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Notes: Background Binding of allergens to IgE on mast cells and basophils causes release of inflammatory mediators in nasal secretions.Objective The combined effect of specific immunotherapy (SIT) and omalizumab, a humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody, on release of eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP), tryptase, IL-6, and IL-8 in nasal secretion was evaluated.Methods Two hundred and twenty five children (aged 6–17 years) with a history of seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis induced by birch and grass pollen were randomized into four groups: either birch- or grass-pollen SIT in combination with either anti-IgE or placebo. Complete sets of nasal secretion samples before treatment Visit 1 (V1), during birch- (V2) and grass (V3)-pollen season and after the pollen season (V4) were collected from 53 patients.Results A significant reduction in tryptase only was seen in the anti-IgE-treated group at V2 (P〈0.05) and V4 (P〈0.05) compared with the placebo group. During the pollen season, patients with placebo showed an increase of ECP compared with baseline (V2: +30.3 μg/L; V3: +134.2 μg/L, P〈 0.005; V4: +79.0 μg/L, P〈 0.05), and stable levels of tryptase, IL-6 and IL-8. Treatment with anti-IgE resulted in stable ECP values and a significant decrease of tryptase compared with V1 (baseline): V2: −80.0 μg/L (P〈 0.05); V3: −56.3 μg/L, which persisted after the pollen season with V4: −71.6 μg/L (P〈 0.05). After the pollen season, a decrease of IL-6 was observed in both groups (V4 placebo group: −37.5 ng/L; V4 anti-IgE group: −42.9 ng/L, P〈 0.01).Conclusion The combination of SIT and anti-IgE is associated with prevention of nasal ECP increase and decreased tryptase levels in nasal secretions.

Notes: Objective The aim of our study was to conduct a prospective investigation into the potential association of cord blood proliferative response and cytokine production in response to various stimuli on the development of atopic dermatitis (AD) at the age of 3 years.Methods Cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC) from 40 healthy term neonates were isolated. The proliferative response of CBMC stimulated with IL-2, betalactoglobulin (BLG) and house dust mite allergen (Der p 1) was assessed by liquid scintillation counting and the stimulation index (SI) was calculated. The cytokines interleukin (IL-)13, interferon (IFN-)γ, IL-10 and IL-18 in the cell culture supernatants in response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), Der p 1 and BLG were measured using the ELISA technique. After 3 years, symptoms of AD were obtained with a questionnaire completed by the parents.Results We observed significantly higher IL-13 levels in response to PHA in children who subsequently developed symptoms of AD (S: median, 291 pg/mL) compared with asymptomatic children (No-S: 149 pg/mL; P=0.021, Wilcoxon test). Similarly, in response to Der p 1 significantly higher IL-13 levels were observed in symptomatic children (S: 168.6; No-S: 61.6 pg/mL; P=0.0084). In response to BLG, IL-13 levels were 287.2 (S) and 123.6 pg/mL (No-S; P=0.19). No significant differences were found when comparing the IFN-γ levels in CBMC cultures stimulated with PHA (S: 10.2; No-S: 17.6 IU/L; P=0.78), Der p 1 (S: 307.6; No-S: 616.2 IU/L; P=0.2) or BLG (S: 18; No-S: 28.5 IU/L; P=0.83; 〈link href="#f2"〉Fig. 2). The IL-18 and IL-10 levels and the stimulation index in response to IL-2, BLG and Der p 1 showed no significant difference between children who subsequently developed symptoms of AD and asymptomatic children.〈figure xml:id="f2"〉2〈mediaResource alt="image" href="urn:x-wiley:09547894:CEA1789:CEA_1789_f2"/〉 Release of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), house dust mite allergen (Der p 1) and betalactoglobulin (BLG) in children who developed symptoms of atopic dermatitis at the age of 3 years (‘symptomatic’) and asymptomatic children. The median value and the 5th and 95th percentile are presented. Differences between the groups were calculated with the Wilcoxon test and P-values are reported.Conclusion Our data suggest that enhanced IL-13 levels at birth are associated with the subsequent development of atopic symptoms at the age of 3 years.

