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Biomedical subjects

D Charpin

Publications and source records attributed to D Charpin.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Prevalence of allergy to hymenoptera stings in different samples of the general population.

To get figures of prevalence of systemic reactions (SRs) to hymenoptera sting in adults between the ages of 18 to 65 years, we performed three different surveys using the same questionnaire from 1984 to 1988. The first one was a door-to-door survey in Southeast France, which included 8271 adults and used a questionnaire. The second one, which included 2067 adults, was performed in a health care center and comprised the same questionnaire and venom skin tests in subjects reporting a history of SRs. The third survey was a national poll performed through a home-based national computer network. The percentage of SRs ranged from 0.66% in the second survey including skin tests to 3.3% in the poll survey. The higher prevalence figure in this latter survey may be related to a false-positive history. There was no urban-rural difference in prevalence of SR.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Allergy to latex.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Allergens↗
PubMed1992

Fel d I allergen: skin and or saliva?

To determine the relative importance of saliva and sebaceous glands as sources of Fel d I allergen, we compared Fel d I levels at the base and tip of the hair in areas presenting more or less sebaceous glands and areas licked more or less frequently. The amount of Fel d I was significantly higher at the base than the tip of the hair. Further, it was strongly correlated with the density of sebaceous glands. This study demonstrated that the most abundant source of Fel d I allergen is cat skin.

Allergens↗
PubMed1992

[Spatial and temporal variations of the quantities of pollen from Cupressaceae-Taxaceae collected in Marseilles].

Marseille has two sites (Centre and North) where airborne pollens are collected and counted. The most numerous pollens are from Cupressaceae Taxaceae. We compared the quantities collected with both pollen traps during February, March and April 1988 and 1989. Most of pollinization takes place in March. In Marseille's Centre, there were three times more trapped pollen during 1989 than in 1988. In 1989, there was 40% more pollen on northern site as compared with the other one. As indicated in 1989 with both sites, it suggests a circadian periodicity of Cupressaceae Taxaceae pollen: their highest count is usually between 9 and 11 hours a.m.

Air↗
PubMed1992

[Evaluation of asthma: clinical or functional scores?].

This article is a review of the clinical and functional scores used for the assessment of the severity of asthma. Dyspnea is a key feature of asthma but its severity is difficult to interpret. Subjects with continuous airway obstruction may tend to be poor sensors of their dyspnea. The addition of other symptoms such as cough, wheezing, etc. to the dyspnea score can also be criticized. An international consensus conference recently proposed a clinical and functional scale to assess the severity of asthma. A combination of clinical, drug and functional information can best express the severity of asthma. Data originating from the authors work suggest that the correlations between clinical and drug scores on the one hand and peak expiratory flow rate values on the other hand are weak. It is the authors' final impression that the severity of asthma should be judged in a global way by considering various parameters.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1991

Fel d I allergen distribution in cat fur and skin.

Immunohistochemical procedures were performed to ascertain Fel d I antigen (Ag) distribution in cat fur and skin biopsy specimens and to analyze Fel d I allergen concentrations in fur. One hundred strands of fur and 24 skin biopsy specimens (6 by 4 by 3 mm) from shaved areas were collected from 11 different cats. Freshly depilated hairs were immunostained by free-floating monoclonal anti-Fel d I, avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex, and either processed for scanning electron microscopic examination or mounted on glass slides for computer-assisted densitometric analysis (SAMBA system). Skin biopsy specimens were promptly frozen and sectioned just before the immunohistochemical processing. Densitometric analysis of fur demonstrated that immunoprecipitate concentrations were tenfold higher at the root than at the tip. However, this finding may be explained by decrease of the thickness of the hair cortex that varied in similar proportions. The Ag accumulated on the strand surface but may focally penetrate into the medulla through the scale-like cortical interstices. In skin biopsy specimens, Fel d I Ag was found in epithelial squamous cells, within the epidermis and hair follicles, on the surface of the epidermis and hair follicles, and in sebaceous gland cells. These data suggest that Fel d I Ag is produced by sebaceous cells and, to a lesser extent, by basal squamous epithelial cells and that it is stored mainly on the surface of the epidermis and fur.

Allergens↗
PubMed1991

Reliability of respiratory symptoms to diagnose atopy.

As reliance of responses to epidemiological questionnaires on atopic symptoms is doubtful, we studied the predictive value of these questions relative to atopy, defined by the presence of serum specific IgE, taking into account some extraneous variables such as age and sex. The study population included 2067 adults, 20-60 years old. The protocol consisted of a standardized questionnaire and an evaluation of serum specific IgE using the Phadiatop (Pharmacia Diagnostics, Uppsala, Sweden) test. The predictive value of each symptom suggestive of atopy was quite low, but was much dependent on age and sex. Women more often than men reported atopic symptoms in the absence of atopy. Similarly, the predictive value of each symptom decreased with age. Thus atopic symptoms do not have the same value as predictors of atopy. These findings have both clinical and epidemiological important implications.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Is intrinsic asthma a hereditary disease?

