Advances in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Stinging Insect Allergy

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-328
Author(s):  
John W. Yunginger

Allergic reactions to insect stings occur in approximately 0.4% of the general population.1,2 Severe anaphylactic reactions may occur in sensitive patients, and estimates suggest that 40 persons die during such reactions each year in the United States.3 From the standpoint of allergy the Hymenoptera order of insects is the most important; this order includes the bees (honeybees and bumblebees), vespids (wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets), and fire ants. CLASSIFICATION OF STING REACTIONS Insect sting reactions may be grouped into immediate (within two hours) or delayed (more than two hours) categories. Immediate reactions can be subdivided into local, large local, or systemic reactions, depending on the severity and extent of the reaction. Local reactions are normal reactions—a sting will cause transient pain, redness, and swelling at the sting site. In large local reactions the reaction is much more extensive, although all signs and/or symptoms produced are contiguous with the sting site. For example, a sting on the finger may produce swelling of the entire forearm or extremity. In a systemic reaction signs and/or symptoms occur at sites remote from the sting site. For example, a sting on the finger may produce angioedema of the eyelids or generalized urticaria. Toxic reactions are nonimmunologic reactions produced when an individual is stung by multiple insects within a short period of time; signs and symptoms are those of a systemic allergic reaction, but are due to the physiologic effects of vasoactive materials in the venom. Systemic allergic reactions are immunologic reactions produced by vasoactive materials released from the blood basophils or tissue mast cells as a result of interaction between venom components and specific IgE antibodies fixed to the basophils or mast cells.

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 017-021
Author(s):  
Elide Anna Pastorello ◽  
Linda Borgonovo ◽  
Marta Piantanida ◽  
Jan Walter Schroeder ◽  
Valerio Pravettoni ◽  
...  

Introduction: Risk factors for systemic reactions (SRs) from hymenoptera venom (HV) allergy are well known in the adult population but they have been little studied in the pediatric one. Method: The aim of our study was to identify risk factors for SRs in a population of children allergic to HV, comparing a series of clinical (age, gender, atopy, asthma) and laboratory (total IgE, tryptase, venom-specific IgE levels) variables between patients with at least two large local reactions (LLRs) and patients with SRs of different severity for the identified insect. We selected a population of HV allergic children aged <15 years with LLRs or SRs stratified according to Mueller grades after stinging. Results: The population included 80 children, 35 with at least 2 LLRs and 45 with SRs. The level of specific IgE for vespid (Polistes dominula, Vespula species) venoms was significantly higher (p = 0.0321) in children with SRs (Mueller grade II+III+IV) than in those with LLRs and the same significance was also found for specific IgE for Apis mellifera, considering SRs group (Mueller grade I+II+III+IV) in respect with LLRs group (p = 0.0001). Conclusion: The main difference in our pediatric population was the highest level of specific IgE in children with a history of SRs compared to those with a history of LLRs for both vespids and honey bees. These results, once confirmed on a larger population, could suggest the opportunity to follow the behavior of venom specific IgE in children with LLRs to reveal a risk to develop future more serious reactions.


Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 497
Author(s):  
Aikaterini Anagnostou

Background: Food allergies are common, affecting 1 in 13 school children in the United States and their prevalence is increasing. Many misconceptions exist with regards to food allergy prevention, diagnosis and management. Objective: The main objective of this review is to address misconceptions with regards to food allergies and discuss the optimal, evidence-based approach for patients who carry this diagnosis. Observations: Common misconceptions in terms of food allergy prevention include beliefs that breastfeeding and delayed introduction of allergenic foods prevent the development of food allergies. In terms of diagnosis, statements such as ‘larger skin prick tests or/and higher levels of food-specific IgE can predict the severity of food-induced allergic reactions’, or ‘Tryptase is always elevated in food-induced anaphylaxis’ are inaccurate. Additionally, egg allergy is not a contraindication for receiving the influenza vaccine, food-allergy related fatalities are rare and peanut oral immunotherapy, despite reported benefits, is not a cure for food allergies. Finally, not all infants with eczema will develop food allergies and epinephrine auto-injectors may unfortunately be both unavailable and underused in food-triggered anaphylaxis. Conclusions and relevance: Healthcare professionals must be familiar with recent evidence in the food allergy field and avoid common misunderstandings that may negatively affect prevention, diagnosis and management of this chronic disease.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1615
Author(s):  
Zhongwei Zhang ◽  
Yosuke Kurashima

