Allergo Journal International

Background: For the preventive treatment of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) an unprecedented global research effort studied the safety and efficacy of new vaccine platforms that have not been previously used in humans. Less than one year after the discovery of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral sequence, these vaccines were approved for use in the European Union (EU) as well as in numerous other countries and mass vaccination efforts began. The so far in the EU approved mRNA vaccines BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 are based on similar lipid-based nanoparticle carrier technologies; however, the lipid components differ...

BACKGROUND: Chronic urticaria (CU) is a common disease which represents a considerable burden for many patients. The current urticaria guideline describes the evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of CU. In addition, however, questions often arise in everyday practice that are not addressed by the guideline. METHODS: In May 2020, a digital meeting with German urticaria experts was held, in which practical aspects of CU treatment were discussed and supporting aids for everyday clinical treatment formulated...

Two employees of the National Health Service (NHS) in England developed severe allergic reactions following administration of BNT162b2 vaccine against COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019). The British SmPC for the BNT162b2 vaccine already includes reference to a contraindication for use in individuals who have had an allergic reaction to the vaccine or any of its components. As a precautionary measure, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued interim guidance to the NHS not to vaccinate in principle in "patients with severe allergies"...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

The population prevalence of insect venom allergy ranges between 3-5%, and it can lead to potentially life-threatening allergic reactions. Patients who have experienced a systemic allergic reaction following an insect sting should be referred to an allergy specialist for diagnosis and treatment. Due to the widespread reduction in outpatient and inpatient care capacities in recent months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the various allergy specialized centers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have taken different measures to ensure that patients with insect venom allergy will continue to receive optimal allergy care...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Purpose: Biotechnological substances (BSs) are strongly relied upon to prevent rejection of transplanted organs, and to treat oncological, allergological, and other inflammatory diseases. Allergic reactions to partly foreign biologics can occur due to their potential immunogenicity. The severity of an immune response to a biological drug may range from no clinical significance to a severe, life-threatening anaphylactic reaction. Methods: Detailed searches were performed on Pubmed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to include all available publications...

Physicians think of mast cells and IgE primarily in the context of allergic disorders, including fatal anaphylaxis. This 'bad side' of mast cells and IgE is so well accepted that it can be difficult to think of them in other contexts, particularly those in which they may have beneficial functions. However, there is evidence that mast cells and IgE, as well as basophils (circulating granulocytes whose functions partially overlap with those of mast cells), can contribute to host defense as components of adaptive type 2 immune responses to helminths, ticks and certain other parasites...

The prevalence of food allergy has been increasing over the past few decades at an alarming rate with peanut allergy affecting about 2% of children. Both oral immunotherapy (OIT) and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) have shown promise as a treatment option for peanut allergy. Immunotherapy induces desensitization and reduces the risk of reaction during accidental ingestion and may also enable those who are successfully desensitized to include the food allergen in their diet. OIT has been very well studied and has been found to be more efficacious that SLIT with an acceptable safety profile...

Purpose: To provide current knowledge on respiratory virus-induced heterologous immunity (HI) with a focus on humoral and cellular cross-reactivity. Adaptive heterologous immune responses have broad implications on infection, autoimmunity, allergy and transplant immunology. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved might ultimately open up possibilities for disease prevention, for example by vaccination. Methods: A structured literature search was performed using Medline and PubMed to provide an overview of the current knowledge on respiratory-virus induced adaptive HI...

Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is the single disease-modifying treatment for allergy. Clinical trials show AIT to be safe and effective for many patients; however, it still faces problems related to efficacy, safety, long treatment duration and low patient adherence. There has been intensive research to develop alternative strategies, including novel administration routes, adjuvants or hypoallergenic molecules. Promising results are reported for some of them, but clinical progress is still moderate...

