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Biomedical subjects

A Koivikko

Publications and source records attributed to A Koivikko.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Immunotherapy in allergy to dog: a double-blind clinical study.

Twenty-seven asthmatic children allergic to dog were included in the study. Their allergy to dog was confirmed by positive results from the skin prick, radioallergosorbent and provocation tests. The subjects were randomly assigned to active and placebo groups. Fifteen subjects received immunotherapy with a commercial standardized aluminum hydroxide-bound dog dander extract and 12 subjects received placebo injections containing histamine. After one year's therapy the conjunctival sensitivity to dog dander extract had decreased significantly (p less than 0.001) in the active treatment group compared to the placebo group. The hyposensitization effect was already observable after six to eight months of treatment. The decrease in bronchial sensitivity was less marked than that in conjunctival sensitivity and statistically not significant. Immunotherapy was observed to be safe and effective. No systemic adverse reactions occurred and local reactions were mild.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to dog dander and hair in asthmatic children.

Dog dander and hair (DDH) specific IgA and IgG antibodies from serum samples of 202 asthmatic children aged from 4 to 15 years were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results were compared with clinical history, and with allergy tests (skin prick test, provocation test and RAST) using the same DDH extract. A blood sample for the in vitro lymphocyte stimulation test was obtained from 40 children, and a nasal secretion sample for analysis of the local DDH-specific IgA, IgG and IgE antibody levels was collected from 35 of them. In children of dog-keeping families, higher serum levels of DDH-specific antibodies, especially IgE antibodies, were observed if the dog had been in the home already during the first years of the child's life. The serum levels of DDH-specific antibodies, however, did not correlate with the degree of the present exposure to dogs. The serum levels of DDH-specific IgA and IgG antibodies did not correlate with each other, with the levels of specific or total IgE, or with the results of skin prick or provocation test. The serum levels of DDH-specific IgA were highest in children who were subjectively most sensitive to dogs. Nasal levels of DDH-specific IgE correlated positively with serum specific IgE levels. The correlation was weaker between nasal and serum titers of specific IgG, and not significant between nasal and serum IgA antibody levels. Specific IgE antibody levels were higher, while specific IgA and IgG antibody levels were lower, in nasal secretion from subjects with nasal symptoms on contact with dogs, when compared with subjects with other complaints (asthma, conjunctival or skin reactions). DDH-specific IgG levels correlated negatively with specific IgE level in the nasal secretion from subjects with a positive provocation test result, while the correlation was positive in subjects with a negative provocation test. The in vitro lymphocyte responses to DDH did not correlate with the results of allergy tests, or with the levels of DDH-specific antibodies in serum or in nasal secretion.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Development of asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis by the age of five years. A prospective study of 543 newborns.

543 children were followed up from birth to 5 years of age. Children with a positive history of parents' atopy had a 51% occurrence of respiratory or dermal symptoms of atopy vs. a 19% occurrence among children with no family history of atopy. There was an association between asthma and allergic rhinitis while atopic dermatitis occurred equally in children with or without respiratory symptoms. The clinical course of atopic symptoms could not be correlated to the family history of atopy. The significance of date of birth, nasal eosinophilia and serum IgE levels seemed to be relatively low in atopic dermatitis while these parameters had a correlation to the development of respiratory atopies.

Aging↗
PubMed1983

Cross-reactivity of cat and dog allergen extracts. RAST inhibition studies with special reference to the allergenic activity in saliva and urine.

The commercial cat and dog allergen extracts are traditionally prepared from pelt, fur or dander. However, there is increased evidence of the allergenicity of saliva and urine of the animals. We have investigated 25 asthmatic children with a positive cat and/or dog RAST result. All 20 subjects with a positive cat RAST gave a positive skin prick test result to cat saliva, cat urine and cat hair. Analogously, all 20 subjects with a positive dog RAST had a positive skin reaction to dog saliva, urine and dander. In RAST inhibition experiments with dog and cat allergen discs, dog saliva appeared to be at least as potent as a commercial dog dander and hair extract, while cat saliva was less potent than the respective commercial extract. Both dog and cat salivas were clearly more potent than the respective urine. Significant cross-reactivity was observed between cat hair and dog dander in the RAST inhibition, whereas saliva and urine were shown to be more species-specific. An experimental dog dander preparation had about the same specificity as, and even higher allergenic activity than, that of dog saliva or urine. Our results suggest that saliva actually may be the best source of cat and dog allergen preparations. The importance of urine warrants further investigation.

Allergens↗
PubMed1982

RAST in the diagnostic of dog dander allergy. A comparison between three allergen preparations using two variants of RAST.