It is well known that mast cells (MCs) initiate type I allergic reactions and inflammation in a quick response to the various stimulants, including—but not limited to—allergens, pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). MCs highly express receptors of these ligands and proteases (e.g., tryptase, chymase) and cytokines (TNF), and other granular components (e.g., histamine and serotonin) and aggravate the allergic reaction and inflammation. On the other hand, accumulated evidence has revealed that MCs also possess immune-regulatory functions, suppressing chronic inflammation and allergic reactions on some occasions. IL-2 and IL-10 released from MCs inhibit excessive immune responses. Recently, it has been revealed that allergen immunotherapy modulates the function of MCs from their allergic function to their regulatory function to suppress allergic reactions. This evidence suggests the possibility that manipulation of MCs functions will result in a novel approach to the treatment of various MCs-mediated diseases.


Author(s):  
Coby Klein ◽  
Mitchell Baker ◽  
Andrei Alyokhin ◽  
David Mota-Sanchez

Abstract Eastern New York State is frequently the site of Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata, Say) populations with the highest observed levels of insecticide resistance to a range of active ingredients. The dominance of a resistant phenotype will affect its rate of increase and the potential for management. On organic farms on Long Island, L. decemlineata evolved high levels of resistance to spinosad in a short period of time and that resistance has spread across the eastern part of the Island. Resistance has also emerged in other parts of the country as well. To clarify the level of dominance or recessiveness of spinosad resistance in different parts of the United States and how resistance differs in separate beetle populations, we sampled in 2010 beetle populations from Maine, Michigan, and Long Island. In addition, a highly resistant Long Island population was assessed in 2012. All populations were hybridized with a laboratory-susceptible strain to determine dominance. None of the populations sampled in 2010 were significantly different from additive resistance, but the Long Island population sampled in 2012 was not significantly different from fully recessive. Recessive inheritance of high-level resistance may help manage its increase.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pimpawee Sittipan ◽  
Pisanu Wongpornchai

Some of the important petroleum reservoirs accumulate beneath the seas and oceans. Marine seismic reflection method is the most efficient method and is widely used in the petroleum industry to map and interpret the potential of petroleum reservoirs. Multiple reflections are a particular problem in marine seismic reflection investigation, as they often obscure the target reflectors in seismic profiles. Multiple reflections can be categorized by considering the shallowest interface on which the bounces take place into two types: internal multiples and surface-related multiples. Besides, the multiples can be categorized on the interfaces where the bounces take place, a difference between long-period and short-period multiples can be considered. The long-period surface-related multiples on 2D marine seismic data of the East Coast of the United States-Southern Atlantic Margin were focused on this research. The seismic profile demonstrates the effectiveness of the results from predictive deconvolution and the combination of surface-related multiple eliminations (SRME) and parabolic Radon filtering. First, predictive deconvolution applied on conventional processing is the method of multiple suppression. The other, SRME is a model-based and data-driven surface-related multiple elimination method which does not need any assumptions. And the last, parabolic Radon filtering is a moveout-based method for residual multiple reflections based on velocity discrimination between primary and multiple reflections, thus velocity model and normal-moveout correction are required for this method. The predictive deconvolution is ineffective for long-period surface-related multiple removals. However, the combination of SRME and parabolic Radon filtering can attenuate almost long-period surface-related multiple reflections and provide a high-quality seismic images of marine seismic data.


1987 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-14
Author(s):  
Frederick Hecht

Medical genetics is currently enjoying a time of exploration and discovery. Huntington disease has long been of interest in adult medicine. The onset of clinical signs and symptoms is usually delayed until midadulthood. It may seem strange in this context to focus on Huntington disease, but advances in molecular genetics have brought Huntington disease into the purview of pediatrics. These advances in molecular genetics make it possible to detect Huntington disease in a preclinical stage at or even before birth. The molecular approach does not replace prior approaches to Huntington disease but is synergistic and provides a model of the new genetics. Huntington disease is synonymous with Huntington chorea. It is named after George Huntington who, like his father and grandfather before him, studied the disease in families on Long Island, NY. Huntington disease is a more common hereditary disorder than phenylketonuria, which occurs in one of about 10,000 newborns in the United States. By contrast, about one in 2,000 persons is at risk for Huntington disease. Although most cases start clinically in midadulthood, usually between 35 and 42 years of age, there is great variability in age of onset. About 3% of cases are diagnosed as juvenile Huntington disease before the age of 15 years. Late onset is well known after 50 years of age.


