Mary McHenry, Philippe Bégin, Edmond S Chan, Meriem Latrous, Harold Kim
{"title":"Food oral immunotherapy.","authors":"Mary McHenry, Philippe Bégin, Edmond S Chan, Meriem Latrous, Harold Kim","doi":"10.1186/s13223-025-00948-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13223-025-00948-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Food oral immunotherapy (OIT) is an option for the treatment of immunoglobin E (IgE)-mediated food allergy that involves administering gradually increasing doses of an allergenic food over time (under medical supervision) with the goal of desensitizing an individual to the food allergen. Current Canadian clinical practice guidelines for OIT recommend this form of therapy as an option in patients with food allergy. The intervention should be prioritized in the infant and toddler population, in which it is particularly well tolerated and can lead to sustained unresponsiveness (also sometimes referred to as remission). In this article, we provide an overview of OIT and discuss the role non-allergist clinicians can play in caring for patients undergoing OIT.</p>","PeriodicalId":51302,"journal":{"name":"Allergy Asthma and Clinical Immunology","volume":"20 Suppl 3","pages":"82"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11823072/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143411560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bronte Jeffrey, Logan Gardner, Michelle Le, Julie Frost, Ming Wei Lin
{"title":"Moisturizer induced contact anaphylaxis.","authors":"Bronte Jeffrey, Logan Gardner, Michelle Le, Julie Frost, Ming Wei Lin","doi":"10.1186/s13223-025-00954-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13223-025-00954-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Contact allergens typically trigger localised reactions, but systemic Type I hypersensitivity from skin contact reactions are rare.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>We present the case of a 69-year-old non-atopic male who developed anaphylaxis following the application of moisturizer to an area of chemical burns. Skin testing showed a strong positive result to moisturizer. Whilst not all ingredients were available for testing, phenoxyethanol was thought to be the likely culprit agent based on literature review and a weakly positive skin test result.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Products such as moisturizers can rarely trigger anaphylaxis, especially when applied to damaged skin which may favor systemic absorption. This case highlights the need for careful consideration of cosmetic application when discerning culprit allergens.</p>","PeriodicalId":51302,"journal":{"name":"Allergy Asthma and Clinical Immunology","volume":"21 1","pages":"9"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11817083/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143400403","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A Bocquet, A Pagnier, I Boccon-Gibod, F Defendi, C Dumestre-Perard, G Hardy, Laurence Bouillet
{"title":"Early diagnosis of hereditary angioedema in children: genetic testing should be prioritized.","authors":"A Bocquet, A Pagnier, I Boccon-Gibod, F Defendi, C Dumestre-Perard, G Hardy, Laurence Bouillet","doi":"10.1186/s13223-025-00950-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13223-025-00950-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>When a member of a family has been diagnosed with hereditary angioedema (HAE) before a child is born, the question of early diagnosis arises. Indeed, the first attacks may occur at birth. Early diagnosis is complicated by biological issues. Due to the immaturity of the complement system, C1 Inhibitor (C1 INH) and C4 levels can be low at birth, generally in the range of 60 to 100% of adult reference values. Like most complement proteins, their levels generally normalize after one year of life. However, this is not always the case, and we report two counter-examples here.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>A woman with well-documented HAE due to type II C1 INH deficiency gave birth to two children 4 years apart. Functional C1 INH assays performed at 8 and 7 months of age returned normal C1 INH inhibitory activity. However, a genetic exploration revealed the presence of the mother's pathogenic gene variant in both children. Subsequent monitoring of C1 INH activity at 3 and 4 years of age confirmed a pathological reduction in C1 INH inhibitory activity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>For the early detection of HAE in children, these cases lead us to recommend genetic testing for the index parent's pathological variant rather than reliance on results of C1 INH assays.</p>","PeriodicalId":51302,"journal":{"name":"Allergy Asthma and Clinical Immunology","volume":"21 1","pages":"8"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11816544/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143400467","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Andrew O'Keefe, Lori Connors, Ling Ling, Harold Kim
