Fw: AAAAIA Annual Meeting in Orlando

[Guest guest]

Date: Friday, March 26, 1999 9:26 PM

Subject: AAAAIA Annual Meeting in Orlando

>Urticaria

>

>Hi Scratcher Friends,

>I think this is the meeting that my Allergist spoke about. Sorry if this

has

>already been posted. I don't remember.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting

Highlights

>

>Allergy/Immunology Meeting Releases New Research in Household Allergens,

>

>Peanut Allergy and Dust Mites

>

> ORLANDO, Fla., March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Effective technique for evaluating

>allergen leakage through barrier fabrics and vacuum cleaner bags: Today,

>researchers at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

Annual

>Meeting announced an effective technique for evaluating allergen leakage

>through barrier fabrics and vacuum bags.

>

> A.E. Platts-Mills, M.D., FAAAAI and colleagues from the University

of

>Virginia set out to evaluate the effectiveness of high quality barrier

fabrics

>and vacuum cleaner bags that are often used as part of allergen avoidance

>procedures. A vacuum pump and a modified dust trap were used to draw house

>dust containing a known amount of either Fer d 1 or Der p 1 through

individual

>fabrics while measuring airflow characteristics. Allergen passing through

each

>material was collected on a filter covering the exit of the dust trap.

>

>Results indicate that tightly woven barrier fabrics used for mattress and

>pillow covers block cat and dust mite allergens when the fabric pore size

is

>below 10um. Semi-permeable fabrics, non-woven synthetic materials, and

>multilayer vacuum cleaner bags were also tested. The technique proves that

>both woven and non-woven synthetic fabrics can block cat and dust mite

>allergens while allowing airflow through the material.

>

>Cockroach allergen not airborne in homes with low levels of allergen in

>settled dust

>

>Researchers at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

Annual

>Meeting today said that cockroach allergens do not become airborne in homes

>with low levels of settled dust.

>

>Sampson B. Sarpong, M.D. and researchers from the University of Chicago

>collected settled dust samples from homes with mild cockroach infestations

to

>determine the presence of cockroach allergen in both carpeted and smooth

>floors. Air samples were collected during and after disturbance with a

>cassette and cascade impactor for 30 minutes at flow rates of 28.3 to

29L/min.

>Five locations with median levels of cockroach allergen (about 1U/g in

settled

>dust) were selected to determine airborne cockroach allergen levels.

>Researchers found that even with disturbance, airborne cockroach allergens

>were not detected when the allergen levels in settled dust were low,

>regardless of floor surface.

>

>Chlorine bleach rapidly modifies allergenic proteins

>

>Researchers at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

Annual

>Meeting today said that very low concentrations of chlorine bleach, a

common

>household product, may be better than standard detergent for removing

>allergens from a variety of surfaces in the home.

>

>Peyton Eggleston, M.D., FAAAAI and researchers from s Hopkins

University

>School of Medicine examined the effects of chlorine bleach l on allergen

>proteins in solutions and on surfaces. Mus m 1, BSA and IgG were

individually

>reacted with concentrations of chlorine bleach from 0.25mM to 160mM. The

>reaction was then quenched with Na2SO3 and the mixture was separated by 15%

>SDS-PAGE and transferred to nitrocellulose paper. In a separate experiment,

>Mus m 1 was mixed with BSA, then absorbed onto a plate. Chlorine bleach was

>added. The reaction was allowed to run for varying lengths of time before

>being stopped with Na2SO3. Remaining Mus m 1 was determined using enzyme-

>linked immunosorbent assay.

>

>On SDS-PAGE, low concentrations of chlorine bleach caused fragmentation of

the

>protein. Unreacted Mus m 1 appeared as band at 19 KD. At a ratio of 0.014

mole

>chlorine bleach to 1 mole allergen, a diffuse 29-14 KD band was seen. At a

>molar ratio of 0.27 the 22-17 KD band was faint, and at a molar ratio

greater

>than 0.5, no fragments were detectable by SDS gel.

