New England and regional allergy proceedings (New Engl Reg Allergy Proc)

Publications in this journal

• Article: The 1984 Nobel laureates in medicine (immunology): J. F. Kohler, C. Milstein, N. K. Jerne.

  J K Weltman
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(1):84-5.
• Article: Firsts in allergy: IV. The contributions of Arthur F. Coca, M.D. (1875-1959).

  S G Cohen
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(3):285-93.
• Article: Fasciitis with eosinophilia: a case report.

  W N Beaucher
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  ABSTRACT: The history, laboratory findings, and treatment of a patient with fasciitis and eosinophilia are presented. A review of approximately ninety (90) cases in the literature suggests that this inflammatory process is distinct from scleroderma.
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(4):374-6.
• Article: New insights into the role of the eosinophil in allergic disease.

  G J Gleich
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(4):377-8.
• Article: FDA: help our patients!

  G A Settipane
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(4):381-2.
• Article: Treatment of allergic rhinitis with a new selective H1 antihistamine: terfenadine.

  C E Buckley, S J Klemawesch, S K Lucas
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  ABSTRACT: The effectiveness of 60 mg b.i.d. of a novel antihistamine, terfenadine, was compared with an active control, 4 mg t.i.d. of chlorpheniramine, and placebo in 560 patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. In contrast to the gradual decrease in seasonal symptoms observed over a 7 day period of study in placebo-treated patients, both antihistamines produced a prompt significant decrease in sneezing and rhinorrhea, and a gradual decrease in nasopharyngeal pruritus. Terfenadine-related sedation did not differ from that produced by the placebo and was less than the sedation produced by the active control.
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(1):63-70.
• Article: Creating an indoor environmental problem from a nonproblem: a need for cautious evaluation of antibodies against hapten-protein complexes.

  R Patterson, V S Beltrani, M Singal, R W Gorman, C R Zeiss, K E Harris
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  ABSTRACT: An epidemic of illness in three schools in New York State occurred in early 1983. An epidemiological review of the problem led to the conclusion that some of the symptoms could have been explained by irritant reactions to boiler exhaust gases but that a major factor was likely public concern about environmental contamination and heightened awareness of common minor symptoms and of exacerbations of chronic illnesses. Diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) from polyurethane insulation had previously been suspected as a potential cause. An earlier investigation had found low levels of anti MDI-human serum albumin in a small number of subjects who did not have typical symptoms of identified MDI or other hypersensitivity syndromes. Similar antibodies were found in two of nine unaffected children in Chicago, who served as a comparison group. The identification of these antibodies, however, was inappropriately used to support the idea of a school contaminated with MDI in spite of the absence of detectable MDI in the environment. The availability of highly sensitive immunoassays should not be inappropriately used to accelerate the fear of environmental toxins when there is no clinical correlation.
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(2):135-9.
• Article: The relevance of inhalant and food allergens to the etiology and management of patients with atopic dermatitis.

  T A Platts-Mills, E B Mitchell, S Rowntree, P W Heymann, M D Chapman
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  ABSTRACT: Patients with atopic dermatitis have IgE antibodies to common environmental antigens, both foods and inhalants. Such antibodies are probably relevant and exposure to the corresponding antigens can give rise to eczema. Nevertheless, the mechanisms involved and the role of other etiologies, e.g. contact reactions, remain to be elucidated. Patients with atopic dermatitis should have comprehensive evaluations to determine the role of environmental antigens.
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(3):255-61.
• Article: Non allergic rhinitis: demography of eosinophils in nasal smear, blood total eosinophil counts and IgE levels.

  G A Settipane, D E Klein
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  ABSTRACT: Seventy-eight consecutive patients with non allergic rhinitis (negative allergy skin tests) were evaluated and classified as to possible causes using strict criteria. Sixty-one percent had vasomotor rhinitis (VMR), 33% had non allergic rhinitis with eosinophilia syndrome (NARES), 16% had sinusitis, 12% had a possible hidden allergy (elevated IgE), 4% had blood eosinophilic non allergic rhinitis (BENAR) and 2% had hypothyroidism. Some overlapping of diagnosis was present. Five per cent or greater eosinophils in the nasal smear appeared to be enough to consider the diagnosis of NARES. Sinusitis tended to be more significant in the NARES group compared to VMR. BENARS may be a new syndrome. It differs from NARES in that BENARS has markedly elevated blood eosinophilia and possibly no associated sinusitis. It is similar to NARES in that it has negative allergy skin test, normal serum IgE, and eosinophils in nasal secretions. Other causes of eosinophilia were excluded in our NARES and BENARS groups.
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(4):363-6.
• Article: The in vitro culture studies of eosinophils.

