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Copyright of Revista Alergia de Mexico is the property of Coleg. Mexicano de Inmunologia Clinica y Alergia A.C.; Soc. Lat. de Alergia, Asma e Inmunologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Replicating smallpox vaccines can cause severe complications in individuals with atopic dermatitis (AD). Prior studies evaluating Modified Vaccinia Ankara virus (MVA), a non-replicating vaccine in humans, showed a favorable safety and immunogenicity profile in healthy volunteers. Objective: This Phase II study compared the safety and immunogenicity of MVA enrolling groups of 350 subjects with AD (SCORAD ≤ 30) and 282 healthy subjects. Methods: Subjects were vaccinated twice with MVA, each dose given subcutaneously 4 weeks apart. Adverse events, cardiac parameters, and the development of vaccinia virus humoral immune responses were monitored. Results: The overall safety of the vaccine was similar in both groups. Adverse events affecting skin were experienced significantly more often in subjects with AD, but the majority of these events were mild to moderate in intensity. Seroconversion rates and geometric mean titers for total and neutralizing vaccinia-specific antibodies in the AD group were non-inferior compared to the healthy subjects. Limitations: The size of the study population limited the detection of serious adverse events occurring at a frequency less than 1%. Conclusion: MVA has a favorable safety profile and the ability to elicit vaccinia-specific immune responses in subjects with AD. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The atopic march is charactrized by the sequential presence of food allergy, atopic dermatitis, rhinitis and asthma. Risk factors for the progression of the allergic disease defined as atopic march have not been established. Objective: To determine the associated factors with the development of atopic march in children between the ages of 2 and 12 years. Patients and Methods: This case-control study included children between 2 and 12 years of age, 50 in the group of atopic march and 50 controls, characterized by an allergic disease. A questionnaire on atopic antecedents was given, skin tests with allergens were performed to the patients and their parents, and the level of serum IgE was measured. Results: We found as associated risk factors for the development of atopic march, the following: male sex (OR= 3.62), positive skin tests in their parents (OR=2.66) and urinary tract and gynecologic infections during pregnancy (OR = 4.95). Conclusions: Male sex, sensitization to allergens in their parents and maternal infections during pregnancy are associated risk factors for the development of atopic march in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allergy is a symptomatic immune response of some individuals to repeated exposures to many and very diverse environmental stimuli. Although various mechanisms involving antibodies and various cell types participate, a Thl and Th2 cells imbalance seems to play a central role for allergy development. Other lymphocyte subpopulations, such as Th17, CD4 FOXP3, and Th9 positive regulatory T lymphocytes may also be involved in the allergic response. Regulatory processes are an appealing target for therapeutic approaches aiming to solve allergic reactions by restoring the delicate balance within the immune system. Transfer factor (TF) or dialyzable leukocyte extract is meant to transfer cell-mediated immunity from immune competent donors to unsensitized or deficient recipients. A PubMed search on the current knowledge on TF indicates that TF may restore the Th1/Th2 balance and improve immune regulatory mechanisms of patients receiving it. Our preliminary results demonstrate that TF induces mRNA expression of IFN-g, osteopontin, RANTES, and hBD-2 in human healthy subjects. TF has been used to treat a variety of immune dysfunction related-pathologies, such as allergy, autoimmunity, immunodeficiencies, infectious diseases and tumors. Patients receiving TF together with their conventional treatment often have better clinical evolution than without it, as we have witnessed, adding TF to the usual medical treatment of allergic diseases as an attempt to provide allergic patients with those regulatory elements that they apparently lack but require to achieve properly regulated immune responses and thus obtain a faster and better resolution of allergic reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]