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Copyright of Polish Journal of Allergology / Alergologia Polska is the property of Termedia Publishing House 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.)

Copyright of Polish Journal of Allergology / Alergologia Polska is the property of Termedia Publishing House 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.)

SLIT (sublingual immunotherapy,) induces allergen-specific immune tolerance by sublingual administration of a gradually increasing dose of an allergen. The mechanism of SLIT is comparable to those during SCIT (subcutaneous immunotherapy), with the exception of local oral dendritic cells, pre-programmed to elicit tolerance. In the SLIT dose, to achieve the same efficacy as in SCIT, it should be 50-100 times higher with better safety profile. The highest quality evidence supporting the efficacy of SLIT lasting 1 - 3 years has been provided by the large scale double-blind, placebo-controlled (DBPC) trials for grass pollen extracts, both in children and adults with allergic rhinitis. Current indications for SLIT are allergic rhinitis (and conjunctivitis) in both children and adults sensitized to pollen allergens (trees, grass, Parietaria), house dust mites (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae), cat fur, as well as mild to moderate controlled atopic asthma in children sensitized to house dust mites. There are positive findings for both asthma and new sensitization prevention. Severe adverse events, including anaphylaxis, are very rare, and no fatalities have been reported. Local adverse reactions develop in up to 70 - 80% of patients. Risk factors for SLIT adverse events have not been clearly identified. Risk factors of non-adherence to treatment might be dependent on the patient, disease treatment, physician-patient relationship, and variables in the health care system organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris which is the most common cutaneous disorder. It has a proinflammatory activity and takes part in immune reactions modulating the Th1/Th2 cellular response. The exposure of dendritic cells (DCs) to whole bacteria, their components, cytokines or other inflammatory stimuli and infectious agents induces differentiation from immature DCs into antigen-presenting mature DCs. The aim of the study was to evaluate the capability of P. acnes to induce the maturation of DCs. We stimulated monocyte derived dendritic cells (Mo-DCs) from acne patients with various concetrations of heat-killed P. acnes (106-108 bacteria/ml) cultured from acne lesions. The results showed an increase in CD80+/CD86+/DR+ and CD83+/CD1a+/DR+ cells percentage depending on the concetration of P. acnes. The expression of CD83 and CD80 (shown as the mean fluorescence intensity - MFI) increased with higher concetrations of P. acnes. There were also significant correlations between MFI of CD83, CD80, CD86 and concetration of P. acnes. The study showed that P. acnes in the concetration of 108 bacteria/ml is most effective in the induction of Mo-DCs maturation. Futher studies concerning the influence on the function of T cells are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Asthma control is an important measure of disease stabilization, which is linked to the treatment and lifestyle recommendations., Aim: To assess the impact of selected factors on asthma control in adolescents, as assessed using the Asthma Control Test (ACT™)., Material and Methods: The prospective study included 100 asthma patients aged between 12 and 19. Asthma was assessed in three consecutive follow-up visits spaced 3 months apart, using the standardized ACT™ questionnaire., Results: Asthma was fully controlled (ACT score = 25 points) in more than half of the patients in all follow-up visits (53.0%, 54.0%, and 56.0%, respectively). More than one third of the participants scored between 20 and 24 points (37.0% vs. 39.0% vs. 40.0%). A minority of patients had uncontrolled asthma (scores below 20), and the group consistently diminished in subsequent visits (10% vs. 7% vs. 4%). Uncontrolled asthma was found significantly more often in female patients (33.33%; p < 0.001) and those living in rural areas (20.59%; p < 0.01). Treatment with a combination of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and LABAs was associated with worse asthma control (14.81%; p < 0.05). Better asthma control was found in patients with a family history of allergies (73.85% vs. 75.38% vs. 78.46%; p < 0.001) and in those with concurrent allergies (66.67% vs. 68.00% vs. 70.67%; p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Asthma control in adolescents differs by sex and residence. Concurrent allergies and family history of allergies improve asthma self-control in adolescents., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Introduction: The important element in the asthma diagnosis is a confirmation of trigger's asthma symptoms allergens., Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate diagnostic value of an allergic skin prick test and serum allergen-specific IgE level with reference to nasal allergen provocation test (NPT) results in asthmatic children., Material and Methods: Study was performed in 80 asthmatic children in 3-14 yrs aged. 118 NPTs accompanied by assessments of nasal airflow by rhinospirography, were done. In all subjects, allergic skin prick tests with mites and grasses or trees pollen allergens and serum allergen specific IgE levels with the allergen used in NPT were done., Results: Concordance between SPT and TPN results was shown in 59% cases, most often in group with pollen than mites provocation. SPT's sensitivity and specificity in relation to TPN result was 71% and 53%, respectively. Concordance between asIgE level and TPN results was shown in 76% cases. asIgE results sensitivity and specificity in relation to TPN result was 71% and 82%, respectively., Conclusion: The usefulness of skin prick test results in allergologic diagnosis of asthma is lesser than serum allergen specific IgE determination, especially in patients with house dust mites allergens hypersensitivity. Nasal provocation test (NPT) with suspected allergen should be performed in asthmatic children with a negative or doubtful skin prick test or serum allergen specific IgE level results.

The aim of our study was to estimate the prevalence of asthma and some respiratory symptoms and diseases in schoolchildren from rural regions of Poland in 2001 and to compare these data with previous estimations in 1995. Repeated cross-sectional epidemiological studies were performed among 594 primary schoolchildren in 1995 and 541 in 2001 using the same standardized questionnaire. Lifetime prevalence of "doctor's-diagnosed asthma" increased significantly from 3.4 % in 1995 to 9.6 % in 2001. This trend may be due to the real increase in the prevalence of asthma and also may be a result of better physician's diagnosis and/or better parents' health education. A substantial increase of asthma-related symptoms (post-exercise breathlessness, wheezing and dyspnoea) was also observed between these years (8.3-17.7 %, 6.2-13.2 % and 7.6-13.3 %, respectively). These results suggest that asthma in Polish schoolchildren is still underdiagnosed.

The year 2001 brought much essential news in the nomenclature, pathophysiology and allergic diseases therapy, especially in children. They should soon find their own place in everyday practice of allergology. However, some of them need further research. The most important news and discoveries refer to a proposal of modified allergic nomenclature, new classification of allergic rhinitis (AR) and its links with asthma, prevention of allergic diseases (breast-feeding, probiotics) and pharmacotherapy of atopic dermatitis (AD).

Alefacept belongs to the new generation of drugs applied in the treatment of psoriasis. It is an immunomodulatory recombinant, fully human lymphocyte function associated antigen-3/immunoglobulin G1 fusion protein (LFA-3-Ig) CD2 antagonist that targets memory-effector T cells by binding CD2 on the T cell surface. It blocks the interactions of leukocyte functional antigen (LFA)-3 with CD2 interaction. This drug is used to treat moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis and there was conducted a pilot study of psoriatic arthritis. It was observed that Alefacept had reduced peripheral-blood memory effector T-lymphocyte (CD45RO+) counts, cells which are responsible for sustaining the disease. Pharyngitis, dizziness, increased cough, nausea, pruritus, myalgia, chills, injection site inflammation, and accidental injury were recorded. So far, in the conducted trials no generalised immunosuppression or increased risk of infection or malignancy were observed. The possibility of increased risk of infections and malignancies must be considered because of reduced lymphocyte counts.