TY - JOUR T1 - Adverse effects during specific oral tolerance induction: in home phase. JF - Allergol Immunopathol (Madr) Y1 - 2012 A1 - Barbi, E A1 - Longo, G A1 - Berti, I A1 - Matarazzo, L A1 - Rubert, L A1 - Saccari, A A1 - Lenisa, I A1 - Ronfani, L A1 - Radillo, O A1 - Ventura, A KW - Adolescent KW - Adult KW - Age Factors KW - Allergens KW - Child KW - Child, Preschool KW - Desensitization, Immunologic KW - Epinephrine KW - Female KW - Food Hypersensitivity KW - Humans KW - Immune Tolerance KW - Immunoglobulin E KW - Male KW - Milk Hypersensitivity KW - Nebulizers and Vaporizers AB -

BACKGROUND: Specific oral tolerance induction (SOTI) is a promising approach for severe food allergies. There are little data in the literature regarding the home-phase of SOTI, not only with regard to type and frequency of adverse reactions but also regarding the most suitable treatment and protocol.

AIMS: To define the incidence and severity of adverse reactions, possible risk factors, and the safety and effectiveness of the home-phase of an original SOTI protocol in a large group of children with severe cow's milk (CM) allergy, after the hospital "rush" phase.

METHODS: The study was conducted by recording in-home phase adverse events, success and failure as reported by parents, and calling families. Adverse reactions were treated following the International Guidelines, arbitrarily modified by introducing nebulised epinephrine for respiratory reactions, oral beclomethasone for acute gastric pain and oral cromolyn for recurrent gastric pain.

RESULTS: Out of 140 patients, 132 were contacted; eight were inaccessible (follow-up 2-84 months). The number of adverse reactions was 1 in every 100 doses. The reactions were treated with nebulised epinephrine (221 reactions), IM epinephrine (6 reactions), and other drugs. Patients with high specific IgE levels (greater than 100 kU(A)/L) and lower CM dose (less than 5 ml) at the end of in-hospital phase showed a higher risk both for number of reactions and use of nebulised epinephrine.

CONCLUSIONS: The home phase of SOTI was characterised by a significant number of adverse reactions, mostly managed with an acceptable rate of side effects. Nebulised epinephrine played a pivotal role in respiratory reactions.

VL - 40 IS - 1 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21802824?dopt=Abstract ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Diagnosed child, treated child: food challenge as the first step toward tolerance induction in cow's milk protein allergy. JF - Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol Y1 - 2012 A1 - Longo, G A1 - Berti, I A1 - Barbi, E A1 - Calligaris, L A1 - Matarazzo, L A1 - Radillo, O A1 - Ronfani, L A1 - Ventura, A KW - Administration, Oral KW - Adolescent KW - Animals KW - Cattle KW - Child KW - Child, Preschool KW - Humans KW - Immune Tolerance KW - Infant KW - Milk Hypersensitivity KW - Milk Proteins KW - Self Administration AB -

BACKGROUND: Food challenge is required to assess tolerance in cow milk (CM) allergy. A positive challenge contraindicates the reintroduction of CM. Specific oral tolerance induction (SOTI) is a promising treatment.

METHODS: All children admitted for a challenge were prospectively enrolled. To those tolerating between 2 and 150 ml a SOTI protocol was offered. Outcome, adverse reactions, parents' satisfaction were recorded.

RESULTS: Out of 245 challenged patients, 175 reacted 122 out of 125, able to tolerate a minimum dose of 2 ml, underwent SOTI. After one year 75.4% were in an unrestricted diet, 16.1% tolerated between 5 and 150 ml, 8.5% stopped SOTI. Side effects were mild, parents' satisfaction was very high.

CONCLUSIONS: The majority of children tolerating limited amounts of CM at the challenge acquires tolerance with SOTI without relevant side effects. Maintaining on an exclusion diet partially tolerant children should be considered debatable.