1992 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 323-328
Author(s):  
Frank S. Virant

Epidemiology Allergic rhinitis affects as many as 8% to 10% of children in the United States. Many of these children suffer significant morbidity, leading to millions of lost school days annually. Morbidity is amplified when these children concurrently suffer from complications of allergic rhinitis, such as recurrent otitis media or chronic sinus disease. Typically, children who have allergic rhinitis have a family history of atopic disorders. Upper airway allergy may become manifest at any age, but the appearance of symptoms is most common during childhood or young adulthood. Clinical signs of rhinitis may be perennial, seasonal, or episodic, and the primary focus of complaints may relate to secondary problems, including ear, sinus, or lung disease. Pathophysiology In the allergic patient, disease is mediated by the production of antigenspecific IgE by the patient's B lymphocytes. Current research suggests that the primary defect may be the excessive production of interleukin 4 (IL-4) or a deficient level of gamma interferon (γ-INF) when a T-cell is presented with an antigen. This constellation of immunomodulators directs the B-cell to produce IgE rather than the IgG response of the non-allergic patient. Clinical disease occurs when an allergen reacts with antigen-specific IgE on the patient's nasal mast cells. When these factors combine, the mast cell is activated to release a variety of preformed and newly produced mediators, including histamine, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins (Fig 1).


1968 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 9-11

PENICILLIN ALLERGY - Intramuscular benzylpenicillin in conventional doses is remarkable for its lack of toxicity, although massive intravenous or intramuscular doses can cause serious toxic encephalopathies. Allergic reactions occur in 3 – 8% of patients.1 2 The most serious reaction is acute anaphylactic shock, which is estimated to cause 100–300 deaths yearly in the United States.3 Urticarial and, less frequently, maculo-papular, diffuse erythematous and other forms of skin eruption may occur within minutes or only after hours or days. Angioneurotic oedema, asthma, joint pains and swelling, and lacrimation may also be features of penicillin allergy.


Author(s):  
E. Dabagyan

The author puts forward and substantiates a thesis about the transformation of Brazil into an important actor of the international relations. This becomes possible because a number of factors, including the well-designed, multi-tasked and balanced foreign policy strategy. It was founded during the military regime. Then, it was maintained and developed by the civilian Brazilian governments, primarily by such an outstanding figure as the president L. da Silva. His successor D. Rousseff s in a short period of time managed to gain a solid international reputation. She successfully copes with the mission to lead Brazil into the club of world’s great powers. To perform this task Brazilian government constantly makes efforts to strengthen relations with the neighbors on the Latin American continent, to gradually smoothen tensions with the United States. Also, it closely works with the countries of BRICS, contributes to building bridges between the South and the North, as well as actively participates in the activities of international organizations and the settlement of contentious issues in the world.


Author(s):  
A. Kuznetsov

The author examines problems of Russia’s integration into the global financial system since early 1990s. During this short period of time Russia has turned from a net debtor into a net creditor. This is evidenced by its current net international investment position, as well as by active participation in the formation of credit resources of the key international financial institutions, particularly IMF. Still, the net investment income of Russia is negative. Such a disadvantage is explained by the difference in interest rates between payments of Russia on its external obligations and receipts as income from investments in foreign assets, mainly low-income bonds of developed countries, which form Russian international reserves. For three centuries the United Kingdom and the United States have been playing key role in the development of the global financial system. Today London and New York still operate nearly two thirds of the volume of global flows of capital in the international financial markets. Thus, as one of major economies in terms of GDP and as a resource-richest country of the world, Russia, as author argues, can rightfully claim for a more adequate share of income from the global financial intermediation. Obstacles include the lack of development of the domestic financial market and insufficient international demand for financial instruments denominated in Rubles. Russian Ruble remains a purely internal currency which practically is not used in the international trading and financial operations. At this stage, Russia’s inability to influence the basic conditions of refinancing on international capital markets, as well as the recent Western sanctions make impossible the full-scale participation of Russia in the processes of financial globalization. The author concludes that alternative way of Russia’s entry into the global financial system lays in playing the key role in the creation of the regional financial market of the Eurasian Economic Space.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document