Evaluation of Risk Factors for Asthma in Taipei City

BackgroundAsthma has rarely been studied by evaluating all of its trigger factors in 1 study population. Thus, correlations between the concentration of allergen immunoglobulin (Ig) E antibodies and airway limitation or asthma severity remain unclear.MethodsFive hundred and seventy-nine asthmatic patients were enrolled, and serum specific IgE antibodies to allergens were analyzed. All suspected trigger factors were assessed by questionnaire, case histories over a 4-year period, and diary card recordings; possible trigger factors were then re-evaluated.ResultsAntibodies to the following allergens were found: Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (59.8% of patients), D. microceras (58.8%), D. farinae (56.8%), cockroach (38.3%), dog dander (26.3%), Candida albicans (13.3%), cat dander (10%), and Cladosporium herbarum (6.6%). A greater prevalence of allergy to dog and cat dander was found than previously. Younger patients were more often positive for mite allergens, and had higher titers of antibodies against such allergens, than older patients. Further, females had a lower concentration of mite allergen antibodies than males. No correlation between the concentration of allergen antibodies and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), or the ratio of FEV1:forced vital capacity (FEV1:FVC), was found. In addition, there was no significant change in antibody titers with varying asthma severity. Non-allergenic trigger factors were irritant air inhalants (94.6% of patients), respiratory infection (92.2%), exercise (75.2%), emotional factors (58.8%), drugs and chemical substances (16%).ConclusionThere are multiple trigger factors in asthma. Allergenic trigger factors are more common in younger than older patients, whereas non-allergenic trigger factors are more common in older patients. There was no linear correlation between the concentration of specific IgE antibodies and asthma severity or airway limitation; therefore, to prevent asthma attacks in individual asthmatic patients, greater attention should be paid to avoiding all potential trigger factors, and not just house dust mite allergens

HPV infection and p53 inactivation in pterygium

PurposeOur recent report indicated that tumor suppressor gene (p53) mutations and protein aberrant expression were detected in pterygium. Inactivation of p53 by Human papillomavirus (HPV) 16/18 E6 plays a crucial role in cervical tumorigenesis. In this study, we further speculate that p53 inactivation may be linked with HPV infection in pterygium pathogenesis. To investigate the involvement of HPV 16/18 E6 in p53 inactivation in pterygium, the association between HPV 16 or HPV 18 infection, the HPV E6 oncoprotein, and p53 protein expression was analyzed in this study.MethodsHPV 16/18 infection was detected by nested-polymerase chain reaction (nested-PCR), the p53 mutation was detected by direct sequencing, and the p53 and the HPV 16/18 E6 proteins were studied using immunohistochemistry on 129 pterygial specimens and 20 normal conjunctivas.ResultsThe HPV 16/18 was detected in 24% of the pterygium tissues (31 of 129) but not in the normal conjunctiva, and the HPV16/18 E6 oncoprotein was detected in 48.3% of HPV 16/18 DNA-positive pterygium tissues (15 of 31). In addition, p53 protein negative expression in pterygium was correlated with HPV16/18 E6 oncoprotein expression but not with a p53 mutation.ConclusionsHPV 16/18 E6 contributes to HPV-mediated pterygium pathogenesis as it is partly involved in p53 inactivation and is expressed in HPV DNA-positive pterygium