Airborne allergens can be transferred to the newborn through placenta and colostrum in the presence of maternal specific antibodies.

Diversos estudos em modelo animal indicam claramente que a transferência materna de IgG alérgeno-específica previne a resposta alérgica na prole. A presença de alérgeno no leite também mostrou proteger a prole por induzir tolerância oral. Neste estudo, analisamos em humanos a transferência materna de alérgenos dos ácaros Der p e Blo t e anticorpos específicos durante a gestação e amamentação em uma coorte de 91 amostras pareadas de soro materno, colostro e cordão umbilical. Demonstramos que tanto o Der p 1 como Blo t 5 podem estar presentes em amostras de colostro e cordão umbilical e identificamos a atopia materna como fator crítico para o aumento de IgG específica nestes compartimentos. No cordão umbilical, a maior diferença entre mães atópicas e não atópicas foi para a IgG4. A concentração de Der p 1 e Blo t 5 não apresentou correlação com o estado atópico materno ou concentração de anticorpos específicos. No colostro, apenas para o alérgeno Der p 1 a concentração foi maior em mães atópicas e apresentou correlação com os níveis de anticorpos IgG específicos.Experimental data in rodents indicate that maternal allergen-specific IgG prevents allergic sensitization in the progeny. Airborne allergens in maternal milk also protects breastfeed mice by oral tolerance induction. In this study, we assessed in humans whether Der p and Blo t allergens and specific antibodies were transferred during pregnancy and breastfeeding in a cohort of 91 paired samples of maternal blood, colostrums and umbilical cord blood. Our study indicates that Der p 1 and Blo t 5 can be found in both, cord blood and colostrums, and identifies maternal atopy as a critical factor for increased levels of allergen-specific IgG in these compartments. In the cord blood the biggest difference between atopic and non atopic mothers was observed for IgG4. Der p 1 and Blo t 5 concentrations were not correlated with maternal atopic status nor specific-antibodies levels. In colostrums, only the concentration of Der p 1 was higher in atopic mothers and correlated with colostrums specific-IgG levels

Decision-makers’ Use and Abuse of Human Rights - A study into the role of human rights in the political decision-making process leading up to Denmark’s military engagement in Iraq

The thesis critically assesses the decision-making process leading up to the acceptance of bill B 118 which approved Danish military action in the American-led multilateral coalition ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom’. The analysis will use coding through a qualitative content analysis to investigate the potential use and abuse of human rights framework by decision-makers, during this process. Theories of just war, activist military politics and the decision-making theory of perception and misperception are used to provide the foundation for the content analysis, as well as positioning the results in the context of the wider political sphere. Though the nature of the investigation does not allow for absolute conclusions, the findings demonstrated how human rights were indeed used as a tool of both persuasion in the hunt for support and as a means to legitimise actions