Clinical Study Safety and Efficacy of Tree Pollen Specific Immunotherapy on the Ultrarush Administration Schedule Method Using Purethal Trees

Background. Specific immunotherapy (SIT) with an ultrarush administration schedule with Purethal for tree pollen allergens has been evaluated to assess its efficacy and safety. Methods. The study group consisted of 22 patients with symptoms of allergic rhinitis and confirmed allergy to tree pollens. Patients were randomized and given an administration schedule of either ultrarush therapy or conventional preseasonal SIT. Treatment was performed during three consecutive years. Results. After three years of treatment, a similar reduction in nasal symptoms was observed; according to the visual analog scale, there was a decrease from 3.991 ± 0.804 points to 1.634 ± 0.540 in the ultrarush group and from 3.845 ± 0.265 to 1.501 ± 0.418 in the group desensitized using the conventional method ( > 0.05). There was also a comparable reduction in the use of relief drugs during pollen season and an increase in the serum concentration of IgG4 to tree pollens. No significant differences in the safety profile were observed. Conclusion. An administration schedule of ultrarush SIT with Purethal Trees is a safe treatment in preliminary observations. This therapy is comparable with conventional administration of SIT in the field of efficacy and safety

Status of the BELLE II Pixel Detector

The Belle II experiment at the super KEK B-factory (SuperKEKB) in Tsukuba, Japan, has been collecting $e^+e^−$ collision data since March 2019. Operating at a record-breaking luminosity of up to $4.7×10^{34} cm^{−2}s^{−1}$, data corresponding to $424 fb^{−1}$ has since been recorded. The Belle II VerteX Detector (VXD) is central to the Belle II detector and its physics program and plays a crucial role in reconstructing precise primary and decay vertices. It consists of the outer 4-layer Silicon Vertex Detector (SVD) using double sided silicon strips and the inner two-layer PiXel Detector (PXD) based on the Depleted P-channel Field Effect Transistor (DePFET) technology. The PXD DePFET structure combines signal generation and amplification within pixels with a minimum pitch of $(50×55) μm^2$. A high gain and a high signal-to-noise ratio allow thinning the pixels to $75 μm$ while retaining a high pixel hit efficiency of about $99$. As a consequence, also the material budget of the full detector is kept low at $≈0.21$$\frac{X}{X_0}$ per layer in the acceptance region. This also includes contributions from the control, Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), and data processing Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) as well as from cooling and support structures. This article will present the experience gained from four years of operating PXD; the first full scale detector employing the DePFET technology in High Energy Physics. Overall, the PXD has met the expectations. Operating in the intense SuperKEKB environment poses many challenges that will also be discussed. The current PXD system remains incomplete with only 20 out of 40 modules having been installed. A full replacement has been constructed and is currently in its final testing stage before it will be installed into Belle II during the ongoing long shutdown that will last throughout 2023

Clinical Distinctness of Allergic Rhinitis in Patients with Allergy to Molds

Introduction. Molds are a very diverse group of allergens. Exposure and sensitization to fungal allergens can promote the development and worsening of allergic rhinitis (AR). Objective. The natural course of allergic rhinitis was compared between a group of patients with allergy to molds and patients with AR to other allergens as the control groups. Material and Methods. The study group consisted of 229 patients, with a mean age of 27.4±6.5 yrs. The study group was compared to groups of AR patients with allergy to house dust mites or pollens or with multivalent allergy. Allergic sensitization was assessed using the skin prick test (SPT) with a panel of 15 allergens to molds and other common inhalant allergens. Specific IgEs against all tested allergens were measured. Nasal fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) level was assessed with a chemiluminescence analyzer (NIOX MINO) and compared between groups. Cluster analysis was performed for determine models of AR in whole population. Results. Patients with allergy to mold have had AR with a higher blockage of nose than in the patients with other allergies. Alternaria alternata (59% of examined), Cladosporium herbarum (40%), and Aspergillus fumigatus (36%) were the predominant allergens in the study group. Patients with allergy to mold were more often present in two clusters: there were patients with more frequent accompanying asthma and high level of FeNO. Conclusion. Patients with allergy to molds have a significantly greater predisposition for bronchial asthma and high concentration of FeNO

Safety and Efficacy of Tree Pollen Specific Immunotherapy on the Ultrarush Administration Schedule Method Using Purethal Trees

Background. Specific immunotherapy (SIT) with an ultrarush administration schedule with Purethal for tree pollen allergens has been evaluated to assess its efficacy and safety. Methods. The study group consisted of 22 patients with symptoms of allergic rhinitis and confirmed allergy to tree pollens. Patients were randomized and given an administration schedule of either ultrarush therapy or conventional preseasonal SIT. Treatment was performed during three consecutive years. Results. After three years of treatment, a similar reduction in nasal symptoms was observed; according to the visual analog scale, there was a decrease from 3.991 ± 0.804 points to 1.634 ± 0.540 in the ultrarush group and from 3.845 ± 0.265 to 1.501 ± 0.418 in the group desensitized using the conventional method (P>0.05). There was also a comparable reduction in the use of relief drugs during pollen season and an increase in the serum concentration of IgG4 to tree pollens. No significant differences in the safety profile were observed. Conclusion. An administration schedule of ultrarush SIT with Purethal Trees is a safe treatment in preliminary observations. This therapy is comparable with conventional administration of SIT in the field of efficacy and safety

Responders and nonresponders to pharmacotherapy and allergen immunotherapy

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is a very useful therapy for allergic rhinitis. However, some patients do not achieve the expected results. The aim of the study was to investigate the potential factors that could affect the result, either good or poor, from AIT. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 1624 patients with allergic rhinitis who underwent AIT and 1519 matched patients who underwent only symptomatic therapy (without AIT) was performed. Symptoms, medications scores and quality of life related to allergic diseases before and after therapy were recorded. Cluster analysis on all of the patients was performed to find any associations between responsiveness to therapy and the analyzed parameters. Responsiveness to therapy was assessed by the Mailing criteria. Results: A total of 1266 (77.8%) patients from the AIT group met the criterion of 30% or greater improvement, and 1061 (65.2%) of these patients met the threshold of 60% or greater improvement according to the Mailing criteria. Patients who had a frequently better response to AIT were highly represented in the two clusters. There were subjects with a short history of allergic rhinitis and concomitant allergy to grass pollen or house dust mites. Patients with a prolonged duration of allergic rhinitis before therapy and with polysensitization were more frequently worse responders to AIT. Conclusion: Responsiveness to therapy, including that to AIT, is difficult to assess. However, there were associations suggesting that short-term allergic rhinitis and monovalent allergies to grass pollen or mites could correspond to a better response to AIT

Impact of influenza vaccination on the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a middle-aged group of people

Aims: An observational study of a retrospective cohort was performed to assess the impact of influenza vaccination (IV) on the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a population of middle-aged people for 8 weeks after IV and compared with an unvaccinated group. Patients and methods: Data from 1098 middle-aged patients (53.7 ± 4.7 years) after IV and 1205 unvaccinated patients (50.1 ± 6.8 years) were analyzed based on medical documentation. The inclusion criteria were age between 40 − 60 years and IV in the period from 1−30 September 2020. The incidence of infection with SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed by PCR and the classification of ICD-10 (U07.1). Results and conclusions: After IV, patients had significantly fewer SARS-CoV–2 infections than the unvaccinated patients (P = .017). The hazard ratio was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.54−0.89). IV may partially reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection