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Introduction: Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is an effective therapy for allergic rhinitis and may have long-term benefits. However, these benefits have not been strictly defined for older people. Aim: The evaluation of the effectiveness of AIT in patients over 60 with allergic rhinitis and house dust mites (HDM) allergy over a period of 7 years was performed. Material and methods: Patients after three years of HDM-AIT were observed to assess the sustained clinical effect of treatment. The average adjusted symptom score (AAdSS) and sIgG4 were monitored for 7 years after sublingual (SLIT) and injection AIT (SCIT). Results: After 3 years of HDM-AIT, a significant clinical effect was observed in the group after SLIT and SCIT based on AAdSS compared to the baseline and the placebo group (p < 0.05). After 7 years of follow-up, there was a sustained trend of decrease in clinical symptoms in desensitized patients relative to placebo. Serum sIgG4 was constantly present in all desensitized patients. Conclusions: AIT may be beneficial for treating seniors with allergic rhinitis and allergies to house dust mites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) has no clear recommendation for atopic dermatitis (AD). Aim: To evaluate the effect of AIT on house dust mites (HDM) in AD patients sensitised to HDM with different baseline molecular profiles of antigens. Material and methods: In this placebo-controlled study, 61 patients with moderate-to-severe AD allergy symptoms and HDM allergy were included. They received a 12 months' AIT with the use of HDM allergen extract or placebo. The authors adopted their AD improvement criterion after 1 year of AIT as a reduction of all examined indicators by at least 50% from the baseline for %BSA, TMS, and EASI scores. Additionally, the influence of individual HDM molecules on the final AIT effect was analysed. Results: Finally, from the 24 desensitised patients, 15 achieved a positive expected effect after 12 months of HDM AIT. None of the patients who received a placebo had an improvement in AD of at least 50% after 1 year of follow-up. Patients with polysensitisation less frequently achieved the expected HDM AIT effect than patients monosensitised to mites (p < 0.05). The presence of sensitisation to rDer p 1 (odds ratio = 4.35, 95% CI: 4.01-4.56) and/or rDer p 2 (OR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.98-2.33) and/or rDer f 2 (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.55-1.78) molecules significantly increased the efficacy of AIT. HDM AIT could be helpful for patients with moderate-to-severe AD and sensitised to HDM as an add-on therapy. Various HDM molecules may affect the effectiveness of the expected AIT effect. The presence of sensitisation to rDer p 1 (OR = 4.35, 95% CI: 4.01-4.56) and/or rDer p 2 (OR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.98-2.33) and/or rDer f 2 (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.55-1.78) molecules significantly increased the efficacy of AIT. Conclusions: HDM AIT could be helpful for patients with moderate-to-severe AD and sensitised to HDM as an addon therapy. Various HDM molecules may affect the effectiveness of the expected AIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psoriasis is a common immune-mediated, chronic inflammatory disease, causing adverse effects on patients' quality of life and disease burden. In psychodermatology, psoriasis is included both in the group of dermatological diseases, in which the psychophysiological background plays a key role, and in dermatoses being a potential source of emotional disturbances or being a trigger for the development of secondary mental disorders. A comprehensive view of the patient with psoriasis, not only from the point of view of skin disease, but also as a result of a wide impact of stress, including low self-esteem and inappropriate social perception may have a key influence on improvement of quality of life of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Local allergic rhinitis (LAR) is one of the endotypes of rhinitis which occurs commonly in different age groups. Aim: To present the occurrence and characteristics of LAR in Polish children and adolescents. Material and methods: In the study protocol, three hundred sixty-one patients aged 5-17 with chronic rhinitis were included from 8 centres in Poland. Medical history and diagnostic procedures were performed with aeroallergens: skin prick tests, allergen-specific serum IgE and nasal provocation tests. In addition to LAR, allergic rhinitis (AR), dual allergic rhinitis (DUAL) and non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) were explored and compared. Results: LAR was confirmed in 21% of patients, systemic allergic rhinitis (SAR) in 43.9%, DUAL in 9.4% and NAR in 33.9% of patients. Based on nasal provocation test (NPT), allergy to HDM prevailed in the LAR group (68%), grass in the SAR group (58%), and grass and HDM in the DUAL group (32% and 64%). Girls were prevalent in the LAR group, and severe rhinitis and asthma were more common than other endotypes (p < 0.05). Conclusions: LAR is a common disease in children and adolescents and is often associated with severe rhinitis and frequently coexists with asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It is valuable to determine the long-term efficacy of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) and whether it can cure allergy. Aim: For this study, patients were prospectively observed for 20 years after completion of SIT to determine its effectiveness. Material and methods: A total of 1006 patients who underwent SIT for pollen allergy were observed for 20 years to assess the efficacy of SIT. The rhinitis symptom score (RSS) and asthma symptom score (ASS) were measured after SIT completion. The possibility of allergy cure was estimated based on three sets of criteria: group A - neither symptoms nor intake of medication during the analysis period, group B - no symptoms during the analysis period (but possible medication intake), and group C - at most one mild symptom during the analysis period. Results: After