Asia Pacific Allergy最新文献

[This corrects the article e13 in vol. 12, PMID: 35571548.].

Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is considered the only curative treatment for allergic diseases mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE). Currently, the route of administration depends both on the different types of causal allergens and on its effectiveness and safety profile. Several studies have reported the mechanisms and changes in humoral and cellular response underlying AIT; however, the full picture remains unknown. Knowledge of who can benefit from this type of treatment is urgently needed due to the patient safety risks and costs of AIT. In vivo or in vitro biomarkers have become a strategy to predict clinical outcomes in precision medicine. There are currently no standardized biomarkers that allow determining successful responses to AIT, however, some studies have found differences between responders and nonresponders. In addition, different candidates have been postulated that may have the potential to become biomarkers. In this review, we aim to summarize the findings to date related to biomarkers in different IgE-mediated allergic diseases (respiratory, food, and venom allergy) with the potential to define who will benefit from AIT.

Cough is a common symptom occurring in patients with acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection as well as during the post-COVID-19 period. The post-COVID-19 cough can improve over time and the incidence of sustained post-COVID-19 chronic cough is low. Approaching post-COVID-19 cough is challenging to clinicians including pulmonologists and allergists due to a diverse set of etiologies and the lack of published guidance on effective treatments. A 60-year-old male ex-smoker presented to the outpatient long COVID-19 clinic because of a prolonged cough for 4 months after a severe COVID-19 infection. His cough was so violent that he had suffered a spontaneous pneumothorax on 2 occasions. In addition, he also complained of exertional breathlessness. Due to concerns over ongoing systemic inflammation from COVID-19 or thromboembolism, a serum C-reactive protein and d-dimer where checked and were normal. Chest computed tomography (CT) images revealed diffuse ground glass opacities combined with scattered emphysema in the bilateral upper lobes and several small bullae located close to the pleura. His diagnosis was post-COVID-19 interstitial lung disease (ILD) and he was treated with methylprednisolone 32 mg/day. After 2 weeks of treatment, he showed improvement with near cessation of cough and a significant decline in dyspnea. The follow-up chest CT also showed improvement in the ground glass opacities. Severe chronic cough could be a manifestation of post-COVID-19 ILD. This case demonstrates the use of systemic corticosteroid to improve both post-COVID-19 ILD and its associated chronic cough.

Background: Humidifier lung (HL) is a hypersensitivity pneumonitis resulting from exposure to humidifiers, with fungi from the humidifier as one of the etiologic agents. However, identification of the fungal species responsible for each case can be challenging because of difficulties in culturing fungi, their accurate identification, and interpreting the results of specific serum IgG testing.

Objective: To clarify the best way to determine the causative fungal species of each HL case.

Methods: We report 2 cases with HL in which rare fungi were identified as causative agents. In addition, we searched MEDLINE for previous publications on HL caused by fungi and performed a literature review focusing on clinical testing for the determination of causal fungal species.

Results: In our 2 cases, we identified Fusarium oxysporum species complex, Purpureocillium lilacinum, Acremonium sclerotigenum/egyptiacum as the causative fungal species, based on findings that these could be cultured from humidifier water (HW) and precipitins against these fungi were also positive. The literature review identified 31 HL cases in which the causative fungal species had been documented. In more than half of the cases (17 of 31) there was a concordance between the fungal species cultured from HW and the presence of specific IgG in the blood.

Conclusion: We recommend performing culture of fungi from HW and specific serum IgG testing for the accurate determination of the causative fungal species in HL, and concordance between them serves as a rationale for the determination of causative fungal species.

Background: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by C1-inhibitor deficiency. It is characterized by recurrent attacks of cutaneous and upper respiratory tract swelling, and abdominal pain due to mucosal edema. Early detection and treatment prevent unnecessary interventions, improves quality of life, and prevents potentially fatal attacks.

Objective: The present study aims to investigate physicians level of knowledge and awareness regarding HAE.

Methods: A questionnaire about HAE was applied to 393 physicians from a university hospital. Participants were requested to choose one or several answers to multiple-choice questions.

Results: Seven and three tenths percent of study participants stated to have never heard of HAE. Twenty-seven physicians (7.4%) chose the exact correct answers regarding diagnostic tests, and 2 (0.8%) chose the exact correct answers regarding emergency management. A composite of internists, pediatrists and emergency medicine specialists had a significantly higher mean score than other physicians (p = 0.047). Physicians from internal medical sciences scored significantly higher than physicians from surgical medical sciences (p = 0.022).

Conclusion: The present study reveals that physician awareness about HAE is low, and physicians misdiagnose HAE attacks as histaminergic angioedema attacks, and therefore provide ineffective treatment. Although HAE is a rare disease, physician awareness must be increased, because early diagnosis and effective treatment are vital for the patients.

Background: In 2016, Melbourne was struck by the world's largest and most devastating epidemic thunderstorm asthma (ETSA) episode. While affected individuals displayed worsened short-term asthma control, little is known about their longer-term natural history, nor about interventions that restore control.