Notes: Background Successful pregnancy is dependent upon T helper (Th)2-type-dominated immunological responsiveness in gestation-associated compartments.Objective In our study we observed the influence of the maternal Th2-associated cytokine pattern on the naive fetal T cell phenotype and asked if circulating Th2 cytokines of atopic mothers affects the Th1/Th2 differentiation of the fetus.Methods Cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of the corresponding mothers were isolated. The proliferative response of CBMC and PBMC to Betalactoglobulin (BLG) was assessed by liquid scintillation counting. The cytokines interferon (IFN)-γ, and interleukin (IL)-5, IL-10 and IL-13 in the cell culture supernatants were measured using the ELISA technique. We then defined two subgroups based on maternal levels of specific IgE against aeroallergens: sensitized mothers (MA+) and their neonates (NMA+) (n = 18) and non-sensitized mothers (MA−) and their neonates (NMA−) (n = 29).Results Nearly all mothers (98%) and neonates (92%) had a positive proliferation response after stimulation with BLG (mean stimulation index (10–90 percentile): neonates: 7 (2–15); mothers 14 (5–29)). In supernatants of BLG-stimulated cell cultures, sensitized mothers showed a significantly lower IFN-γ concentration in comparison to non-sensitized mothers (MA+ = 25; MA− = 123 IU/L; P 〈 0,05), whereas the neonates did not differ significantly (NMA+ = 306; NMA− = 224 IU/L; n. s.). Nor was any difference found in the IL-13 concentration between the two groups of sensitized and non-sensitized mothers (MA+ = 48; MA− = 125 pg/mL; n. s.). CBMC of neonates with a sensitized mother showed significantly higher IL-13 concentrations in response to BLG than neonates of non-sensitized mothers (NMA+ = 1442, NMA− 738 pg/mL; P 〈 0.05). The IL-5 and IL-10 concentrations did not differ significantly within the neonatal and the maternal subgroups.Conclusions Our data suggests that maternal sensitization to allergens is associated with the reduced maternal production of the Th2 antagonist IFN-γ and elevated production of the Th2 cytokine IL-13 in the offspring.

Notes: During the last ten years, a gradual conversion from mineral oil based hydraulic fluids to environmentally adapted lubricants (EALs), has taken place in the forest industry in Sweden. The current market share of the EALs is ca. 80 percent of the mobile hydraulic fluids utilised. The original driving force of this change can be traced to end-user demands, especially paper and pulp consumers in Germany. The Swedish standard SS 15 54 34 was in 1997 supplemented with environmental criteria derived from the "Ren Smörja" ("Clean Lubrication") environmental project in the city of Göteborg. The reliable third-party validation offered by SP (Swedish National Testing and Research Institute), the present stewards of the "Clean Lubrication" list, has proven to be another important factor. By comparison to the German Blue Angel Eco-labelling scheme, the Swedish SP-list approval is somewhat easier to attain, and has provided a flexible base for the development of new products.

Notes: The Nordic marketplace, and in particular the Swedish market, is a sizeable part of the world market for environmentally adapted lubricants (EALs). The largest segment, by far, is EAL hydraulic fluids for mobile hydraulics, and chain saw oils for the environmentally adapted forestry operations (mainly) by the international Swedish and, until recently, Finnish forestry companies. In this paper, some of the important parameters influencing the size and development direction are analysed. These include market regulatory factors, eco-labels, OEM-issued standards/specifications, end-user demands and the market volume development for the period 1999-2001. The spread of EALs to other forestry markets, Norway and the Baltic States, is also covered.

Notes: Background:  Especially in childhood, sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) could offer advantages over subcutaneous therapy. However, limited data on its efficacy is available.Methods:  In four German centres 97 children (age 3–14 years) with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis to grass pollen were enrolled in a prospective, double-blind trial comparing SLIT (Pangramin SLIT®; ALK-SCHERAX, 0.5 μg major allergens, three times per week, 32 months) with placebo. Primary endpoint was a multiple symptom-medication score for changes in seasonal diary entries between the first and third year of the study (SLIT n = 39; placebo n = 38).Results:  The multiple symptom-medication score was significantly reduced by SLIT to 77.3% of the placebo group (P = 0.0498). The subsequent analysis of the single endpoints did not reveal significant differences for symptom scores in favour of SLIT (85.1% of placebo group; P = 0.22). However, the medication score improved significantly (67.1% of placebo group; P = 0.0025). Furthermore, secondary endpoints assessing in vivo immune responses did not differ significantly between the groups. However, retrospective analysis showed some inhomogeneity for clinical and in vitro parameters at the beginning of the study. Allergic side effects with possible relation to the study drug were reported in both groups (SLIT 49%, placebo 27%, P = 0.026).Conclusion:  Our study indicates that SLIT had a positive effect on the reduction of a multiple symptom-medication score, mainly by significantly reducing rescue medication use, but had no significant effect on symptoms alone in children with rhinoconjunctivitis to grass pollen compared with a placebo.

Notes: Abstract Bacteria have been implicated in the production of paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) toxins, which are normally associated with bloom-forming algal species, specifically toxic dinoflagellate algae. To clarify the role that these bacteria may play in the production of PSP toxins, it is desirable to identify and localize the bacteria associated with the dinoflagellates. 16S rRNA-targeted probes offer the possibility for both, and thus, probes have been made to putatively toxigenic bacteria isolated from the PSP-related dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense and tested for their specificity in dot blot and in situ hybridization experiments.