PubMed · 10188345
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W Rubin. 1999. Allergy testing alert.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10188345/
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Ole e 1, the main allergen of the olive pollen, was entrapped in poly (DL-lactide glycolide) microparticles by a solvent evaporation double emulsion technique. The physical properties of the microparticles, such as particle size, surface morphology, allergen entrapment rate and antigen release pattern were investigated. Microparticles with a spherical morphology displayed a size range of less than 2 microm in diameter and antigen loading up to 60-70% (w/w). SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting of the released Ole e 1 confirmed that the molecular integrity and the antigenic properties of Ole e 1 remained unaltered by the encapsulation process or polymer degradation. This finding suggests that microparticles displaying small particle sizes, rapid antigen release and a high allergen/polymer ratio may be a suitable delivery system for antigen in hyposensitization therapy against allergy.
The prevalence and morbidity of asthma are growing problems that appear to affect urban populations and particularly impoverished centers disproportionately. Poor children are more likely to be hospitalized for asthma than nonpoor children, and are more likely to experience clinical and social dysfunction due to asthma. While guidelines exist for best care of childhood asthma, the neediest children are least likely to encounter the benefits of these recommendations. The relationship between host and environment in both primary causation and disease exacerbation is an area of research and debate. Allergen exposure in early life appears to correlate with sensitization and expression of atopy and asthma. Impoverished households are more likely to be reservoirs for dust mite and cockroach antigen in high concentrations than more affluent settings. Lifestyle factors, including diet and ambient air quality, may be disease modifiers. Suboptimal systems for delivery of healthcare to high-risk populations are obvious targets for blame. Poor children are more likely than nonpoor children to receive sick care in emergency rooms that lack a connection to chronic care providers. Besides the method of delivery, the quality of care is questionable, as poor children are less likely to receive the anti-inflammatory maintenance medications for asthma that evidence-based guidelines recommend. Efforts to correct these problems must take into account such issues as explaining the nature of the disease and the best intervention strategies to people who have a diverse array of cultural backgrounds, belief systems, and life stressors. Efforts to improve the status quo are underway in many communities. Environmental control measures to reduce dust mite and cockroach exposure have met with some success. Models to improve access to care and acceptance of care may improve community outreach maneuvers that connect the medical establishment with families and patients. Examination and assessment of new approaches to facilitate this sort of communication hold promise and are receiving attention as well as research dollars.
In situ reverse transcription-PCR of mRNAs corresponding to the olive major allergen (Ole e I) has been tested at the ultrastructural level in mature olive pollen. The transcripts were present in the cytoplasm of both the vegetative and the generative cells, frequently associated to ribosomes in the endoplasmic reticulum. No labeling was detected in the pollen wall, nor in vacuoles, lipid bodies, plastids or mitochondria. Localization of the major olive allergen at ultrastructural level showed the protein present mainly in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum vesicles or pockets scattered in the cytoplasm, and in the outer region of the pollen exine. The results confirm the rough endoplasmic reticulum as the cell system involved in both the synthesis and storage of this protein. This is the first report of in situ RT-PCR on plant material at the ultrastructural level. The method described for mRNA amplification and detection is confirmed as a valuable tool for studying gene expression in plant material.