{"title":"Asthma.","authors":"Andrew O'Keefe, Lori Connors, Ling Ling, Harold Kim","doi":"10.1186/s13223-025-00949-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13223-025-00949-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Asthma is one of the most common respiratory disorders in Canada, however, many Canadians with asthma remain poorly controlled. In most patients, control can be achieved through appropriate therapy, including: inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), combination ICS/long-acting beta<sub>2</sub>-agonists (LABA), \"triple therapy\" with ICS/LABA/long-acting muscarinic receptor antagonist (LAMA), and biologic therapies. The medical management of severe asthma, in particular, has changed dramatically with the incorporation of biologics in asthma treatment plans. Allergen-specific immunotherapy represents a potentially disease-modifying therapy for many patients with asthma; it must only be prescribed by physicians with appropriate training in allergy. Other essential components of asthma management include: regular monitoring of asthma control and risk of exacerbations; patient education and written asthma action plans; assessing barriers to treatment and adherence to therapy; adequate management of comorbidities (e.g., allergic rhinitis) and reviewing inhaler device technique. This article provides a review of current literature and guidelines for the appropriate diagnosis and management of asthma in adults and children.</p>","PeriodicalId":51302,"journal":{"name":"Allergy Asthma and Clinical Immunology","volume":"20 Suppl 3","pages":"81"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11808942/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143392520","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anne K Ellis, Lubnaa Hossenbaccus, Sophia Linton, Hannah Botting, Eman Badawod, Alyssa Burrows, Sarah Garvey
{"title":"Biphasic anaphylaxis in a Canadian tertiary care centre: an evaluation of incidence and risk factors from electronic health records and telephone interviews.","authors":"Anne K Ellis, Lubnaa Hossenbaccus, Sophia Linton, Hannah Botting, Eman Badawod, Alyssa Burrows, Sarah Garvey","doi":"10.1186/s13223-024-00919-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13223-024-00919-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Our previous 2007 study reported a 19.4% rate of biphasic anaphylaxis in Kingston, Ontario. Since then, few updates have been published regarding the etiology and risk factors of biphasic anaphylaxis. This study aimed to describe the incidence of and predictors of biphasic anaphylaxis in a single centre through a retrospective evaluation of patients with diagnosed anaphylaxis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>From November 2015 to August 2017, all patients who presented to the emergency department at two hospital sites in Kingston given a diagnosis of \"allergic reaction,\" \"anaphylaxis,\" \"drug allergy,\" or \"insect sting allergy,\" were evaluated. Patients were contacted sometime after ED discharge to obtain consent and confirm symptoms and timing of the reaction. A trained allergist determined if criteria for anaphylaxis were met and categorized the reactions as being uniphasic, biphasic, or non-anaphylactic biphasic. A full medical review of the event ensued, and each type of anaphylactic event was statistically compared.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 138 anaphylactic events identified, 15.94% were biphasic reactions, 79.0% were uniphasic, and 5.07% were classified alternatively as a non-anaphylactic biphasic reaction. The average time of a second reaction was 19.0 h in patients experiencing biphasic reactivity. For biphasic anaphylaxis, the symptom profiles of second reactions were significantly less severe (p = 0.0002) compared with the initial reaction but significantly more severe than non-anaphylactic biphasic events (p < 0.0001).No differences of management were identified between events.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The incidence of biphasic reactions in this cohort was 15.94% and the average second-phase onset was 19.0 h. In biphasic reactivity, it appears that the symptom profile second reaction is less severe compared to the first reaction.</p>","PeriodicalId":51302,"journal":{"name":"Allergy Asthma and Clinical Immunology","volume":"21 1","pages":"7"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11806842/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143374406","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Technical validation of controlled exposure to cat dander in the specialized particulate control environmental exposure unit (SPaC-EEU).","authors":"Lubnaa Hossenbaccus, Terry Walker, Anne K Ellis","doi":"10.1186/s13223-024-00928-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13223-024-00928-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":51302,"journal":{"name":"Allergy Asthma and Clinical Immunology","volume":"21 1","pages":"6"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11773739/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143060593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Persia Pourshahnazari, Stephen D Betschel, Vy H D Kim, Susan Waserman, Rongbo Zhu, Harold Kim
{"title":"Secondary Immunodeficiency.","authors":"Persia Pourshahnazari, Stephen D Betschel, Vy H D Kim, Susan Waserman, Rongbo Zhu, Harold Kim","doi":"10.1186/s13223-024-00925-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13223-024-00925-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The field of medicine is constantly changing and, as healthcare providers, we are fortunate to be practicing in a time when patients are living longer and novel therapeutic options continue to evolve. However, these new advances may be associated with adverse effects that practitioners need to be aware of. Some of these impair the immune system leading to secondary immunodeficiencies (SID) that increase host susceptibility to infections and other complications. The causes and consequences of these SID are extremely broad, and a detailed review is beyond the scope of this article. The goal of this primer is to provide a general overview and understanding of common conditions and therapies leading to SID, as well as a guide to the assessment and management of patients with SID.</p>","PeriodicalId":51302,"journal":{"name":"Allergy Asthma and Clinical Immunology","volume":"20 Suppl 3","pages":"80"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11773690/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143054064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"This supplement is dedicated to the late Dr. Richard Warrington.","authors":"Harold Kim, Anne K Ellis, Wade Watson","doi":"10.1186/s13223-024-00944-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13223-024-00944-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":51302,"journal":{"name":"Allergy Asthma and Clinical Immunology","volume":"20 Suppl 3","pages":"79"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11773688/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143054065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yiwei Yin, Moshe Ben Shoshan, Marcus Shaker, Matthew Greenhawt, Kate M Johnson