Although studies of families, inbred populations and twins have established that asthma has a hereditary basis, little evidence has shown that intrinsic asthma has an increased familial occurrence. To document this issue, we compared the prevalence of asthma in families of intrinsic asthmatics, extrinsic asthmatics and non-asthmatics. The intrinsic asthma group included those with negative skin tests to common aero-allergens (n = 117). The extrinsic asthma group included those with one or more positive skin tests (n = 164). The non-asthmatic group (n = 224) was recruited at a check-up center. The siblings of each subject completed a standardized questionnaire on history of asthma. The results showed that asthma was more prevalent (P less than 0.001) in siblings of intrinsic asthmatics (8.9%) than in siblings of the non-asthmatic group (2.4%). The prevalence of asthma in siblings of intrinsic and extrinsic asthmatics was similar. In conclusion, both intrinsic and extrinsic asthma have an increased family occurrence.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Medication requirements and house dust mite exposure in mite-sensitive asthmatics.

To better understand the clinical consequences of exposure to house dust mites (HDM), we investigated the relationship between treatment requirements to control symptoms in mite-allergic asthmatic patients and HDM-allergenic levels in their mattresses. This study included 49 asthmatic subjects recruited from an outpatient clinic. The protocol consisted of a questionnaire about the number of asthma attacks and treatment requirements in the last 3 months. Patients provided a sample of house dust collected from their mattresses by a standardized vacuum cleaning procedure. Mean antigen P1 equivalent defined as the sum of major allergens Der pI and Der fI (Ag P1 Eq) level was 1.34 micrograms/g dust in patients who had no treatment, 5.4 micrograms/g dust in patients who took puffs of beta 2-agonists only when required and 17.8 micrograms/g dust in patients who required daily long-term treatment. Similar relationships were demonstrated between mean Ag P1 Eq levels and the number of asthma attacks. These data support the clinical role of allergenic exposure in HDM-allergic asthmatics.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Altitude and allergy to house-dust mites. A paradigm of the influence of environmental exposure on allergic sensitization.

To further investigate the possibility of a cause and effect relationship between exposure to house-dust mite (HDM) allergens and respiratory disease associated with dust mite sensitivity, we compared schoolchildren living in the Alps, where exposure to HDM is low, with those living at sea level, where it is high. The study included 933 schoolchildren from the fourth and fifth grades. The protocol included the standardized 1978 American Thoracic Society (ATS) questionnaire for children, skin testing using common aero-allergens and controls, and antigenic measurements of dust samples from mattresses (Group I antigen). The prevalence of asthma with positive skin test to HDM and the overall prevalence of positive skin test to HDM were significantly lower in mountain schoolchildren. The mean geometric HDM antigenic level in mattresses was much lower in the Alps (0.36 micrograms/g dust) than at sea level (15.8 micrograms/g dust). In contrast, the prevalence of hay fever and positive skin test to grass pollens as well as the overall prevalence of positive skin tests to grass pollens were significantly higher in the Alps. These data illustrate a striking relationship between exposure to environmental allergens and atopic sensitization.

Altitude↗
PubMed1991

Extrinsic asthma and environmental allergens.

House dust mites allergens are one of the most common antigens able to induce a high degree of sensitization in a general population. Owing to the possibility of quantifying the amount of major mite allergens in the environment, epidemiological studies have led to propose threshold values above which there is an increased risk for the occurrence of mite sensitizing, for the development of asthma and for the occurrence of symptoms. All these studies and some others dealing with the number of mites in house dust support the hypothesis that exposure to house dust mites may have a major influence on developing allergic diseases.

Allergens↗
PubMed1991

[Underestimation of cases of occupational asthma in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Corse region].

To evaluate a possible underestimation of disability claims for occupational asthma in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur-Corse area, we compared the actual figures collected from 1986 to 1988 to the predicted figures. The latter were computed from the number of exposed subjects in at-risk industries and the prevalence of occupational asthma reported in the literature for each exposure category. From 1986 to 1988, only 44 disability claims were submitted and 25 of them were accepted. These disability claims represent about 2% of the occupational asthma cases which would be expected. The reasons for such a large discrepancy could be a selection bias leading disabled subjects to leave the occupation at risk, a failure by the patient and/or the physician to identify the disease, or a poor compensation system which is not an incentive for performing a disability claim.

Asthma↗