Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology
-
The prevalence of asthma and allergic disease has been increasing in Hong Kong and environmental factors are thought to play a major role. ⋯ Major allergens of mite, cat and cockroach, and NO2 are present in varying quantities in residential homes in Hong Kong. Exposure to these environmental factors could be important in the development of asthma and allergic diseases in susceptible individuals.
-
Anaphylactic reactions to cotrimoxazole are often ascribed to the sulphamethoxazole component of this antibacterial drug. ⋯ Although anaphylaxis due to trimethoprim seems to be rare, it may be more common than previously thought. Apparently, anaphylaxis to cotrimoxazole is not always caused by sulphamethoxazole.
-
Children living in a damp house are more likely to suffer from respiratory symptoms and it has been suggested that exposure to fungi is an important contributing factor. However, more knowledge about underlying mechanisms for the association are needed. ⋯ Indoor exposure to certain fungal genera in winter was a risk factor for asthma, atopy and respiratory symptoms in children. On the other hand, no significant associations were seen between average viable or total spore concentrations and child health. Actual measurements of fungal spores predict health outcomes better than reported dampness.
-
Case Reports
Mechanisms of acute eosinophilic inflammation in a case of acute eosinophilic pneumonia in a 14-year-old girl.
Acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) is characterized by respiratory distress, eosinophilic infiltration in the lung, acute onset, resolution of symptoms with corticosteroids and the absence of relapse. Studies to identify the pathophysiology of AEP in adults have demonstrated eosinophil activation in the BAL fluid, and the presence of high levels of interleukin 5 (IL-5) in the BAL. ⋯ We conclude that in this paediatric patient with AEP activated eosinophils were present in the BAL fluid, in the interalveolar septa and in the pleural space while increased ICAM-1 expression was detected on alveolar epithelial cells, contributing, at least partly, for their adhesive interactions. IL-5 and GM-CSF are likely important to the massive eosinophil recruitment and activation in the lung, while IL-5 is probably related to eosinophil accumulation and activation in the pleural space. Thus, lung generation of eosinophil-active cytokines is central to the pathophysiology of AEP in paediatric patients.