Copyright 2009 Medical News Today Latest Allergy News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/allergy/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171700.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171700.php Scientists at Johns Hopkins and their colleagues have developed sugar-coated polymer strands that selectively kill off cells involved in triggering aggressive allergy and asthma attacks. Their advance is a significant step toward crafting pharmaceuticals to fight these often life-endangering conditions in a new way. For more than a decade, a team led by Bruce S. Bochner, M.D. Allergy Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171458.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171458.php As flu season got underway this fall, Dr. Catherine Monteleone, an allergist, noticed that her office started to receive an unusually high number of calls from people with egg allergy. They previously had avoided flu vaccines because of their sensitivity to eggs. This year, with all the attention being paid to the novel H1N1 influenza, those patients want to be protected against flu, and they contacted her to find out if they are candidates for inoculation. Swine Flu Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171249.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171249.php Elsevier is pleased to announce that beginning with Volume 104 (2010) it will assume publication of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the official journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI). The i>Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, published since 1942, will continue under the leadership of Editor Gailen D. Marshall, MD, PhD and a distinguished editorial board. Allergy Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171214.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171214.php UC Irvine pharmacology researchers have discovered a way to boost levels of a natural body fat that helps decrease inflammation, pointing to possible new treatments for allergies, illnesses and injuries related to the immune system. For decades, it has been known that this fat, called palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), is a potent anti-inflammatory substance that reduces both allergic symptoms and occurrences of rheumatic fever, but researchers understood little about how PEA works. Immune System / Vaccines Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171176.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171176.php Food allergy is a serious and sometimes life-threatening health issue that is increasing among children of all ages, races and ethnicities. Reports indicate that food allergies, especially peanut allergies, are growing, but there is limited knowledge about diagnosis and treatment on a national basis. "Food Allergy Among Children in the United States," published in the December issue of Pediatrics (appearing online Nov. Allergy Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170533.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170533.php Occupational contact dermatitis and asthma are two of the most common work-related health issues facing workers worldwide, according to experts presenting the latest research at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Miami Beach, Fla. "In many countries, occupational contact dermatitis ranks first among occupational diseases," said Donald Belsito, M.D. Allergy Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170443.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170443.php Today at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, Phadia US introduced two new products designed specifically to meet the unique needs of the nation's 6,000 allergists. ImmunoCAP ISAC and ImmunoCAP HR are new offerings designed to augment traditional allergy testing methodologies and enable diagnosis of complex food allergies at the molecular level, available through its own PiRL testing facility. Allergy Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170418.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170418.php Microbe-derived molecules able to stimulate the immune system are omnipresent in the air, and the presence of one such molecule (LPS) promotes asthma in some individuals. What prevents inhalation of LPS from promoting asthma in the majority of individuals is not well understood. However, Fabrice Bureau and colleagues, at the University of Liège, Belgium, have now ascribed this function in mice to a population of lung immune cells known as lung interstitial macrophages (IMs). Respiratory / Asthma Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170357.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170357.php Researchers in Belgium have discovered that a type of immune cell previously not well understood helped mice from developing an allergic reaction to certain airborne particles that can trigger asthma: they suggest these cells, called lung interstitial macrophages (IMs), may have the same effect in humans. Respiratory / Asthma Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170338.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170338.php Asthmatx, Inc. presented the results of a series of studies investigating the effectiveness and safety of bronchial thermoplasty delivered by the Alair® System, and how this new procedure will impact allergy practices, this past weekend in a poster at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), in Miami Beach, Fla. Allergy Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170340.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170340.php ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISTA), announced additional results from the Company's Bepreve(TM) (bepotastine besilate ophthalmic solution) 1.5% Phase 3 clinical studies. These results were presented in poster sessions at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) in Miami Beach, FL. In a poster presentation titled, "Treatment of Ocular Itching with Bepotastine Besilate Ophthalmic Solution 1. Allergy Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170297.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170297.php The treatment of allergic rhinitis is shown to improve co-existing conditions including conjunctivitis, asthma, sinusitis, otitis media with effusion (fluid in the middle ear) and sleep disorders according to an international expert at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Miami Beach, Fla. Ear, Nose and Throat Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169997.