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Objective: It is known that autoimmune diseases are seen more frequently in cases with beta thalassemia trait (BTT). However, there is only one study investigating the frequency of allergic disease in these patients, and it has been reported that asthma is more commonly seen. In our study, it was aimed to investigate the frequency of asthma and other allergic diseases in children with BTT which is very common in our region. Material and Methods: Children diagnosed with BTT were included in to the study as the patient group. Children with similar age and gender admitted to the outpatient clinics for routine tests were included as the control group. Sociodemographic features were recorded. Symptoms related to allergic disorders were questioned with the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. The results of absolute eosinophil counts were also assessed. Results: A total of 171 cases (BTT:85, Control:86), between 5-17 years of age were included in the study. The ISAAC questionnaire results was as follows: Life-long wheezing (BTT:28.2%, Control:18.6%), life-long rhinitis (BTT:30.6%, Control:23.3%), life-long repetitive pruritic rash (BTT:9.5%, Control:10.5%), and life-long food allergies (BTT:2.4%, Control:8.1%). Although wheezing and allergic runny nose were seen more commonly in the BTT group, no significant difference was observed. Likewise, although an asthma and allergic rhinitis diagnosis by physicians was more common in BTT, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant. In the BTT group, the absolute eosinophil count was significantly higher compared with controls. Conclusion: In our study, it was determined that the frequency of allergic symptoms like recurrent wheezing, nasal discharge and also the frequency of doctor-diagnosed asthma and allergic rhinitis were higher in BTT children when compared to healthy children. However, this difference was not statistically significant. We believe more comprehensive studies are needed in order to clarify the frequency of this possible coexistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amaç: Bu çalışmadaki amacımız yenidoğan döneminde sağlık bakımı ilişkili enfeksiyon (SBİE) geçiren ve geniş spektrumu antibiyotik kullanan çocuklarda astma, allerjjk rinit ve atopic dermatit sıklığını araştırmaktır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmaya Yenidoğan Yoğun Bakım Ünitesi’nde 6 yıl içinde izlenen 73 SBİE olan çocuk ile bu çocukların yenidoğan döneminde sağlıklı olan 41 kardeşi alındı. Ebeveynlere detaylı bir anket uygulandı ve çocuklardan tam kan sayımı, serum total Ig Eve spesifik IgE için kan örnekleri alındı. Bulgular: SBİE olan 73 çocuğun 32’sinde (%45.2) ventilator ilişkili pnömoni, 28’inde (%38.4) kan dolaşımı enfeksiyonu, 12’sinde (%16.4) klinik sepsis gözlenmişti. Astma SBİE grubunda belirgin daha fazla (%32.9’a karşın %4.9) iken allerjik rinit (%4.1’e karşın %2.4) ve atopik dermatit sıklığı farklı değildi (%6,8’e karşın %0). Allerjisi olmayan 85 çocuk ile allerjisi olan 29 çocuk kıyaslandığında, yenidoğan döneminde SBİE geçirmek ve antibiyotik kullanmak allerjik olma oranını 11.5 kat arttırmaktaydı. Sonuç: SBİE grubunda astma daha sık gözlenmiş olup, yenidoğan döneminde SBİE geçirmek ve geniş spektrumlu antibiyotik kullanmak erken çocukluk döneminde allerji riskini arttırmaktadır.

The prevalence of allergic diseases including atopic dermatitis has increased over the last few decades. Atopic dermatitis is a widespread allergic disease and the first step of allergic march, for which there is presently no known treatment. Under the recent literature data, use of probiotics in early life beginning from pregnancy is thought to be an effective method and appears to be a hopeful tactic for prevention, but very little is known about its long-term preventive effect. Here, our aim is to give an outline of the results from these prevention/treatment studies and to discuss current approaches. Probiotics are universally described as "live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host" by the World Health Organization. In most studies, single strains or a mixture of strains of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria was used prenatally, postnatally, or perinatally. Several meta-analyses have shown a moderate benefit of probiotics for eczema prevention, and the most reliable effect has been observed with a combined perinatal (prenatally + postnatally) administration in infants at high risk of allergic disease by heredity. In addition, use of multi-strain (mixture of different bacterial species or of Lactobacillus species) probiotics appeared to be most effective for eczema prevention. Probiotics also could be an option in eczema therapy, especially for moderate to severe eczema in children and adults. No preventive and therapeutic effect has been shown for other allergic disorders. To date, expert bodies do not generally propose probiotics for allergy prevention, although the World Allergy Organization suggests considering using probiotics in pregnant women, during breastfeeding, and/or to the infant if at high risk of developing allergic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Skin prick testing with commercial allergens is the most commonly used method for detection of food specific IgE. However, standardized commercial products are not available for most of the allergens and it has been shown that some patients with a history of food allergy having negative skin prick test results with commercial allergens, have positive results with the raw extracts of the same foods. In this study, we aimed to compare the results of skin prick tests performed with commercial and raw cow's milk and egg white extracts and evaluate their correlation with serum specific immunoglobulin E levels. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients having symptoms of allergic diseases who were performed skin prick tests with raw and commercial extracts of cow's milk and egg white at pediatric allergy department. Presenting symptoms, family history and laboratory findings were obtained from regular medical records. Results: A total of 130 patients with a mean age of 12.1 ± 17.3 were enrolled in the study and 66.7% (88) of them were male. Within the skin prick tests with cow's milk and/or egg white, 90.4% of them were positive with raw extracts and 72.1% were positive with commercial extracts. Egg white specific IgE levels were positive in 77.8% of patients having positive skin prick test only with raw egg white, while it was positive in 10.0% of patients having positive skin prick test only with commercial egg white allergen (p= 0.001). A total of 21 patients had positivite skin prick tests only with raw cow's milk and 20 of them have also positive cow's milk specific IgE levels. Egg white specific IgE levels were positive in 78.2% of patients having greater enduration with raw egg white, while it was positive in 8.3% of patients having greater enduration with commercial egg white allergen (p< 0.001). The mean cow's milk specific IgE level was 7.0 ± 9.8 in patients having greater enduration with raw cow's milk and there was one patient who had higher enduration with raw cow's milk and his specific IgE level was 0.41. Conclusion: The positivity rate and mean diameter of enduration with raw food extracts was higher than commercial extracts. And also correlation with serum specific IgE levels and raw food extracts was more significant than the correlation with commercial extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalance of asthma and other allergic diseases have increased in recent years. Also, the changes of environmental factors are responsable in this increase. There are two hypothesis about the explanation to this increase, these are "hygen and vitamin hypothesis". Several studies have shown the effects of Vitamin D on immun system especially T cells and antimicrobial peptides. All these studies demonstrated that Vitamin D might be responsable in development of allergic diseases by acting on T Helper cells especially Tregulatory cells. The purpose of this review is to present the evidence the role of Vitamin D in immun system and allergic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]