The results of the skin, bronchial or conjunctival provocation tests and of the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) with dog dander and hair extract preparations from two different producers were compared. 202 asthmatic children were included in the study. The clinical tests, Al-RAST and paper RAST, were performed using only one allergen preparation (Hu073), while two allergen preparations (e2 and e5) were used in Phadebas RAST. A good correlation was generally found between the results of the clinical diagnostic tests, the clinical history and the results of RAST. Phadebas RAST e2 was the most specific but the least sensitive: it gave a class 0 result in 18% and class 3-4 in 34.5% of the subjects with a positive provocation test. The corresponding numbers for e5 RAST were 6.0% and 70.2%, respectively. Al-RAST was equally sensitive, but had lower specificity than Phadebas RAST e5. The correlation between Phadebas RAST e5 and paper RAST Hu 073 was excellent, which indicates a remarkable similarity between these allergen extracts. Using sensitive, immunochemically standardized Phadebas RAST e5 or Al-RAST methods, classes 0-1 can be regarded as negative, class 2 as doubtful and classes 3-4 as clinically positive results.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Occurrence of atopic diseases in three generations.

The incidence of asthma, hay fever and atopic dermatitis was assessed in three generations in 2820 families by a questionnaire. 35% of the families were atopic when the histories of parents and grandparents were included. 64% of atopic children had atopy in probands and the corresponding figure for non-atopic individuals was 31%. The highest prevalence of atopy was found in the parents' generation (13.5%) but it did not differ significantly from that of children (10.8%) when compared with grandparents (7.6%). The results suggested an increasing prevalence of children's atopic dermatitis in Finland since the 1950s. The influence of heredity was apparent. Few geographical differences were observed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Skin prick test in the diagnosis of dog dander allergy: a comparison of different extracts with clinical history, provocation tests and RAST.

Skin prick tests (SPT) were carried out on 164 asthmatic children using dog dander allergen preparations (A, B1, B2 and D) from three manufacturers. Bronchial and/or conjunctival provocation tests with allergen A were performed on all patients, as well as the Phadebas RAST (allergen e5). There was a close agreement between the clinical history and the SPT with allergens A and D. The provocation tests and RAST gave results in good agreement with the SPT reactions to all allergens except B1. The overall agreement between the SPT reactions to the different allergens was good. However, significant differences were observed in the allergenic activity of the different preparations and between different batches from the same manufacturer (allergens B1 and B2).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

The occurrence of secretory otitis media in allergic children.

One hundred and forty-four ears (72 patients), forming part of the computer controlled respiratory allergy group of the University of Turku, were analyzed with tympanometry and audiometry to diagnose secretory otitis media. Effusion was found in 3 ears (2 patients) and a pathological tympanogram in a total of 15 ears (10 patients). The incidence of secretory otitis media was 3% and of pathological tympanograms 14%. This study supports the opinion that immediate allergy is not an aetiological factor in secretory otitis media.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗
PubMed1979

Studies on periodontal conditions in asthmatic children.

The effect of extrinsic asthma on periodontal conditions was studied in a group of 30 asthmatic children. Clinical examination revealed that asthmatic children had more gingivitis than their healthy controls. The asthmatic children who received an inhaled corticosteroid as treatment had more severe gingivitis compared with asthmatic children on disodium cromoglycate treatment. The amount of plaque was not altered. The peroxidase activity was assessed from whole saliva. The results revealed that this defense mechanism was not altered in asthma. An enzyme group which is involved in inflammation, the arginine aminopeptidases, was found to be slightly elevated in the gingival fluid of asthmatic children. The results indicate that gingival inflammation is increased in asthma.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1978

The seasonal symptoms of hyposensitized and untreated hay fever patients in relation to birch pollen counts: correlations with nasal sensitivity, prick tests and RAST.

A 2 year prospective study of thirty-eight birch pollen-sensitive hay fever patients under specific immunotherapy and of nineteen untreated control patients showed a significant correlation between the total seasonal symptom scores of the patients and their clinical sensitivities assessed by the RAST and a graded nasal test. The agreement between a positive nasal test and a positive RAST was 74%. In the early season with low pollen counts the onset of symptoms was significantly associated with high sensitivity of the patients, while many patients showed symptoms in the late season irrespective of their nasal and RAST sensitivity. About 90% of both the treated and the untreated patients reported mild symptoms when the pollen count exceeded 80/m(3) in the early season. 80% of them still had symptoms when the count was below 30/m(3) in the late pollen season. Although hyposensitization therapy had no effect on the occurrence of the mild symptoms, the treated patinets had severe symptoms significantly less often than the untreated ones on days with high pollen counts.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1978

Central nervous system involvement in patients with rotavirus gastroenteritis.

Two children with rotavirus gastroenteritis are presented. The first case developed a fatal Reye's syndrome and the other one encephalitis with slow recovery. The rotavirus diagnosis was made in both cases by electron microscopy and a significant rise in antibody titres to Nebraska calf diarrhea virus was seen in one of the two patients.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1977

Childrens' asthma register. Description of a data-system and patient material.

An asthma data register which collects annually certain data from all known local asthmatic children has been presented. The data register is utilized to make a two-page print-out for every patient, and statistics of the whole material. These data make the continuous surveillance and guidance of the patients possible. The easy-to-use and accurate data material has contributed to rationalization of routine work in an asthma clinic. Team work has also improved because the uniform data material enables various workers to quickly pick out a specific problem from the whole material. The cost, $ 2 to 3 per patient per year, is low compared with the immediate benefit. Indirect benefit is to be expected because the system helps to investigate the problems of asthmatic children.

Asthma↗