{"title":"Cost-effectiveness of watchful waiting versus immediate emergency department transfer after epinephrine autoinjector use in Canada.","authors":"Yiwei Yin, Moshe Ben Shoshan, Marcus Shaker, Matthew Greenhawt, Kate M Johnson","doi":"10.1186/s13223-025-00951-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13223-025-00951-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Until recently, immediate emergency department (ED) transfer after food-related anaphylactic reactions was recommended regardless of symptom resolution following use of an epinephrine autoinjector (EAI). We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of delayed ED transfer after EAI use in non-medical settings (watchful waiting) compared to immediate ED transfer among pediatric patients with food allergies in Canada.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We developed a probabilistic Markov model of individuals starting at age of one year who are at risk of severe food-related allergic reactions requiring epinephrine. We evaluated medical costs (in 2022 Canadian dollars) and quality-adjusted life years (QALY) of each strategy over a 20-year horizon. In the base case, we assumed a tenfold increase in food allergy fatality for patients under watchful waiting, which we increased to 100- to 1,000-fold in sensitivity analysis. The analysis was conducted from the Canadian healthcare system perspective with a 1.5% annual discount rate and a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $50,000 per QALY.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Immediate ED transfer following EAI use resulted in a decreased risk of food allergy fatality of 9.2 × 10<sup>- 5</sup> over 20 years, which is equivalent to < 1 fatality per 200,000 patient-years. Watchful waiting resulted in cost savings of $1,157 per patient and a QALY loss of 7.28 × 10<sup>- 4</sup>; an incremental cost per QALY saved of $1,589,854. The incremental cost per death prevented with immediate ED transfer was $12,586,613. Watchful waiting remained cost-effective in all sensitivity and scenario analyses, except under extreme increases in fatality risk of 500-fold and 1,000-fold.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Watchful waiting for symptom re-occurrence following EAI administration in non-medical settings is cost-effective.</p>","PeriodicalId":51302,"journal":{"name":"Allergy Asthma and Clinical Immunology","volume":"21 1","pages":"5"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11755952/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143025719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Samira Jeimy, Tiffany Wong, Moshe Ben-Shoshan, Ana Maria Copaescu, Ghislaine A C Isabwe, Anne K Ellis
{"title":"Drug allergy.","authors":"Samira Jeimy, Tiffany Wong, Moshe Ben-Shoshan, Ana Maria Copaescu, Ghislaine A C Isabwe, Anne K Ellis","doi":"10.1186/s13223-024-00936-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13223-024-00936-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drug allergy encompasses a spectrum of immunologically-mediated hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) with varying mechanisms and clinical presentations. This type of adverse drug reaction (ADR) not only affects patient quality of life, but may also lead to delayed treatment, unnecessary investigations, and increased morbidity and mortality. Given the spectrum of symptoms associated with the condition, diagnosis can be challenging. Therefore, referral to an allergist experienced in the diagnosis and management of drug allergy is recommended if a drug-induced allergic reaction is suspected. Diagnosis relies on a careful history and physical examination and, in some instances, skin testing or in vitro testing and drug challenges. The most effective strategy for the management of allergist-confirmed drug allergy is avoidance or discontinuation of the offending drug. When available, alternative medications with unrelated chemical structures should be substituted. Cross-reactivity among drugs should also be taken into consideration when choosing alternative agents. Additional therapy for drug HSRs may include topical corticosteroids, oral antihistamines and, in severe cases, systemic corticosteroids and other immunomodulators. In the event of anaphylaxis, the treatment of choice is intramuscular epinephrine. If a patient with a history of anaphylaxis requires a specific drug and there is no acceptable alternative, desensitization to that drug may be considered. This article provides a background on drug allergy and strategies for the diagnosis and management of some of the most common drug-induced allergic reactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":51302,"journal":{"name":"Allergy Asthma and Clinical Immunology","volume":"20 Suppl 3","pages":"78"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11755868/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143025721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}