A newly published Atopic Dermatitis (AD) Yardstick from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology has practical recommendations for physicians about the treatment of AD.
Helper T cells move toward inflamed tissue using membrane protrusions that stabilize them and provide traction on the vasculature. Using high-resolution microscopy and global molecular analysis, the team shows that immature T cells lack these protrusions but that maturing T-cells switch on a gene expression program to create material to construct them.
Research from the University of Adelaide suggests that taking folic acid in late pregnancy may increase the risk of allergies in children affected by growth restriction during pregnancy.
A new study suggests that taking folic acid in late pregnancy may increase the risk of allergies in offspring affected by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).
An updated practice parameter from the Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters stresses that people with egg allergy should receive their yearly flu shot, and that no special precautions are required.
Allergy specialists like Dr. Shelly Harvey are again readying themselves for mountain cedar, the annual irritant that makes noses run and eyes itch – potentially transforming the merriest of holiday well-wishers into miserable Ebenezer Scrooges.
Children exposed to coarse particulate matter may be more likely to develop asthma and to be treated in an ER or be hospitalized for the condition, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Allergens are widespread, but highly variable in U.S. homes, according to the nation’s largest indoor allergen study to date. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health report that over 90 percent of homes had three or more detectable allergens, and 73 percent of homes had at least one allergen at elevated levels. The findings were published November 30 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Researchers have identified a promising new strategy to fight infections and cancer. They uncovered a novel function for a protein known as “Runx3” that is key to the development of killer T cells—immune cells important for fighting infections and cancer.
NewYork-Presbyterian and Walgreens are collaborating to bring convenient access to NewYork-Presbyterian’s world-class care through new telemedicine services, now available through Walgreens digital properties and at self-service kiosks at select Duane Reade drugstores in New York.
A team of physicians, scientists and biostatisticians from La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology and UC San Diego School of Medicine joined forces across institutions to successfully compete for an $6.9 million grant to establish one of only 10 PrecISE Network Clinical Centers nationwide.
Mount Sinai researchers have identified six genes that activate hundreds of other genes in children experiencing severe allergic reactions to peanuts. This is the first study in human trials to identify genes driving acute peanut allergic reactions using a double-blind placebo-controlled approach with comprehensive sequencing of genes expressed before, during, and after they ingested peanut.
The 50 million allergy and asthma sufferers in the US are sometimes surprised to learn that indoor allergies strike year-round. They can especially crop up when visiting friends and family around the holidays.
Using smartphone cameras, parents can reliably take high-quality photographs of their child’s skin condition to send to a dermatologist for diagnosis. This finding suggests that direct-to-patient dermatology can accurately provide pediatric dermatology care.
For patients suffering from eczema (atopic dermatitis), dermatologists will sometimes recommend bleach baths to decrease bacterial infection and reduce symptoms. But a new Northwestern Medicine study found no difference in the effectiveness of a bleach bath compared to regular water baths. In addition, bleach baths can cause stinging and burning of skin, and occasionally even trigger asthma flare-ups in patients.
Using data from more than 2,300 children from across Canada participating in the CHILD Study, the researchers evaluated the presence of AD and allergic sensitization at age one. When the children were three years of age, the researchers performed a clinical assessment to determine the presence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, food allergy and AD. The combined effect of AD and allergic sensitization was found to be greater than the sum of their individual effects, both on the risk of asthma and on reported food allergy.
In 2012, LJI researcher Toshiaki Kawakami, M.D., Ph.D., reported that a small protein aptly named histamine-releasing factor (HRF) played a pro-inflammatory role in asthma. The current paper reports a novel biochemical mechanism governing HRF activity, paves the way for blood tests to predict which patients will respond to allergy therapy, and strongly supports the idea that drugs designed to block HRF could prevent food allergy attacks.
Rural counties continue to rank lowest among counties across the U.S., in terms of health outcomes. A group of national organizations including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National 4-H Council are leading the way to close the rural health gap.
n a newly updated clinical practice guideline, allergists offer practical advice on the best types and amounts of medications to treat seasonal allergic rhinitis.
In addition to safely performing cosmetic procedures to improve the skin’s appearance and providing advice to help people care for their skin at home, board-certified dermatologists can diagnose more than 3,000 skin, hair and nail diseases and provide effective medical and surgical treatment.
Little is known about the health risks hair and nail salons pose to clients – however, findings from a Rutgers School of Public Health study suggest that frequent salon patrons are more likely to experience fungal and dermal symptoms.
A new treatment for a rare and often incurable condition called dermatomyositis (DM) reduced the severity of the disease in patients whose DM was resistant to other therapies. As part of a randomized, double-blind study conducted at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 22 patients were given either a drug called anabasum or a placebo. The 11 patients who got the drug improved during the trial, with less severe skin disease and better patient-reported quality of life and symptom assessments.
