Asthma Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Asthma, including details on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, causes, medications.

Tolerance mechanisms in response to antigens responsible for baker's asthma in different exposed people.

Panzani R, Armentia A, Lobo R, Postigo I, Martíinez J, Arranz ML, Martíin-Gil JF, Fernández JC

Laboratoire de Recherches, Marseille, France.

BACKGROUND: Baker's asthma is among the most common occupational disease. The risk factors and immune features that may be important as predictors of tolerance or development of the disease are not completely understood. OBJECTIVE: To study the evolution over time of antigenic reactivity on baker's asthma in Spain and in France, in order to find differences in their allergenic response and evidence of protective or risks mechanisms against this disease. METHODS: Two groups of subjects were randomly selected. A group of bakers with asthma from Spain and a second group from France whose blood was taken 30 years ago: bakers with asthma, bakers without occupational respiratory allergy, and wives and children living close to the bakery. In all subjects skin tests were carried out with cereals, insects and the most common allergens in their area. Specific IgE, IgG(4) and IL 10 measurement were also determined. RESULTS: Spanish patients were mainly sensitized to cereal allergens and presented higher levels of IgE (p < 0.001). French patients are more often sensitised to insects than the Spanish ones: 5.26% versus 80% (p < 0.005). Symptom free or without aggravation at work subjects have higher specific IgG(4) and IL 10 levels than the others (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Antigens implicated in baker's asthma may change with time. The presence of higher levels of IgG(4), IL10 and diversity of sources of sensitisation in French patients may have helped them to develop a kind of natural hyposensitization.

Published 30 April 2008 in J Asthma, 45(4): 333-8.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

Articles on Asthma published 30 April 2008:

Self-reported home environmental risk factors for childhood asthma: a cross-sectional study of children in Buffalo, New York.   J Asthma, 45(4): 325-32.

We present prevalence estimates of indoor and outdoor environmental risk factors for asthma from a cross-sectional study of children 1 to 17 years of age living in Buffalo, New York. A child's primary caretaker completed a questionnaire about the household's demographics, lifestyle habits, housing, indoor and outdoor environment, and the child's activity patterns, family history of asthma, asthma symptoms and treatment, and medical care access. Significant environmental risk factors were ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Parental stress and childhood wheeze in a prospective cohort study.   J Asthma, 45(4): 319-23.

BACKGROUND: Although studies indicate that psychological stress is linked with asthma morbidity, it is unknown whether stress is associated with the incidence of asthma symptoms. METHOD: In a cohort of 5- to 6-year-old school children participating in the southern California Children's Health Study, we evaluated parent-reported wheeze in the child using a standardized questionnaire and perceived parental stress at study entry. Wheeze in the child was evaluated one year later. Analyses were ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Characterizing community-based asthma knowledge in Chicago and its high risk neighborhoods.   J Asthma, 45(4): 313-8.

The goal of this study was to characterize asthma knowledge in high risk neighborhoods compared to a random sample of residents in the Chicago area. The Chicago Community Asthma Survey-32 (CCAS-32) was administered to 1006 Chicago-area residents and 388 residents in 4 high-risk Chicago inner-city neighborhoods.There was a significant difference in asthma knowledge between groups.The general Chicago-area respondents have an average desirable response rate of 71.6% versus 64.7% for respondents in ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Birth-related exposures and asthma and allergy in adulthood: a population-based cross-sectional study of young adults in North Staffordshire.   J Asthma, 45(4): 309-12.

The rise in the prevalence of asthma and other allergic disorders over the past two decades has been well documented, yet this increase has still to be fully explained. One possible hypothesis is that the rise in atopic disease is related to recent changes in obstetric practice. Using a population based survey, with linked general practice and hospital birth records, we investigated the association between 6 birth related exposures (birth weight, mode of delivery, artificial commencement of ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Early respiratory infections and asthma among New York City Head Start children.   J Asthma, 45(4): 301-8.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory infections in neonates have been found to predict wheeze among young children. We hypothesized that among preschool children from low-income minority communities in New York City, current asthma would be associated with a history of respiratory infection in the first few months after their birth. METHODS: We asked parents of children in New York City Head Start centers (preschool programs for children of low-income families) to respond to a questionnaire covering ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Costs and resource use of mild persistent asthma patients initiated on controller therapy.   J Asthma, 45(4): 293-9.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of mild persistent asthma is controversial. OBJECTIVES: A retrospective database approach was used to evaluate different alternatives to treating mild persistent asthma. We hypothesized that treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) would result in lowest costs than treatment with leukotriene modifiers (LM) and combination therapy with ICS long-acting inhaled beta(2)-agonists (LABA) because it would be associated with fewer acute care visits and hospitalizations ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Improving care for urban children with asthma: design and methods of the School-Based Asthma Therapy (SBAT) trial.   J Asthma, 45(4): 279-86.

The School Based Asthma Therapy (SBAT) trial builds on a pilot study in which we found that school-based administration of preventive asthma medications for inner-city children reduced asthma symptoms. However, the beneficial effects of this program were seen only among children not exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). The current study is designed to establish whether this intervention can be enhanced by more stringent adherence to asthma guidelines through the addition of ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Early bronchodilatory effects of budesonide/formoterol pMDI compared with fluticasone/salmeterol DPI and albuterol pMDI: 2 randomized controlled trials in adults with persistent asthma previously treated with inhaled corticosteroids.   J Asthma, 45(4): 265-72.

Two identically designed, randomized, multicenter, single-dose, crossover studies were conducted in patients aged > or = 18 years with mild to moderate asthma previously treated with inhaled corticosteroids. After 2 weeks on twice-daily budesonide pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) 160 microg, patients received a randomized sequence of budesonide/formoterol pMDI 80/4.5 microg x 2 inhalations (160/9 microg), fluticasone/salmeterol dry powder inhaler (DPI) 250/50 microg x 1 inhalation, ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

© 2004-2008 Asthma Research Today. All Rights Reserved.