>

>In a separate experiment, unreacted BSA gave a discrete band at 66 KD. At a

>molar ratio of 0.14 a strong 70-24 KD band was seen. At a molar ratio of

0.53

>a 70-14 KD band was fading, and at a molar ratio of 1.0, no fragments were

>detectable by SDS gel. Similar results were observed with IgG. Therefore

>similar dose effects were seen with protein of widely varying molecular

>weight. Complete dissolution of protein occurs essentially within 30

seconds

>as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

>

>Allergy to iguana

>

>Today, researchers at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and

Immunology

>Annual Meeting reported that scaly animals, such as iguanas and lizards,

can

>be allergenic.

>

>In the case study, M. Kelso, M.D. and researchers from Naval Medical

>Center describe a 32 year old man who reported nasal congestion, runny

nose,

>itchy eyes, cough, wheeze and shortness of breath, which occurred

exclusively

>in his home. The patient owned two dogs and two cats, but did not report an

>increase in symptoms when exposed to these pets. The patient also tested

>negative to 42 common airborne allergens on a prick skin test. The patient

>noted that his nose, eye and chest symptoms were acutely worse when in

contact

>with his two pet iguanas. Scales from the iguanas were collected for prick

>skin testing, to which the patient responded with a positive test.

Laboratory

>studies were also strongly positive for extracts from the patient's iguana

and

>an iguana from the zoo. Similar assays were negative to other lizards. The

>patient's history, skin tests and in vitro studies clearly indicate that he

is

>allergic to iguana. The researchers note that physicians should be aware

>allergies to scaly pets do exist, and should ask about such pets when

taking

>an allergy history from patients.

>

>The impact of peanut allergy on children and adults

>

>Today, researchers at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and

Immunology

>Annual Meeting proposed that children with peanut allergy experience a

greater

>impairment on quality of life ratings than patients with musculoskeletal

>diseases such as arthritis or osteoporosis.

>

>Marie-Noel Primeau, M.D. and researchers from Montreal Children's Hospital

>sought to evaluate the impairment in quality of life ratings caused by the

>extreme dietary vigilance and uncertainty adults and children with peanut

>allergy experience. A vertical visual analogue scale and the Impact on

Family

>Life Questionnaire were used to measure the quality of life ratings of

peanut

>allergic and musculoskeletal disease patients. One hundred thirty-eight

peanut

>allergic children were compared to 61 children with musculoskeletal

disease.

>Peanut allergic children compared to children with musculoskeletal disease

and

>little physical disability have much more impairment in their quality of

life

>ratings and family relations. When compared to children with

musculoskeletal

>disease overall, the impairment of peanut allergic children is greater,

>underscoring the substantial impact of peanut allergy.

>

>Peanut allergic reactions on commercial airlines

>

>Researchers at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

Annual

>Meeting said today that peanut allergic reactions on commercial airlines

are

>due to accidental ingestion, inhalation of peanut dust or skin contact and

are

>often severe enough to require medication.

>

>A research team lead by H. Sicherer, M.D. of Mount Sinai School of

>Medicine interviewed 42 participants or parental surrogates in the National

>Peanut and Tree Nut Allergy Registry who reported having an allergic

reaction

>on an airplane. Participants ranged in age from six months to 50 years,

with a

>mean age of six years. Of these, 31 had reactions to peanuts, three to tree

>nuts, and eight reacted to unconfirmed substances, but suspected peanuts.

>There were 20 exposures by mouth, 14 inhalation exposures (10 to peanut, 4

>suspected peanut), and eight skin exposures. During 10 peanut allergic

>inhalation reactions, more than 25 passengers were estimated to be eating

>peanuts at the time of the reaction. The severity of the reaction depended

on

>the exposure site, with the most severe reactions occurring from ingestion

and

>the least severe from skin exposure. In 37 cases, the food triggering the

>reaction was served by the airline. Medications (primarily antihistamines,

but

>in six cases epinephrine) were administered in-flight to 20 patients and to

14

>others upon flight arrival. Only 33% notified flight personnel of the

>reaction.

>

>The role of the uterine environment in the pathogenesis of peanut allergy

>

>Researchers at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

Annual

>Meeting announced today that exposure to peanuts in utero or in breast milk

>does not cause peanut allergy.

