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Summary A diagnosis of idiopathic anaphylaxis following a detailed clinical assessment remains very challenging for patients and clinicians. Risk reduction strategies such as allergen avoidance are not possible. This study investigated whether the (ISAC) allergen array with 103 allergens would add diagnostic value in patients with idiopathic anaphylaxis. We extended the specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E testing in 110 patients with a diagnosis of idiopathic anaphylaxis from five UK specialist centres using ISAC arrays. These were divided into three groups: score I identified no new allergen sensitization beyond those known by previous assessment, score II identified new sensitizations which were not thought likely to explain the anaphylaxis and score III identified new sensitizations felt to have a high likelihood of being responsible for the anaphylaxis. A proportion (50%) of score III patients underwent clinical reassessment to substantiate the link to anaphylaxis in this group. The results show that 20% of the arrays were classified as score III with a high likelihood of identifying the cause of the anaphylaxis. A wide range of major allergens were identified, the most frequent being omega-5-gliadin and shrimp, together accounting for 45% of the previously unrecognized sensitizations. The ISAC array contributed to the diagnosis in 20% of patients with idiopathic anaphylaxis. It may offer additional information where a careful allergy history and follow-on testing have not revealed the cause of the anaphylaxis.

Problem To evaluate the effect of prednisolone on NK cell cytotoxicity in vitro environment and also to compare the effect of prednisolone versus immunoglobulin-G (IVIG) on NK cell cytotoxicity using in vitro co-culture with K562 cells. Method of study The following is a prospective observational study, between August 2006 and February 2007, was carried out on blood samples from 110 patients with a history of recurrent miscarriage or recurrent failed implantation. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells containing NK cells were isolated and co-cultured with target cell K562 in three different effector-to-target (E:T) ratios of 50:1, 25:1 and 12.5:1. Prednisolone or IVIG was then added to the tube with E:T ratio of 50:1 to assess suppressive effect. The percentage killing was recorded and statistical analysis performed using Student’s t–test. Results In the experiments with an E:T ratio of 50:1 without prednisolone or IVIG in the co-culture, the mean target cell killing percentage was 26.4%. In cultures using the same E:T ratio, this killing percentage was significantly reduced in the presence of IVIG (9.9%) or prednisolone (13.6%), (P 0.05). Conclusion The results of this study show that prednisolone is able to suppress the cytolytic activity of the NK cell. Prednisolone and IVIG are almost equally effective in suppressing in vitro NK cell cytolytic activity.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (UIP/IPF) is increasing. The condition occurs both sporadically and in close blood relatives suggesting a genetic predisposition. Histology suggests that the fibrosis is linked to disordered apoptosis, but the causal agent is so far unrecognised. We previously published evidence of mannose binding lectin deficiency (MBL) in early onset disease and in those with a family history of UIP/IPF. MBL is part of the innate immune system with levels genetically determined. MBL activation is impaired if the mannose associated serine protease2 (MASP2) is severely deficient in the serum (levels 100 ng/ml) showed no differences between Healthy Controls, COPD, TB and sarcoid. UIP/IPF showed a significant increase in the frequency of severe deficiency. This was seen for early onset disease 55yrs (20% p=0.0001) and those with a family history (19% p=0.0143). The expected frequency for the Caucasian population is

Granulomas that occur in sarcoidosis are histologically identical to those found in a subset of Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) patients where they are associated with a reduction in class switched memory B lymphocytes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the abnormalities in peripheral blood lymphocyte populations associated with granulomatous variant CVID (gvCVID) are also present in individuals with sarcoidosis. We examined B lymphocyte populations using flow cytometry and found that the reduction of class switched memory (CSM: CD19+CD27+IgM-IgD-) and unswitched memory (CD19+CD27+IgM+IgD+) B cells in our sarcoidosis cohort was similar to that previously reported in gvCVID patients. The reduction of class switched memory B cells in sarcoidosis patients indicated a possible defect in the T cell repertoire as antibody class switching requires T cell help. We subsequently explored the peripheral blood T cell compartment of our sarcoidosis patients. The results identified a population of terminally differentiated effector CD8+ T cells (CCR7-CD45RA-CD127-CD27-CD28-) that were significantly expanded in the peripheral blood of sarcoidosis patients. Terminally differentiated effector CD8+ T cells have been defined as cytolytic, inflammatory cells with reduced replicative capacity. The discovery of abnormal peripheral blood B and T cells compartments in sarcoidosis may be of value in clinical diagnosis and could be relevant to the pathogenic process.

OBJECTIVE To study the serum and peritoneal fluid cytokine profiles in infertile women with minimal/mild active endometriosis. METHODS Fifty-seven consecutive infertile women undergoing laparoscopy for unexplained infertility had peritoneal fluid and serum samples obtained at the time of laparoscopy. The levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), monocyte chemotatic protein-1 (MCP-1), RANTES, platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), soluble Fas (sFas), and soluble Fas Ligand (sFasL) in peritoneal fluid and serum were measured to compare the concentration in both biological fluids, in women who have minimal/mild red endometriosis using women with no endometriosis as controls. RESULTS Peritoneal fluid levels of MCP-1, IL-8 and IL-6 were significantly higher in the endometriosis group (P < 0.012, P = 0.003, and P = 0.015, respectively). There was no significant difference in the peritoneal fluid levels of IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, RANTES, VEGF, PDGF, sFas and sFasL in the two groups. Although serum levels of IL-8 were higher in women with endometriosis, the difference was not significant (P = 0.07). Serum levels of PDGF, IL-6, RANTES, IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, and sFas, were not significantly different in the two groups. CONCLUSION The elevated levels of MCP-1, IL-6, and IL-8 in peritoneal fluid but not serum may indicate the importance of local macrophage activating factors in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

Neutrophil sequestration and activation in the pulmonary vasculature and interstitium are important in acute lung injury. Phospholipase A2 plays an important part in the production of potent inflammatory mediators in this syndrome. We used our ELISA for type 1 prophospholipase A2 activation peptides, which have the aminoacid sequence Asp-Ser-Gly-Ile-Ser-Pro-Arg (DSGISPR), to show that DSGISPR concentrations in plasma and urine are a sensitive and specific marker of acute lung injury in patients admitted to intensive care. The detection of DSGISPR in the plasma of 11 of 50 unselected patients had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 93% for the presence or future development of acute lung injury.