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The aim of this study is the evaluation of the specificity and sensitivity of the skin prick tests (SPTs), specific IgE and atopy patch tests (APTs) in atopic dermatitis patients suffering from food allergy. A total of 301 patients were examined, complete dermatological and allergological examination was performed in all patients. The food allergy was confirmed to peanuts in 62 patients (20%), to egg in 16 patients (5%), to soy in 9 patients (3%), to wheat in 12 patients (4%) and to cow milk in 6 patients (2%). The specificity of SPT, specific IgE and APT is considered as good; the sensitivity of APT is low. The positive results in isolation cannot confirm the food allergy; however, together with other diagnostic methods, such as clinical history and open exposure test, these tests are valuable tool in examination of food allergy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The evaluation of the importance of atopy patch tests in patients suffering from food allergy to egg’s white and yolk, peanuts, soy, cow’s milk and wheat.Methods: 240 patients were examined. Complete dermatological and allergological examination was performed in all patients including specific IgE, skin prick test, atopy patch test and the challenges tests.Results: The specificity of atopy patch tests is for soy 96%, for egg 95%, for wheat 95%, for peanuts 99% and for milk 99%. The sensitivity of atopy patch tests is for soy 62%, for egg 35.7%, for wheat 16.7%, for peanuts 20.8% and for milk 50%.Conclusion: The specificity of atopy patch tests may be considered good; regarding the sensitivity, the high percentage of false negative results should make us believe that these tests are not conclusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of study: This work was performed to evaluate the level of IL-4, and to clarify the role of IL-4 gene polymorphism at position cytosine –590-to-thyamine (C-590T), IL-4Rα gene polymorphism at position adenine +4679-to-guanine (A+4679G) [isoleucine-50-valine (I50V)] and STAT6 gene polymorphism at position guanine 2964-to-adenine (G2964A) in Saudi children with non-atopic dermatitis (non-AD) and atopic dermatitis (AD) to identify their role in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Subjects and methods: This study included 150 children: 50 healthy children as controls, 50 with non-AD, and 50 with AD. They were subjected to full clinical examination, complete blood picture, skin prick test, and determination of serum interleukin-4 (IL-4) and total immunoglobulin-E (IgE) levels. Detection of interleukin-4 gene (C-590T), interleukin-4 receptor alpha gene (A+4679G) (I50V), and STAT6 gene (G2964A) polymorphisms were performed by PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Results: There was a significant (P< 0.01) association between genotype and allele frequencies of IL-4Rα (A+4679G) (I50V) polymorphism in the AD group (but not non-AD group). Moreover, there was a significant association between genotype and allele frequencies of the STAT6 (G2946A) polymorphism in the non-AD (P< 0.05) and AD (P< 0.01) groups. On the other hand, there was no significant association between genotype and allele frequencies of the (C-590T) polymorphism in the non-AD group and AD group. There was a significant (P< 0.001) higher total IgE level in patients compared to the controls. Moreover, the mean values of total IgE were significantly different among the different allelic variants of (C-590T), (I50V), (G2964A) polymorphisms of IL-4, IL-4Rα, and STAT6 genes, respectively, in all the studied groups. On the other hand, there was no significant difference of serum IL-4 levels among all the studied patients, or among the different allelic variants of (C-590T), (I50V), (G2964A) polymorphisms of IL-4, IL-4Rα, and STAT6 genes, respectively. Conclusion: IL-4Rα gene (I50V) and STAT6 gene (G2964) polymorphisms may play a role in development of eczema; however, the IL-4 gene polymorphism (C-590T) had no relationship with susceptibility to the disease among Saudi children. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Parthenium hysterophorus is the leading cause of airborne contact dermatitis, a type IV hypersensitivity reaction in India. Though there are reports of it causing type-I hypersensitivity in atopic individuals in the form of allergic rhinitis and asthma, there is very little information on its role in pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD), another predominately type I hypersensitivity. In the present study, we evaluated the presence of immediate hypersensitivity to P. hysterophorus in patients with AD and evaluated the in vitro immunological response of P. hysterophorus SPT positive AD patients to stimulation with P hysterophorus allergen . In 70 patients (age 15-45 years) with AD and 70 healthy controls, who were patch test negative to P. hysterophorus, immediate hypersensitivity to P hysterophorus was determined by skin prick test (SPT). In SPT positive patients with AD and SPT negative controls, the absolute eosinophil count (AEC), the total serum IgE and Parthenium specific IgE were determined and PBMC proliferation assay to Parthenium pollen using tritiated thymidine incorporation was done. The IL-4, IL-10, IL-2 and IFN-γ from stimulated PBMCs culture supernatant was also quantified using sandwich ELISA in both groups of patients. Twenty-five (35.7%%) of 70 patients with AD had a positive SPT to Parthenium, compared to 3 (4.3%%) of controls . The mean AEC, the mean total IgE and Parthenium specific IgE were significantly elevated in SPT positive AD patients vis-à-vis SPT negative controls. Similarly in the Parthenium specific PBMCs proliferation assay, the stimulation index as well as the Th2 cytokine (IL-4 and IL-10) profile were significantly elevated in SPT positive AD patients vis-à-vis SPT negative controls but there was no difference in the Th1 cytokine (IL-2 and IFN-γ) profile. Our study suggests that a third of patients with AD demonstrated a type I hypersensitivity to P. hysterophorus with a Th2 biased cytokine profile (IL-4 and IL-10) in culture supernatant of Parthenium stimulated PBMCs in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The evaluation of the occurrence of peanut allergy in adolescent and adult patients suffering from atopic dermatitis. Methods. Altogether 175 persons suffering from atopic dermatitis were included in the study. A diagnostic work-up for food allergy to peanuts was performed (specific IgE, skin prick tests, atopy patch tests, history), and the patients were also examined for pollen allergy containing Bet v 1 and Bet v 2 allergens. Results. Allergic reactions to peanuts were recorded in 23% of patients, and another 16% of patients were sensitised to peanuts. A dependency between the occurrence of pollen allergy with Bet v 1 and Bet v 2 allergens and the results of the examination for peanut allergy is confirmed in our study. Conclusion. One-fifth of patients with atopic dermatitis suffer from peanut allergy; the most common symptom is oral allergy syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]