Razvoj respiracijskih alergija, astme i alergijskog rinitisa u djece s atopijskim dermatitisom

Children with atopic dermatitis (AD) usually develop symptoms when they reach the age of 6-7 years, but the risk of developing respiratory allergies, asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) remains high. In most children with AD, the development of asthma and AR is associated with sensitization to food allergens and/or aeroallergens, while only a small percentage missed atopic diathesis. In about 35% of children with AD, food allergy is the provoking cause, and 60% of infants who had AD in the first 3 months of life were sensitized against aeroallergens by the age of 5. The aim of the study was to follow development of asthma and AR and to assess the most significant risk factors for developing respiratory allergy. A total of 114 children with AD were followed up for five years. At annual visits, the severity of disease, total immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody values, skin prick tests, specific IgE antibodies to food allergens and aeroallergens, and absolute eosinophil count were assessed. Information on the family history of atopy and AD, feeding patterns during infancy, data on sensitivity to food allergens and/or aeroallergens, and on the occurrence of bronchial obstruction and nose symptoms were obtained. Asthma developed in 36 children, median age 7.7 years; 33 children had symptoms of AR, and 13 children with AD had both diseases associated; 38 children had sensitivity to food, of which 24 developed asthma and 13 AR; asthma developed in 18/23 children with sensitivity to aeroallergens, and almost an equal number of children developed AR. The increased absolute eosinophil count and specific IgE to aeroallergens and food allergens were the best asthma predictors, while AR predictors were family history and early onset of AD. In conclusion, children with AD are at a significant risk of developing respiratory allergies, and those with the increased absolute eosinophil count, positive specific IgE to aeroallergens and food allergens, heredity of AD, and early onset of AD are at the highest risk. Identification of risk factors will enable us to improve the treatments of AD in order to reduce the severity of disease and prevent manifestation of respiratory allergy.Djeca s atopijskim dermatitisom (AD), osobito ona s teškim oblikom i preosjetljivosti na alergene hrane ili aeroalergene, imaju visok rizik za razvoj astme i alergijskog rinitisa (AR). Cilj je bio pratiti razvoj astme i AR u djece s AD te uočiti najznačajnije rizične čimbenike za njihov nastanak. Ukupno je 114 djece s AD praćeno tijekom pet godina. Pri jednogodišnjim pregledima procjenjivala se težina bolesti, vrijednost apsolutnog broja eozinofila, ukupnih imunoglobulinskih E (IgE) protutijela, kožni ubodni test, specifična IgE protutijela na alergene hrane i aeroalergene te podaci o obiteljskoj povijesti atopije i AD, načinu prehrane u dojenačkoj dobi te o preosjetljivosti na hranu i aeroalergene, pojavi otežanog disanja i nosnih simptoma. Astma se razvila u 36 djece, uz gotovo jednak broj onih s umjerenim i teškim oblikom AD; simptome AR imalo je 33, a udružene obje bolesti 13 djece. Od 38 djece s preosjetljivošću na hranu 24 je razvilo astmu, a 13 AR; od 23 djece s preosjetljivošću na aeroalergene 18 je razvilo astmu, a 17 AR. Najbolji predskazatelji za razvoj astme bili su apsolutni broj eozinofila i specifična IgE protutijela, dok su predskazatelji za AR bili AD u srodnika i rani nastup AD. Zaključuje se da djeca s AD imaju značajan rizik za razvoj astme i AR. Prepoznavajući predskazatelje i ublažavajući težinu bolesti možda bi se mogao spriječiti razvoj respiracijske alergije

Correlation Between Interleukin 6 and Interleukin 10 in Acute Myocardial Infarction

The aim of this study was to analyze (i) ratios between pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1 (IL-1), tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stable angina pectoris (ii) as well as correlation between IL-6 and IL-10 in AMI and (iii) correlation between IL-6 and lipoproteins in AMI. The total of 71 patients were enrolled in this study, 41 of them with AMI (study group) and 30 with stable angina pectoris (control group). The concentrations of cytokines and lipoproteins were measured from blood samples. Pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory cytokine ratios were calculated by dividing concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines with IL-10. In statistical analyses we used descriptive statistics, normality tests and analysis of correlation. IL-6: IL-10 ratio is significantly higher in AMI than in stable angina (P < 0,001), TNF-α: IL-10 is also higher in study group but the difference is not significant. We found positive linear correlation between IL-6 and IL-10 (r =0,43; p = 0,015) and negative linear correlation between IL-6 and high density lipoprotein HDL (r = -0,47; p= 0,008) in AMI. IL-6: IL-10 ratio is higher in AMI than in stable angina. There is linear correlation between IL-6 and IL-10 and IL-6 and HDL in AMI

Effect of Alpha Lipoic Acid Supplementation on Oxidative Stress and Lipid Parameters in Women Diagnosed with Low-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (LSILs): A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Limited scientific evidence shows that alpha lipoic acid (ALA) can induce regression rates of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs), but the mechanisms of these effects have not been elucidated. To gain a broader insight into its therapeutic potential and mechanisms of action, the effects of 3 months of supplementation with 600 mg of ALA on antioxidant and lipid status parameters in 100 patients with LSILs were investigated in a randomized, placebo-controlled study. The obtained results are discussed in terms of patients’ initial metabolic status and diet quality (particularly nutritional intake of antioxidants). The obtained results showed that oxidative status biomarkers were not significantly affected by ALA supplementation. However, serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was positively affected in the subgroup of patients with higher dietary antioxidant intake. Surprisingly, ALA supplementation resulted in a small but statistically significant increase in serum low density lipoprotein (LDL), and the observed effect was significantly affected by the initial lipid status of the participants. Larger studies are necessary to gain additional insights on the clinical significance of ALA as an antioxidant and hypolipemic agent and to optimize its potential application in LSIL treatment

Effect of Alpha-Lipoic Acid Supplementation on Low-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions—Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) is a cytologic diagnosis etiologically related to human papilloma virus (HPV) infection that leads to the release of inflammation mediators, the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased levels of antioxidants in tissues, which is why antioxidants might be considered effective against SIL progression. This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation (600 mg/day) on the regression of low-grade SIL in 100 patients. Low-grade SIL was determined after the cytological screening, colposcopic examination and targeted biopsy and histological confirmation of cytological–colposcopic diagnosis. Inflammation parameters and the presence of HPV were determined by standard laboratory methods. Dietary and lifestyle habits were investigated using a standardized and validated semi-quantitative food questionnaire (FFQ). ALA supplementation significantly reduced the proportion of patients with low-grade cytological abnormalities, in comparison to placebo. Given the obtained level of significance (p < 0.001), the presented results indicate that short-term ALA supplementation shows a clinically significant effect on cervical cytology. Future studies should focus on the use of innovative formulations of ALA that might induce bioavailability and therapeutic efficiency against HPV infection and the investigation of synergistic effects of concurrent dietary/lifestyle modification and ALA supplementation in both low-grade and high-grade SIL