Objective: We assessed the asthma symptomatology and related behaviours of ETSA-affected individuals through a single-centre prospective 5-year longitudinal study. We embedded an open-label observational trial investigating the role of grass pollen sublingual tablet (Oralair) allergen immunotherapy in improving asthma and allergic rhinitis symptoms.

Methods: Allergic rhinitis symptom severity, frequency of asthma symptoms and inhaled corticosteroid usage were assessed via questionnaire yearly. In 2018, a subgroup of participants was enrolled in an observational study of Oralair treatment compared to control. The active group received Oralair from 2019 to 2021; both groups were followed-up for 5 years. Subgroup analyses were performed for participants with complete datasets, and who completed the trial per-protocol.

Results: Year-on-year data across 5 years was available for 30 participants. The rate of persistent asthma symptoms declined from 37% to 7% in 2016 to 2021. Only 10%-27% of participants reported being completely asymptomatic in any given year. The inhaled preventer prescription rate was 67%, with only 35% being adherent. Twenty-seven participants with available data completed the Oralair trial per-protocol. No significant difference was noted between control and active groups for allergic rhinitis symptoms or asthma control, although the Oralair group saw a significant improvement in asthma control comparing 2019 with 2021.

Conclusion: This is the longest documented follow-up of ETSA-affected individuals. Five years following sentinel event, there was progressive reduction but some persistence in asthma symptoms. Oralair allergen immunotherapy did not further improve allergic rhinitis or asthma symptoms compared to control, but there were no further ETSA events to test a protective effect during the study period.

Background: Anaphylaxis is defined as a severe, life-threatening systemic hypersensitivity reaction. Healthcare professionals must recognize the symptoms, apply correct treatment immediately, and provide epinephrine auto-injectors (EAI) to patients who experience anaphylaxis.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the knowledge of healthcare professionals regarding anaphylaxis.

Methods: This cross-sectional study, which was conducted between February 2022 and March 2022, included healthcare professionals working in various hospitals in Turkey. A survey consisting of 21 questions which concerned with the demographic data, personal experience and level of knowledge about anaphylaxis was applied to healthcare professionals.

Results: The study included a total of 301 participants, comprising 160 specialist physicians (53.16%), 86 resident physicians (28.57%), 31 family physicians (10.3%), and 24 allied health personnel (7.97%). Most of the healthcare professionals (93%) chose epinephrine as the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis. Two hundred ten participants (69.77%) knew the correct dose of epinephrine in the treatment of anaphylaxis, and allied healthcare professionals had least knowledge (p = 0.009). The participants who received anaphylaxis training and had experience with anaphylaxis had a higher knowledge about epinephrine dosing (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). Only 49.17% of the participants knew the epinephrine doses of EAIs, and only 19% of participants had prescribed an EAI.

Conclusion: Our results showed that healthcare professionals' knowledge about epinephrine doses in the treatment of anaphylaxis was not sufficient. Furthermore, the prescribing rate of EAIs was still inadequate. There is a need for national training programs to increase and update the knowledge of healthcare professionals to reduce anaphylaxis mortality.

Background: Dermographism is the most common form of chronic inducible urticaria. However, the natural history and clinical course of patients with dermographism in tropical countries has not fully been described.

Objective: To examine clinical features, natural history and clinical course of dermographism in Thai patients according to their experiences.

Methods: A cross-sectional, internet-based survey was conducted in 2021. All study respondents completed a 45-item questionnaire that was circulated on social media regarding dermographism.

Results: Among the 2,456 respondents who reported dermographism, 1,900 had symptomatic dermographism (SD), while 556 had simple dermographism (SimD). Of the respondents who reported SD and SimD, the female to male ratio was 2.2:1 and 2.4:1, respectively. The median age of the first episode of SD and SimD was 16 and 15 years, respectively. Older age, greater body weight, cardiovascular diseases, allergic conjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis, changes in temperature, and family history of dermographism were all factors linked to an increased probability of SD. Half of the respondents with SD reported moderate itch severity. Moreover, about half of SD and almost all of SimD respondents let the wheal resolve on its own. Second generation H₁-antihistamines were most commonly prescribed while over-the-counter medicines were taken by both SD and SimD respondents.

Conclusion: This survey highlights several aspects of dermographism in Thai patients which can be useful for healthcare providers. SD is troublesome and affects the quality of life of many patients, leading some to seek medication themselves.

The aim of this study was to report the success of a clindamycin graded challenge. The patient was a 39-year-old human immunodeficiency virus-infected male with toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE) with a history of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) and clindamycin allergy. He developed a reaction during TMP/SMX desensitization. Following the reaction, a graded challenge with clindamycin was performed in this study, and he became tolerant to clindamycin. No adverse drug reactions developed during the graded challenge. He successfully continued suppressive therapy with no further reactions or recurrences.