Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F Bonifazi

Publications and source records attributed to F Bonifazi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Possible induction of food allergy during mite immunotherapy.

Sera of 17 patients receiving immunotherapy for house-dust mite allergy were tested for IgE antibodies against snail and shrimp. Serum samples were taken at the start of immunotherapy and 14-20 months later. While the average IgE response to mite, Der p 1, and Der p 2 did not alter significantly, the average response to snail showed a significant increase. This included two conversions from negative to strongly positive. These novel IgE antibodies against snail were shown to be cross-reactive with mite. Three patients had a positive RAST for shrimp. For one of them, a strong increase of IgE against shrimp (and snail) was observed. In 2/3 snail/shrimp-positive sera, IgE antibodies against the cross-reactive allergen tropomyosin from mite, snail, and shrimp were demonstrated. A clear IgE response to snail (> 10% binding in a snail RAST) was confirmed by a positive skin prick test (SPT) for 6/10 patients. The two patients with antitropomyosin IgE also had a positive SPT for shrimp, and demonstrated the oral allergy syndrome (OAS) after eating shrimp. The observations in this study indicate that house-dust mite immunotherapy is accompanied by the induction of IgE against foods, including tropomyosin-reactive IgE. Food allergy (OAS) was observed in patients that had IgE antibodies against this cross-reactive allergen. In conclusion, induction of IgE during mite immunotherapy might occasionally cause allergy to foods of invertebrate animal origin.

Allergens↗
PubMed1994

Shortness of interval between two stings as risk factor for developing Hymenoptera venom allergy.

The aim of the study was to determine whether a short interval (< 2 months) between two consecutive stings influences the development of Hymenoptera venom allergy. The study compared the sting-interval distribution in 120 allergic patients who experienced a first-time systemic reaction to a Hymenoptera sting, and in 100 healthy controls. A significant difference in sting-interval distribution between the two groups was found (P = 0.0001). In 71 of 120 allergic patients, the sting that provoked the systemic reaction had been preceded by another, completely tolerated sting not more than 2 months before. However, in the control group only four subjects out of 100 had received two consecutive stings within less than 2 months. In conclusion, a short interval between two consecutive stings seems to be a risk factor for the onset of Hymenoptera venom allergy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Immunotherapy in pollen and mould asthma.

Fifteen double-blind placebo-controlled studies in pollen and mould asthma have been carried out, the majority with grass pollen immunotherapy. Despite certain methodological limitations, the clinical efficacy was demonstrated in all studies performed. A decrease in specific immediate skin reactivity is relatively common during pollen and mould immunotherapy. In several studies the efficacy of immunotherapy was further indicated by the change in some functional parameters of the airways that sometimes seem to be related to the clinical results. At the moment available data do not indicate that IgG subclasses are useful in predicting the clinical outcome of immunotherapy. Currently the only methods which truly reflect the efficacy of immunotherapy are clinical evaluations. The effectiveness of this treatment is influenced by the quality of allergens used for immunotherapy and better results will probably be achieved in the future after further allergen purification and standardization.

Allergens↗
PubMed1993

M-07e cell bioassay detects stromal cell production of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor and stem cell factor in normal and in Diamond-Blackfan anemia bone marrow.

Ten healthy donors and four patients with Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) have been investigated for granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and stem cell factor (SCF) production by bone marrow-enriched fibroblasts (BMEF) in a highly sensitive biological assay on growth factor-dependent M-07e cells. M-07e cells detected active soluble kit-ligand from normal bone marrow fibroblasts as well as from DBA BMEF which produce constitutively significant amounts of SCF. Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) induced a significant increase of soluble SCF from both normal and DBA BMEF. GM-CSF was undetectable in unstimulated cultures, while its production by bone marrow microenvironmental cells was documented for both normal and DBA patients after IL-1 beta stimulation in vitro.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Production of interleukin 6, leukemia inhibitory factor and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in Fanconi's anemia.

The aim of this study was to test the in vitro cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with Fanconi's anemia (FA). Phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated PBMCs from 21 patients with FA were studied for their ability to produce interleukin 6 (IL-6), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Enzymatic immunoassay (EIA) was used for both IL-6 and LIF, while GM-CSF was evaluated in a highly sensitive biological assay provided by GM-CSF-dependent M-07e cells. A significant decrease of IL-6 was detected in 9 out of 11 FA patients compared with five normal donors, while similar amounts of LIF were produced from 21 FA patients and 21 healthy subjects. A drastic increase of active GM-CSF was documented in PHA-stimulated PBMC-conditioned medium in all 18 FA patients tested. Since IL-6 and GM-CSF play an important role in maintaining basal hemopoiesis, our results suggest that an abnormal cytokine network may be involved in the pathogenesis of FA pancytopenia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Efficacy of an air-cleaning device equipped with a high efficiency particulate air filter in house dust mite respiratory allergy.

The efficacy of an air-cleaning device equipped with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter (without further avoidance measures) was studied in patients allergic to house dust mite. The effects of the air-cleaner on indoor Dermatophagoides sp. levels, symptom score and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in nine mite-allergic patients were assessed using a cross-over controlled study. No significant effect was demonstrated on indoor Dermatophagoides sp. levels when comparing the period of air-cleaner activity (2 months) with the control period (2 months). The Dermatophagoides sp. levels in the houses studied were lower than the risk level for asthmatic attacks, making it difficult to assess any effect on asthma; however, neither bronchial hyperresponsiveness nor rhinitis symptom score were changed by air-cleaner activity. During the trial period, however the mean level of Dermatophagoides sp. allergen in the houses changed spontaneously from 4.4 micrograms/g (mean level in the first 2 trial months) to 1.75 micrograms/g of dust (second 2 months) (P less than 0.05). Owing to this change, the mean rhinitis symptom score also decreased (P less than 0.05), even if no significant correlation was demonstrated (r = 0.4 P = 0.089). HEPA filter air-cleaners appear insufficient as substitutes for standard avoidance measures in mite allergic patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Hyposensitization therapy of Parietaria-sensitive patients with a tyrosine adsorbed allergoid, Pollinex Parietaria (Bencard Parietaria).

Thirty patients suffering from allergy to Parietaria pollen were treated with either a new tyrosine-adsorbed allergoid of Parietaria judaica pollen (Pollinex Parietaria) or a commercially available alum-adsorbed extract (Alavac) as control. A reduced response to nasal provocation was seen in 7 out of 11 patients following treatment with Pollinex and 1 out of 10 after control treatment. 9 out of 11 and 3 out of 10, respectively, showed reduced skin test activity. Patients who received Pollinex tended to have fewer nasal symptoms during the pollen season. Pollinex induced larger increases in P. judaica-specific IgG antibody than did the control product. Side effects of therapy were similar between the two groups of patients. Pollinex Parietaria thus shows good potential for the control of allergy to Parietaria pollen.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Exercise-induced asthma diagnosis and prevention with a metered dose aerosol formulation of sodium cromoglycate.

The protective effect of sodium cromoglycate against the bronchospasm induced by exercise in 10 asthmatic subjects was compared with that of placebo in a single-blind study. The drug, which was administered by means of a metered dose aerosol, at a lower dose than is currently used in the therapy of asthma, was shown to be significantly more effective than placebo in preventing postexercise changes in all the respiratory function parameters measured (VC, FEV1, PEFR, MEFR50, TGV and SGaw).

Adolescent↗