  P A Pitel
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  ABSTRACT: Techniques for the in vitro culture of eosinophils from marrow and peripheral blood have been available since the early 1970's. Concepts of hematopoiesis and techniques for in vitro culture are reviewed. Insights into eosinophilpoiesis from the relatively few studies reported are discussed. Areas for future study are outlined.
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(4):360-2.
• Article: House dust mites.

  T A Platts-Mills
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(2):158-9.
• Article: Pollen studies in a hospital air-conditioned room.

  F H Chafee
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  ABSTRACT: Pollen slides were exposed daily for a week at the height of the ragweed season for 2 successive years. They were placed in a hospital air-conditioned room, an adjacent room which was not air-conditioned, and outdoors on the roof of an office building in downtown Providence, R.I. The air-conditioning apparatus was quite successful in removing pollen and mold spores from the room with much lower counts than from non air-conditioned rooms. Even in the non air-conditioned room the quantity of pollen and spores was drastically lower than those found outside, suggesting that clinical improvement should occur by simply being indoors. Pollen trapped in a room may stay there for some time beyond its usual outdoor season.
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(2):150-2.
• Article: A multicenter study with ketotifen (Zaditen).

  R B Burns
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  ABSTRACT: Seven hundred and thirty-three atopic asthmatic patients were entered into two multicenter double-blind double-placebo controlled studies comparing the prophylactic effects of ketotifen (445 patients), placebo (143 patients), disodium cromoglycate (72 patients) and theophylline (73 patients). The primary measure of therapeutic effects was a decrease in concomitant medication without a significant increase in symptomatology or a decrement in pulmonary function: in both studies ketotifen was shown to be an effective and safe therapeutic agent at an oral dose of 1 mg bid. The positive control, DSCG, was also shown to be effective when used properly, while theophylline did not show a significant prophylactic effect.
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(1):78-83.
• Article: H1 and H2 blockade: a prophylactic principle in anesthesia and surgery against histamine-release responses of any degree of severity: Part 1.

  W Lorenz, A Doenicke
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  ABSTRACT: In the perioperative period, histamine release was shown in numerous situations and pathological states. They include diseases or complications of diseases, preparation and premedication of patients, induction of anaesthesia, maintenance of anaesthesia and surgery, and administration of drugs and treatment in the immediate postoperative period. A premedication with histamine H1 and H2 receptor antagonists was developed which in five controlled clinical trials blocked histamine-release responses of all grades of severity. These included single spots of erythema or a wheal up to life-threatening reactions or even death of the patient or laboratory animal. The necessity for a new premedication was investigated by methods of medical decision-making considering the incidence of the reactions, classification of severity, efficiency of prophylaxis and treatment of anaphylactoid reactions, and side-effects. As a result, the premedication with dimethpyrindene (Forhistal, Fenistil) plus cimetidine (Tagamet) was recommended in a series of patients at risk: those with a history of hypersensitivity reactions to intravenous agents or atopy, patients with a second I.V. drug exposure within a few days, those undergoing surgery with a high risk of histamine release, patients of greater than 70 years age, and poor-risk patients with preoperative cardiac, respiratory or liver insufficiency and shock.
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(1):37-57.
• Article: Histamine and the gut.

  B I Hirschowitz
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  ABSTRACT: The role of histamine in the gut is reviewed in relation to gastric secretion of acid, pepsin and intrinsic factors. Species-dependence of some of these actions are also discussed. Interactions with other agonists and antagonists in intact and isolated systems provide the basis for models of the role of histamine in control of gastric secretion. This review deals further with histamine H1 and H2 effects on gastrointestinal circulation and musculature including sphincters. The most dramatic application of the development of histamine H2 antagonists has been in the treatment of duodenal ulcer. The use of H2 antagonists in the treatment of duodenal and gastric ulcer, gastrinoma, gastritis, and esophagitis is critically evaluated.
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(1):21-7.
• Article: Advances in the diagnosis and management of penicillin allergy.