Background: Apart from active allergen avoidance, immunotherapy is regarded as the most effective form of treatment available for type I allergies. Such treatments involve the administration of allergen preparations in various forms and by various routes. Virus-like particles (VLPs) offer a very effective platform for immunization with the allergen and are characterized by high immunogenicity, low allergenicity and high clinical efficacy. Formulations that include Toll-like receptor ligands, T cell stimulatory epitopes and/or depot-forming adjuvants appear to enhance activation of the relevant immune cells...

Background: Asthma is the most prevalent chronic airway disease observed in children and adolescents, yet the variety of treatment options available for this age group is limited. With many factors influencing therapeutic efficacy including patient knowledge, adherence, and therapy choice as well as delivery device, it is important to have more options to tailor to individual patient needs. Methods: This article is an overview of recent scientific articles using a systematic literature search in PubMed and specialist databases...

Within the last decade, non-celiac gluten/wheat sensitivity (NCGS) has been increasingly discussed not only in the media but also among medical specialties. The existence and the possible triggers of NCGS are controversial. Three international expert meetings which proposed recommendations for NCGS were not independently organized and only partially transparent regarding potential conflicts of interest of the participants. The present position statement reflects the following aspects about NCGS from an allergist's and nutritionist's point of view: (A) Validated diagnostic criteria and/or reliable biomarkers are still required...

Background: Efficacy of house dust mite (HDM) allergen immunotherapy (AIT) in allergic rhinitis and controlled allergic asthma has been documented in controlled trials with adults and children. However, tolerability comparing clinical development and post marketing data, particularly in different subgroups, is missing. Methods: We performed an analysis of pooled safety data for subcutaneous AIT (SCIT) with a high-dose house dust mite allergoid from 6 randomized, controlled trials (RCT) in HDM allergic respiratory disease (ARD) and of post marketing safety data from more than 10 years including different subgroups (age, gender, asthma status)...

Background: Allergen immunotherapy has proven to be efficacious in allergic rhinitis and asthma. However, results from randomised clinical trials may vary substantially. Clinical trials may unexpectedly fail. The purpose of this review is to discuss the possible factors that may contribute to a successful or unsuccessful study. Methods: Descriptive review exploring the possible causes of negative outcomes in allergen immunotherapy trials. Results: A series of factors may lead to negative results...

Placebo effects are common in medicine. Randomised clinical trials help us to understand their magnitude in different therapies. There are particular problems with placebo effects in allergen immunotherapy (AIT) as it is difficult to blind the active treatment and the endpoints are largely subjective. This may explain why large placebo effects are often found in AIT trials. Patients receiving open label AIT get the benefit of the active and placebo components but it can be difficult to say how much benefit is due to the active component...

BACKGROUND: Allergy testing for perioperative drug reactions poses a particular diagnostic challenge. Neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA) and antibiotics are among the most common triggers. In principle, however, any drug administered perioperatively is capable of causing a hypersensitivity reaction. METHODS: This article is an overview of selected scientific articles and is based on research in PubMed, specialist databases, and guidelines. RESULTS: Besides patient's history and laboratory tests (the latter being feasible to only a limited extent), skin tests play a particularly important role...

BACKGROUND: Adverse drug reactions (ADR) to analgesics (i.e., non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug hypersensitivity, NSAID-HS) are one of the most common ADR, affecting approximately 1.6% of all patients. Despite the fact that they are common, they still pose a diagnostic challenge. METHODS: This article is an overview of selected scientific articles and is based on research in PubMed, specialist databases, and guidelines. RESULTS: Approximately 80% of side effects are pharmacologically predictable and are classified as type A reactions, such as abdominal pain and bleeding events...

Introduction: Vitamins A and D are able to modulate innate and adaptive immune responses and may therefore influence the development and the course of allergic diseases. Materials and methods: This article reviews the current evidence for the experimental effects of vitamins A and D in vivo in animal models and on immune cells in vitro , and discusses their translational implication. A systematic literature search over the last 10 years was performed using MEDLINE and PubMed databases...