Influence of degree of specific allergic sensitivity on severity of rhinitis and asthma in Chinese allergic patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The association between sensitizations and severity of allergic diseases is controversial.</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>This study was to investigate the association between severity of asthma and rhinitis and degree of specific allergic sensitization in allergic patients in China.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>A cross-sectional survey was performed in 6304 patients with asthma and/or rhinitis from 4 regions of China. Patients completed a standardized questionnaire documenting their respiratory and allergic symptoms, their impact on sleep, daily activities, school and work. They also underwent skin prick tests with 13 common aeroallergens. Among the recruited subjects, 2268 provided blood samples for serum measurement of specific IgE (sIgE) against 16 common aeroallergens.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Significantly higher percentage of patients with moderate-severe intermittent rhinitis were sensitized to outdoor allergens while percentage of patients sensitized to indoor allergens was increased with increasing severity of asthma. Moderate-severe intermittent rhinitis was associated with the skin wheal size and the level of sIgE to <it>Artemisia vulgaris </it>and <it>Ambrosia artemisifolia </it>(p < 0.001). Moderate-severe asthma was associated with increasing wheal size and sIgE response to <it>Dermatophagoides </it>(<it>D</it>.) <it>pteronyssinus </it>and <it>D. farinae </it>(p < 0.001). Moderate-severe rhinitis and asthma were also associated with increase in number of positive skin prick test and sIgE.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>Artemisia vulgaris </it>and <it>Ambrosia artemisifolia </it>sensitizations are associated with the severity of intermittent rhinitis and <it>D. pteronyssinus </it>and <it>D. farinae </it>sensitizations are associated with increasing severity of asthma in China. Increase in number of allergens the patients are sensitized to may also increase the severity of rhinitis and asthma.</p

Acetabular cementing technique in THA--flanged versus unflanged cups, cadaver experiments

Background There are few studies on the effect of acetabular cup design on cement penetration. Material and methods We evaluated the effects of an acetabular flange on cement pressurization and cement penetration in 12 cadavers. Flanged or unflanged cups were implanted in paired human acetabula with simulated intraosseous bleeding pressure but without cement pressurization before insertion of the cup. Three pressure transducers were used to record intra-acetabular peak and average pressures during cup insertion. Following implantation, the whole specimens were AP-radiographed and standardized sections through the acetabula were microradiographed to evaluate cement penetration. Results Flanged cups produced greater intra-acetabular peak pressures than unflanged cups, but did not increase the average intra-acetabular pressure. Cement penetration did not differ significantly between the two groups. Interpretation Our findings do not support the use of flanged cups as the sole means of cement pressurization in the acetabulum