SIT, approximately 25% of patients showed complete relief of allergy symptoms and had no need for symptomatic drug treatment during the pollen season. The level of effectiveness of SIT was similar throughout the treatment period. During the observation period after SIT, RSS ranged from 1.51 to 1.82, and ASS ranged from 1.22 to 1.29. The treatment effect at 10 and 20 years after SIT was comparable, regardless of whether criterion A or B was used. However, the effect of SIT using criterion C was lower than those using criteria A and B for the analyzed time points. Conclusions: For this study cohort, SIT had a long-term effect that did not depend significantly on the duration of immunotherapy against pollen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Allergic diseases are becoming more prevalent in elderly patients. Allergic diseases have been observed in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The prevalence of atopic bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis was analyzed in such elderly Polish population. Aim: Analysis of the presence of allergic diseases in the patients with AD in Poland, including asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis. Material and methods: The recruitment of subjects with AD was conducted at 6 sites representative of Polish rural and urban areas, and 1060 subjects with a mean age of 69.2 ±5.1 years were screened. Medical examinations, an original questionnaire, skin prick testing for common aeroallergens and appropriate serum-specific IgE assays were performed. Results: Probable atopy was diagnosed in 234 (22.1%) analyzed patients, including 127 women (21.5% of women) and 234 men (22.8% of men). The average prevalence associated with age and sex in this population for bronchial asthma was 2.9%, atopic dermatitis/eczema was 0.6%, seasonal allergic rhinitis was 6.6%, perennial allergic rhinitis was 11.1% and polymorphous atopic disease was 4.4%. The most frequent positive results were recorded for the following allergens: mixed grass, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae and Alternaria. Conclusions: One-fifth of diagnosed patients with AD have allergic disease requiring treatment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As far as pathogenesis of the atopic dermatitis (AD) is concerned, the roles of an impaired epidermal barrier and cornified cell envelope are widely emphasized. Aim: The assessment of mutations of the filaggrin gene and their connection with the clinical picture of AD as well as selected allergological and environmental indicators. Material and methods: 105 patients with diagnosed AD on the basis of diagnostic criteria were included. For every patient of the examined group, quantitative determination of the total concentration of IgE and the concentration of IgE antibodies to selected allergens were examined. For all patients, studies were performed by means of analysis of two genomic gene variants of profilaggrin (FLG) - R501X and 2282del4. Results: Loss-of-function mutations in the filaggrin gene were shown in 12 (11.4%) patients in the examined group. All patients in the study group who developed one of the tested loss-of-function mutations in the filaggrin gene demonstrated an extrinsic, allergic form of atopic dermatitis. A significant association (p = 0.0002) between the presence of one of the tested loss-of-function mutations in the filaggrin gene and elevated levels of total concentration of immunoglobulin E was shown. Conclusions: Patients with AD of null mutations in the filaggrin gene demonstrate a relationship with the total and specific concentration of immunoglobulin E, specifically higher concentrations of IgE against aeroallergens and alimentary allergens as well as elevated levels of total immunoglobulin E. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic and recurrent inflammatory skin disease. The aetiology is still unknown in spite of numerous scientific researches. There is very little evidence which does not provide enough knowledge about allergic reactions in psoriatic patients. Based on the fact that the epidermal barrier damage allows different allergen types to penetrate into deep layers of epidermis and skin, we can assume that it may lead to immunological reactions. Aim: To investigate the allergic reaction indicators and hypersensitivity assessment about contact, inhalant and food allergens. The results were analysed with regard to clinical disease indicators and progression stage of dermal lesions. Material and methods: Eighty patients with psoriasis were examined. The concentration of total IgE antibodies and allergen specific IgE antibodies (asIgE) were analysed. Standard epidermal tests and atopy patch tests were performed. All the patients were estimated for their dermatological condition based on the PASI scale. The control group consisted of 50 patients without psoriasis and allergic history. Results: Significantly higher concentration of total E immunoglobulin has been stated in the patients with psoriasis. Higher concentrations of specific allergic IgE antibodies were more often observed in the examined group but the most frequently observed values were present in 1-3 class. The most common airborne allergens were birch, artemisia, timothy and rye pollens. There have not been any significant statistical differences in the case of positive epidermal test results. Conclusions: There is slightly expressed hypersensitivity in psoriatic patients. This hypersensitivity degree correlates with the intensification of symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case of a 56-year-old woman with loss of conscious transferred to the cardiology unit where non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction was diagnosed. The patient reported a wasp sting a few minutes before the accident. The cardiac troponin level was high and confirmed damage of the heart muscle. Finally, echocardiography and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy revealed an ejection fraction of 50% with hypokinesia of posterior walls. Cardiac consequences of the insect venom sting are discussed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]