Bradley E. Chipps, MD, Sacramento, CA, was installed as president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) at the ACAAI Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston on October 30.Todd A. Mahr, MD, LaCrosse, WI, was elected ACAAI president-elect.
Asthma and allergies are related, and many people who suffer from asthma have allergies that trigger their asthma. Research being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology’s (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting examines the relationship between medical history and allergic reactionsin children, and how long they stayed in the hospital after an asthma attack.
If you think only infants suffer from eczema, think again. The uncomfortable, itchy rash that most people relate to babies and young children occurs frequently in adults. Although many adults with atopic dermatitis (commonly known as eczema)develop the disease in childhood and carry it through life, a large number are first diagnosed in adulthood – atrend being discussed at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting.
How does an allergist communicate effectively with his or her patient when they’re not in the same room with the person being examined? The issue of improving “webside” manner – is one topic in a panel discussion on telemedicine during the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting.
Guidelines to help parents introduce peanut-containing products to infants to prevent peanut allergies aren’t being discussed. New research presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting shows pediatricians are not only not having the discussion, they’re not referring high-risk babiesfor testing prior to peanut introduction.
“Good dog!” Two studies being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting show there may be even more reason to love your dog. The first study shows babies born in a home with a dog – during pregnancy and early infancy – receive protection from allergic eczema, though the protective effect goes down by age 10. A second study shows dogs may provide a protective effect against asthma, even in children allergic to dogs.
Late-breaking research on food allergies being presented at the ACAAI Annual Scientific Meeting. Data shows almost half of all food-allergic adults reported one or more adult-onset food allergies.
Late-breaking research being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting suggests that peanut allergy in children has increased 21 percent since 2010, and that nearly 2.5 percent of U.S. children may have an allergy to peanuts.
A study underway at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine is investigating the respiratory effects of obesity in children, including obese children who may be misdiagnosed with asthma.
An international team led by scientists at the National Institutes of Health is the first to discover a new way that cells fix an important and dangerous type of DNA damage known as a DNA-protein cross-link (DPC). The researchers found that a protein named ZATT can eliminate DPCs with the help of another protein, TDP2. Since DPCs form when individuals receive some types of cancer treatments, understanding how TDP2 and ZATT work together to repair the damage may improve the health outcomes of cancer patients. The findings were published in the journal Science.
Some kids like to be scared on Halloween, while others prefer to grab the candy and run. No kid enjoys allergy and asthma symptoms. Kids who suffer from food allergies can find Halloween particularly frightful if they are worried a treat might send them to the emergency room.
Research from Cornell University mycologist Kathie Hodge and doctoral candidate Megan Biango-Daniels reveals varying levels of mold contamination in commercial sea salts. Among those molds were important food spoilage molds like Aspergillus and Penicillium, and even some notorious producers of mycotoxins.
Outdoor air pollution may increase the risk of chronic kidney disease and contribute to kidney failure, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Veterans Affairs (VA) St. Louis Health Care System. Scientists culled national VA databases to evaluate the effects of air pollution and kidney disease on nearly 2.5 million people over a period of 8.5 years, beginning in 2004. The scientists compared VA data on kidney function to air-quality levels collected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The study is published Sept. 21 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
For years, medical investigators have tried and failed to develop vaccines for a type of staph bacteria associated with the deadly superbug MRSA. But a new study by Cedars-Sinai investigators shows how staph cells evade the body’s immune system, offering a clearer picture of how a successful vaccine would work.
People with severe emphysema may breathe better after a minimally invasive procedure that places valves in the airways leading to diseased portions of their lungs, according to a randomized, controlled trial published online in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
The best way to find out if someone has a food allergy is through an oral food challenge (OFC) under the supervision of a board-certified allergist. A new study shows that OFCs are extremely safe, with very few people having a reaction of any kind.
Mucin levels – the proteins that make mucus thick – is abnormally high in chronic bronchitis and mucin concentrations are associated with disease severity. This finding could become the first-ever objective marker of chronic bronchitis and lead to the creation of diagnostic and prognostic tools.
GW researcher received a $2 million grant to study the body's natural defenses against HIV in order to drive development of better vaccines and therapies.
Saint Louis University has received a $6.4 million task order from NIAID/NIH to study a treatment for MDR-TB, a worsening, deadly global health threat.
Ragweed pollen is the biggest allergy trigger in the fall, and needs to be avoided, along with other allergic triggers like mold and grass pollen. Here are five tips from ACAAI to help you steer clear of your worst allergy foes.
New information about how and where the innate immune system fights off viral infections that enter through the skin could lead to better treatments for viruses like Zika, dengue and measles, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.
By learning how a recently discovered immune cell works in the body, researchers hope to one day harness the cells to better treat allergies and infections, according to new Cornell University research.
Keeping allergies and asthma under control during the school year is a challenge that involves advance planning and working with your child's school to keep him or her healthy.