  T J Sullivan
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  ABSTRACT: IgE-mediated acute systemic reactions to penicillin continue to be an important clinical problem. Advances in our understanding of the immunochemistry of penicillin allergy have improved our ability to predict and to avoid these reactions. Immunodiagnostic techniques can identify patients at risk for anaphylaxis to beta-lactam antibiotics with a high degree of precision. Clinical and immunologic studies have demonstrated that penicillin allergic subjects may have allergic reactions to cephalosporins although the absolute frequency of clinical cross-reactions is not clear. If beta-lactam drugs are needed for treatment of penicillin allergic patients, acute desensitization appears to be an acceptably safe procedure for avoiding anaphylaxis.
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(2):160-5.
• Article: Eosinophils: role in asthma, allergy and parasite immunity.

  A B Kay
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  ABSTRACT: The distinct features of the eosinophil include their content of large crystalloid granules which contain a number of unique basic proteins, and their capacity to selectively generate the SRS-A, sulphidopeptide leukotrienes. Eosinophil-derived products probably play an important role in the destruction of helminthic larvae but in some situations, for instance, chronic bronchial asthma and the hypereosinophilic syndrome, the cell might be responsible for considerable tissue damage. Eosinophils can be activated, in vitro, by a variety of agents which include factors associated with eosinophil maturation, mast cell products and other substances released during allergic tissue reactions and other inflammatory processes. At the present time there is growing interest in the fact that in many conditions associated with eosinophilia there is a population of light density "activated" cells which, in a variety of biological systems, respond more vigorously than normal ("normodense") eosinophils. Knowledge of eosinophils and eosinophil-associated events is growing rapidly and there is a need to modify continuously our views on the precise role(s) of the eosinophil in the light of these new findings.
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(4):341-5.
• Article: Marked peripheral eosinophilia: a clue to allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in office practice.

  R K Bergner, A Bergner
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  ABSTRACT: Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA) is not rare. A diagnosis of "clinically probable ABPA" should be suspected in asthmatics who are not well controlled on adequate bronchodilators, who are steroid dependent or who have recurrent pulmonary infiltrates, and who also have a positive skin test with a separate aspergillus extract. Suspicion should also stimulate pursuit of this diagnosis in asthmatics with a total eosinophil count over 500 cells/mm3 or a total serum IgE level over 1,000 IU/ml. Early detection in office practice is feasible, practical, and may be critical to avoidance of permanent pulmonary damage.
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(4):367-73.
• Article: Indoor air pollution.

  J D Spengler
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  ABSTRACT: Although official efforts to control air pollution have traditionally focused on outdoor air, it is now apparent that elevated contaminant concentrations are common inside some private and public buildings. Concerns about potential public health problems due to indoor air pollution are based on evidence that urban residents typically spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors, concentrations of some contaminants are higher indoors than outdoors, and for some pollutants personal exposures are not characterized adequately by outdoor measurements. Among the more important indoor contaminants associated with health or irritation effects are passive tobacco smoke, radon decay products, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, asbestos fibers, microorganisms and aeroallergens. Efforts to assess health risks associated with indoor air pollution are limited by insufficient information about the number of people exposed, the pattern and severity of exposures, and the health consequences of exposures. An overall strategy should be developed to investigate indoor exposures, health effects, control options, and public policy alternatives.
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(2):126-34.
• Article: Bronchodilator therapy in obstructive lung disease.

  E R McFadden
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  ABSTRACT: In recent years the management of patients with obstructive lung disease has been greatly simplified by the introduction of highly selective long-acting beta adrenergic agonists, slow release theophylline preparations and locally active anticholinergic agents. The beta adrenergic compounds are the most potent and many feel that they should be the first line therapy for acute episodes of airway obstruction. Methylxanthines continue to be used effectively in chronic disease and the improved bloodlevel time profiles of theophylline that are now available from sustained-release formulations provide better control of symptoms with fewer side effects than was previously possible. The new anticholinergic compounds currently undergoing testing show great promise in selected clinical situations.
  New England and regional allergy proceedings 02/1985; 6(3):241-4.