Oral Allergic Syndrome and Recombinant Allergens rBet v 1 and rBet v 2

IgE cross-reactivity to Recombinant Allergens (RA) rBet v 1 and rBet v 2 (profilin) and food allergens may represent a basis for the development of oral allergic syndrome (OAS). We performed a retrospective study on 59 patients polisensitized to pollens and food allergens. They were given an assay of specific IgE against RA and, when positive, we calculated the percentage of these subjects who presented an OAS. As a result, 21 out of 59 patients (35.6%) were positive to rBet v 1, 23 out of 59 (38.9%) to profilin, and 5 out of 59 (8.4%) to both. Among RA positive patients 7 (33.3%) with specific IgE against rBet v 1 presented OAS, and 8 (34.7%) suffered from OAS. IgE to peanut and apple were mostly represented (57.1%) in patients positive to rBet v 1, while in subjects positive to profilin, we mainly observed IgE against peanut (75.0%). We suggest the importance of evaluating hypersensitivity to RA to predict the increase of OAS and, in particular, to reveal which fruits could be associated to OAS

Dyshidrosiform palmoplantar pemphigoid in a young man: response to dapsone.

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An Open Randomized Controlled Study on the Efficacy of Low-Sodium Water Intake Evaluated by Non-Invasive Methods in Patients with Cellulite

Cellulite is the result of complex physiological changes of the subcutaneous fat layer and of microcirculation, clinically manifesting as orange peel skin especially in women and involving thighs, buttocks, and abdomen. An adequate water intake has been suggested to be helpful in controlling the development and worsening of the disease. An open randomized controlled study has been performed to evaluate modification induced by an adequate diet associated to low-sodium or high-sodium water intake on some clinical features of patients affected with mild to moderate cellulite. Non-invasive instrumental investigations (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA), thermography and skin echography) were used before and after dietary treatment. A significant improvement of the disease, in terms of weight loss, cutaneous microcirculation and reduction of subcutaneous fat layer, was observed in the group of patients who underwent low-sodium water intake. An adequate dietary treatment associated to a low-sodium water intake is able to efficiently controll some biological and clinical parameters of mild to moderate cellulite

Antiprothrombin antibodies: a comparative analysis of homemade and commercial methods. A collaborative study by the Forum Interdisciplinare per la Ricerca nelle Malattie Autoimmuni (FIRMA)

OBJECTIVE: Prothrombin (PT) is a target for antibodies with lupus anticoagulant (LA) activity, suggesting the possible application of anti-prothrombin antibody (aPT) assays in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Different methods - both homemade and commercial - for the detection of aPT are available, but they seem to produce conflicting results. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of different assays on a set of well-characterized serum samples. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sera were gathered from 4 FIRMA institutions, and distributed to 15 participating centres. Forty-five samples were from patients positive for LA and/or anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) with or without APS, and 15 were from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients negative for antiphospholipid antibodies. The samples were evaluated for IgG and IgM antibodies using a homemade direct aPT assay (method 1), a homemade phosphatidylserine-dependent aPT assay (aPS/PT, method 2), and two different commercial kits (methods 3 and 4). In addition, a commercial kit for the detection of IgG-A-M aPT (method 5) was used. RESULTS: Inter-laboratory results for the 5 methods were not always comparable when different methods were used. Good inter-assay concordance was found for IgG antibodies evaluated using methods 1, 3, and 4 (Cohen k > 0.4), while the IgM results were discordant between assays. In patients with thrombosis and pregnancy losses, method 5 performed better than the others. CONCLUSION: While aPT and aPS/PT assays could be of interest from a clinical perspective, their routine performance cannot yet be recommended because of problems connected with the reproducibility and interpretation of the results

Antiprothrombin antibodies : a comparative analysis of homemade and commercial methods : a collaborative study by the Forum Interdisciplinare per la Ricerca nelle Malattie Autoimmuni (FIRMA)

Objective: Prothrombin (PT) is a target for antibodies with lupus anticoagulant (LA) activity, suggesting the possible application of anti-prothrombin antibody (aPT) assays in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Different methods - both homemade and commercial - for the detection of aPT are available, but they seem to produce conflicting results. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of different assays on a set of well-characterized serum samples. Patients and methods: Sera were gathered from 4 FIRMA institutions, and distributed to 15 participating centres. Forty-five samples were from patients positive for LA and/or anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) with or without APS, and 15 were from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients negative for antiphospholipid antibodies. The samples were evaluated for IgG and IgM antibodies using a homemade direct aPT assay (method 1), a homemade phosphatidylserine-dependent aPT assay (aPS/PT, method 2), and two different commercial kits (methods 3 and 4). In addition, a commercial kit for the detection of IgG-A-M aPT (method 5) was used. Results: Inter-laboratory results for the 5 methods were not always comparable when different methods were used. Good inter-assay concordance was found for IgG antibodies evaluated using methods 1, 3, and 4 (Cohen k > 0.4), while the IgM results were discordant between assays. In patients with thrombosis and pregnancy losses, method 5 performed better than the others. Conclusion: While aPT and aPS/PT assays could be of interest from a clinical perspective, their routine performance cannot yet be recommended because of problems connected with the reproducibility and interpretation of the results