children's Hospital Lindwurmstr. 4 80337 Munich Germany MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: We observed that the offspring of atopic pregnant women that showed symptoms of atopy during pregnancy, i.e. atopic dermatitis or hay fever, had a higher risk of having the respective atopic disorder themselves. However, we do not know whether this is due to timing, i.e. pregnancy, or whether it merely mirrors the severity of maternal disease. Furthermore, in our study pregnant mothers with repeated colds during pregnancy were at increased risk of having a child that wheezed at pre-school age, this was statistically independent of the intake of medication. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews / 17.01.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Katja M Hakkarainen, M.Sc.Pharm. Doctoral researcher Nordic School of Public Health NHV Guest teacher, Doctoral studentSection for Social Medicine Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg Gothenburg, SwedenKatja M Hakkarainen, M.Sc.Pharm. Doctoral researcher Nordic School of Public Health NHV Guest teacher, Doctoral studentSection for Social Medicine Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg Gothenburg, Sweden MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: In total 12% of the adult general public was found to experience harm from medicines, i.e. adverse drug events (ADEs), when we scrutinised the medical and dispensing records of 4970 adults in Sweden during three months, including 29 inpatient care departments in three hospitals, 110 specialised outpatient clinics, and 51 primary care units. Most ADEs were adverse drug reactions (also called side effects) and sub-therapeutic effects. Commonly used drugs caused most ADEs, with a high frequency of adverse drug reactions from antidepressants and cardiovascular drugs as well as sub-therapeutic effects of analgesics and cardiovascular drugs. Of all ADEs, 39% were potentially preventable, because the drug therapy or use was judged suboptimal. (more…)
Allergies, Asthma, Author Interviews, Lancet / 15.01.2014

Mariona Pinart, PhD CREAL-Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology ISGlobal alliance Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona Doctor Aiguader, 88 | 08003 BarcelonaMedicalResearch.com Interveiw with: Mariona Pinart, PhD CREAL-Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology ISGlobal alliance Doctor Aiguader, 88 | 08003 Barcelona MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: The study examined 23.434 children at 4 and 8 years from 12 ongoing European population-based birth cohort studies that recorded information on current eczema, rhinitis, and asthma from questionnaires and serum-specific IgE to six allergens. We wanted to assess how often eczema, rhinitis and asthma coexist in the same children (comorbidity) and whether the occurrence of comorbidities was due to causality or casualty and finally we wanted to examine whether the occurrence of comorbidity was modified by IgE sensitization. We found that comorbidity affects about 4% of children aged 4–8 years and that about 50% of this comorbidity is due to causality, suggesting that these diseases share common pathophysiological mechanisms. In addition, we found that children comorbidity at age 4 are 30 to 60 times more likely to have comorbidity at age 8 years, suggesting that the presence of comorbidity at age 4 years is a strong determinant of comorbidity at age 8 years. Even children with one single disease are also at high risk of developing comorbidity by age 8 years. Interestingly, we found that not only comorbidity is present in children both sensitized and not sensitized to IgE but also that only 38% of incident comorbidity at age 8 years is explained by the presence of IgE sensitization at age 4 years. (more…)