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169997.php The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded approximately $208 million to two programs that support research to better understand the human immune response to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, including those that may be introduced into a community through acts of bioterrorism. Immune System / Vaccines Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169999.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169999.php The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has renewed the contract to continue studying asthma in children living in lower-income, inner-city environments. Respiratory / Asthma Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170011.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170011.php Less restrictive dietary options, better detection, targeted avoidance measures, educational directives and potential new therapies are improving food allergy management and giving hope to the more than 12 million Americans affected according to experts at the thirteenth international food allergy conference held during the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Miami Beach, Fla. Allergy Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169958.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169958.php Heavy traffic corridors in the cities of Long Beach and Riverside are responsible for a significant proportion of preventable childhood asthma, and the true impact of air pollution and ship emissions on the disease has likely been underestimated, according to researchers at the University of Southern California (USC). Water - Air Quality / Agriculture Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169879.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169879.php The World Health Organization recently declared H1N1 swine flu a global pandemic, resulting in the creation of rigorous vaccination programs worldwide. Children are among those considered particularly susceptible to contracting swine flu and are viewed as a top priority in receiving this vaccine. Most H1N1 swine flu vaccines are prepared from virus grown in chicken's eggs, resulting in a vaccine that contains remnants of egg proteins. Swine Flu Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169767.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169767.php Zinc Deficiency May Contribute to Allergic Asthma (#8362) Zinc deficiency may play a role in the development of extrinsic or allergic asthma. Researchers from India evaluated serum zinc levels and absolute eosinophil count in 96 cases of asthma (61 patients had intrinsic asthma and 35 had extrinsic asthma). Patients who suffered from any comorbid illness were excluded from the study. Respiratory / Asthma Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169561.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169561.php Schering-Plough Corporation (NYSE: SGP) announced that its investigational sublingual Grass (Phleum Pratense) Allergy Immunotherapy Tablet (AIT) has met the primary endpoint in a Phase III study of adult subjects in the U.S. with a history of grass pollen induced rhinoconjunctivitis with or without asthma. Allergy Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169102.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169102.php Dey Pharma, L.P., a subsidiary of Mylan Inc. (Nasdaq: MYL - News), launched a newly designed, patient-friendly EpiPen® Auto-Injector 0.3/0.15 mg. This next-generation EpiPen Auto-Injector maintains the simplicity, speed, safety and reliability of EpiPen Auto-Injector with several new, user-friendly features, including being the only auto-injector with needle-protection before and after use. Dey President Carolyn Myers, Ph.D. Allergy Sat, 24 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168580.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168580.php It's just like something you'd see in an old movie heading off into the hills with the kids to cut down a Christmas tree to bring home. But doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say if you choose the wrong tree, you could make the holiday season miserable. About one in ten people are allergic to mountain cedar pollen, and these trees release their pollen just at the time you'd be bringing them indoors to decorate. Allergy Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168239.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168239.php Parents of children with food allergies are aware of the dangers lurking in Halloween treats, but little attention is paid to asthma, which can also be frightening for asthmatic children participating in Halloween festivities. "If your child suffers from asthma and/or allergies, be aware and prepared for potential triggers to ensure a safe and fun time for all during the holidays," according to Clifford W. Allergy Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168245.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168245.php ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISTA) announced poster presentations of results from the Company's Bepreve(TM) (bepotastine besilate ophthalmic solution) 1.5% Phase 3 clinical studies in allergic conjunctivitis. The studies demonstrated Bepreve was safe and well-tolerated when given twice daily for six weeks in a healthy pediatric population as young as three years of age. Eye Health / Blindness Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168103.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168103.php A group led by Dr. Dieter Brömme at the University of British Columbia has demonstrated that glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) contribute to skeletal abnormalities in patients with lysosomal storage diseases. Their report can be found in the November 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology. Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of diseases in which the dysfunction of a lysosomal enzyme results in decreased breakdown of GAGs, a type of carbohydrate, in various tissues. Bones / Orthopaedics Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167338.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167338.php The most comprehensive and detailed review of the burden posed by allergic disease in Scotland concludes that one in three of the Scottish population are affected by allergies at some point in their lives - higher than in England. The study, published in the October issue of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, found that allergic disease costs NHS Scotland over £130 million with the cost of GP consultations for asthma alone standing at £786,000. Allergy