>

>Gideon Lack, M.D. and colleagues from Tampere University analyzed

concordance

>rates for peanut allergy among monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins and

>singleton siblings in the United Kingdom to evaluate the contribution of in

>utero and breast milk exposure to peanut allergens. Data via questionnaire

>was obtained from 19 pairs of twins and 37 peanut allergic singletons with

>siblings. Peanut allergy was confirmed by convincing clinical history, IgE

or

>skin prick testing, or double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge. The

>concordance rate in monozygotic twins was 29% whereas the concordance rate

in

>dizygotic twins was lower and comparable with singleton siblings. The low

>concordance rate in monozygotic twins suggests that exposure to peanuts in

>utero or in breast milk are not critical contributors to developing peanut

>allergy.

>

>Mite allergens in feather and synthetic pillowsToday, researchers at the

>American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting announced

>that synthetic pillows contain higher levels of mite allergen than feather

>pillows.

>

>Adnan Custovic, M.D. and researchers from Wythenshawe Hospital investigated

>the levels of dust mite allergens in synthetic and feather pillows in the

>United Kingdom. Dust samples were collected from 14 pairs of pillows, one

>synthetic and one feather. Each pair of pillows had been on the same bed

for

>at least two years. The pillows were vacuumed for one minute on each side

to

>collect a sample of fine dust. Dust levels were determined using a two-site

>monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Total house

dust

>mite allergen recovered was significantly higher in the synthetic pillows.

The

>use of non-feather pillows has increased enormously in the United Kingdom

in

>the last decade. Researchers suggest that higher levels of allergens in

>synthetic pillows may contribute to increasing asthma prevalence and

severity.

>They also question the wisdom of the common advice given to patients with

>allergies to replace their feather pillows with synthetic pillows.

>

>Moth balls kill house dust mites in clothing

>

>A researcher at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

Annual

>Meeting said today that mothball vapors kill house dust mites in clothing.

>

> D. , M.D. of Allergy & Asthma Associates in Danbury, Conn.,

>investigated whether products that kill clothes moths and their eggs could

>also kill house dust mites in clothing. Live cultures of a common type of

dust

>mite, and sections of a woolen sweater infested with dust mites, were

placed

>in plastic clothing storage boxes. Products that kill moths -- naphthalene

>mothballs, paradiclorobenzene moth crystals, or lavandin oil packets --

were

>placed in three of four such boxes. The last box was left as an untreated

>control. Microscopic examination two days later revealed large numbers of

>mites in the untreated cultures and woolens, but no live mites in any of

the

>treated items. Further studies revealed that the mite eggs in the cultures

had

>also been killed.

>

>Dr. concludes that these moth-killing products also kill house dust

>mites and their eggs in clothing. However, mothballs and moth crystals are

a

>source of accidental poisoning by ingestion in children, and their vapors

can

>be irritating to asthmatics. The lavandin oil may be the better choice, but

>the practical implications of these findings are not yet clear.

>

>House dust mites are microscopic arachnids that grow in soft materials,

>including carpets, bedding and clothing. Allergic reactions to proteins

>produced by dust mites are a major cause of asthma and other allergies.

>

>Killing of house dust mites in duvets with a domestic clothes drier

>

>Researchers at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

Annual

>Meeting today said that a domestic clothes drier may be useful in killing

>house dust mites present in comforters.

>

>Rob Siebers, Ph.D. and researchers from Wellington Medical School in New

>Zealand obtained eight double or queen size synthetic comforters from

>residential dwellings. The comforters were assessed for live house dust

mites

>and then tumbled dry in a normal domestic clothes dryer for one hour. After

>one night in a moist environment, house dust mite numbers were assessed

again.

>Live house dust mite numbers reduced approximately 70 from a mean (range)

of

>43.1 (4-129) to 0.6 (0-4) after one hour. A probe inserted in the dryer

showed

>that a mean maximum temperature of 59.2 oC was reached during the one hour

>drying period.

>

>These studies were presented at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American

>Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. The American Academy of

Allergy,

>Asthma and Immunology is the largest professional medical specialty

>organization in the United States representing allergists, asthma

specialists,

>clinical immunologists, allied health professionals and others with a

special

>interest in the research and treatment of allergic disease.

Allergy/immunology

>specialists are pediatric or internal medicine physicians who have elected

an

>additional two years of training to become specialized in the treatment of

>asthma, allergy and immunologic disease. Established in 1943, the Academy

has

>more than 5,700 members in the U.S., Canada and 50 other countries.

>

>

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