VL - 44 IS - 2 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22768724?dopt=Abstract ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Mast cells are critically involved in serum-mediated vascular leakage in chronic urticaria beyond high-affinity IgE receptor stimulation. JF - Allergy Y1 - 2011 A1 - Bossi, F A1 - Frossi, B A1 - Radillo, O A1 - Cugno, M A1 - Tedeschi, A A1 - Riboldi, P A1 - Asero, R A1 - Tedesco, F A1 - Pucillo, C KW - Adult KW - Aged KW - Capillary Permeability KW - Chronic Disease KW - Endothelial Cells KW - Female KW - Histamine Release KW - Humans KW - Male KW - Mast Cells KW - Middle Aged KW - Receptors, IgE KW - Serum KW - Urticaria KW - Young Adult AB -

BACKGROUND: Chronic urticaria (CU) is one of the most common skin disorders whose pathogenic mechanisms are not fully clarified. Autoimmune aetiology can be ascribed to 45% of patients with CU, and basophil histamine release is positive in 40% of cases. Our aim was to use a novel approach to evaluate the serum permeabilizing effect to identify the mediators of endothelial cell (EC) leakage and to define the role of mast cells (MCs) in the process.

METHODS: Permeabilizing activity of sera from 19 patients with CU and 11 healthy blood donors was evaluated by measuring serum-induced degranulation of two MC lines, expressing (LAD2) or lacking (HMC-1) the IgE receptor. Mast cell supernatant (SN) was then incubated with an EC monolayer, and endothelial permeability was evaluated by Fluorescein isothiocyanate-bovine serum albumin leakage in a transwell system.

RESULTS: All 19 patient sera failed to induce direct EC leakage, but 15/19 and 17/19 promoted degranulation of HMC-1 and LAD2, respectively. Interestingly, 85% of autologous serum skin test-negative sera were able to cause MC degranulation. Also, 17/19 SNs from HMC-1 and all SNs from LAD2 incubated with CU sera increased endothelial permeability. Endothelial cell leakage remained unchanged after Ig depletion and was prevented by antihistamine, platelet-activating factor or leukotriene antagonist.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that CU sera are able to degranulate MCs through an IgE- and IgG-independent mechanism. The nature of histamine-releasing factors involved is still unclear, but our finding opens new ways to the understanding of the pathogenesis of CU, particularly in patients not showing circulating autoantibodies to FcεRI or IgE.

VL - 66 IS - 12 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21906078?dopt=Abstract ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Mannose-binding lectin is produced by vaginal epithelial cells and its level in the vaginal fluid is influenced by progesterone. JF - Mol Immunol Y1 - 2010 A1 - Bulla, R A1 - De Seta, F A1 - Radillo, O A1 - Agostinis, C A1 - Durigutto, P A1 - Pellis, V A1 - De Santo, D A1 - Crovella, S A1 - Tedesco, F KW - Adolescent KW - Adult KW - Body Fluids KW - Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay KW - Epithelial Cells KW - Female KW - Humans KW - Immunohistochemistry KW - Mannose-Binding Lectin KW - Menstrual Cycle KW - Progesterone KW - Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction KW - Vagina KW - Young Adult AB -

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a recognition molecule of the complement (C) system and binds to carbohydrate ligands present on a wide range of pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. MBL has been detected in the cervico-vaginal cavity where it can provide a first-line defence against infectious agents colonizing the lower tract of the reproductive system. Analysis of the cervico-vaginal lavage (CVL) obtained from 11 normal cycling women at different phases of the menstrual cycle revealed increased levels of MBL in the secretive phase. Part of this MBL derives from the circulation as indicated by the presence of transferrin in CVL tested as a marker of vascular and tissue permeability. The local synthesis of MBL is suggested by the finding that its level is substantially higher than that of transferrin in the secretive phase. The contribution of endometrium is negligible since the MBL level did not change before and after hysterectomy. RT-PCR and in situ RT-PCR analysis showed that the vaginal tissue, and in particular the basal layer of the epithelium, is a source of MBL which binds to the basal membrane and to cells of the outer layers of the epithelium. In conclusion, we have shown that MBL detected in CVL derives both from plasma as result of transudation and from local synthesis and its level is progesterone dependent increasing in the secretive phase of the menstrual cycle.

VL - 48 IS - 1-3 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20728220?dopt=Abstract ER -