Evaluation and Modification of a Shared Decision-Making Tool for Peanut Allergy Management
This study refined the decision aid ’s content to better reflect patients’ and caregivers’ lived experience.Recent FindingsCurrent standard of care for peanut allergy is avoidance, although peanut oral immunotherapy has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in patients 4 –17 years old.SummaryAn advisory board of allergy therapy experts (n = 3) and patient advocates (n = 3) informed modifications to the decision aid. The revised tool underwent cognitive debriefing interviews (CDIs) among adolescents (12–17 years old) with peanut allergy and caregivers of patients 4–17 years old with p...
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - April 19, 2024 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research
Comparison of Old and New Systemic Treatments for Moderate to Severe Atopic Dermatitis
AbstractPurpose of ReviewHistorically, systemic treatments for atopic dermatitis (AD) primarily consisted of immunosuppressive agents such as corticosteroids and Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDS), which provided symptomatic relief but often had long-term adverse effects. Newer treatments have shown significant efficacy with less side effects in clinical trials. This review discusses and compares conventional and newer systemic treatments for AD.Recent FindingsNewer medications for AD including dupilumab, tralokinumab, lebrikizumab, and oral JAK inhibitors have been shown to be safe and efficacious. High dose c...
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - April 18, 2024 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research
Fungal Sensitization and Human Allergic Disease
AbstractPurpose of the ReviewFungal sensitizations have been associated with hypersensitivity reactions with variable levels of evidence available to link types of fungi with human disease. We conducted systematic reviews of the literature to identify the strength of evidence linking lesser-studied fungi for which there are commercially available extracts to identify populations in which they were useful in clinical practice.Recent FindingsExcluding five fungi for which hundreds of articles were identified, there are 54 articles on the remaining fungi with clinical data. For 12 of the fungi, the prevalence of fungal sensit...
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - April 5, 2024 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research
What the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Has Taught Us About Immunosuppression, Vaccinations, and Immune Dysregulation: The Rheumatology Experience
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review reflects on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the field of rheumatology, emphasizing resulting insights related to the risks of viral infections in immunosuppressed patients, vaccine immunogenicity in immunocompromised patients, and immune dysregulation in the setting of viral infection.Recent FindingsDuring the pandemic, global patient registries provided real-time insights into the risk factors associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes in rheumatology patients. Updated evidence-based recommendations from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) guided rheumatology practice dur...
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - April 3, 2024 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research
Pregnancy and the Autoimmune Patient
This article will review the current understanding of the immunologic changes that occur during pregnancy. It will discuss the impact of pregnancy on the disease activity of autoimmune or inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIRD). Lastly, it will highlight the most recent data on pre-conception and pregnancy management practices that can improve pregnancy outcomes in autoimmune patients.Recent FindingsPregnancy is an immunologically complex and dynamic state that may affect the activity of AIRDs, with more patients having active disease during pregnancy than previously thought. Uncontrolled inflammatory diseases are associate...
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - April 2, 2024 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research
Minimally Invasive Approaches to Diagnose and Monitor Eosinophilic GI Diseases
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review seeks to understand novel avenues for eosinophilic GI disease management. Biomarkers offer a unique and non-invasive approach to tracking EoE disease progression. While no biomarkers have definitively met the diagnostic criteria for eosinophilic GI diseases, some biomarkers have been shown to be associated with disease activity. Here, we examine the potential of recently studied biomarkers.Recent FindingsCurrent research shows advancements in blood, luminal fluid, and breath testing. Particular areas of interest include mRNA analyses, protein fingerprinting, amplicon sequence variants (...
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - March 27, 2024 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research
Recent Insights into the Environmental Determinants of Childhood Asthma
AbstractPurpose of ReviewUbiquitous environmental exposures, including ambient air pollutants, are linked to the development and severity of childhood asthma. Advances in our understanding of these links have increasingly led to clinical interventions to reduce asthma morbidity.Recent FindingsWe review recent work untangling the complex relationship between air pollutants, including particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone and asthma, such as vulnerable windows of pediatric exposure and their interaction with other factors influencing asthma development and severity. These have led to interventions to reduce air pol...
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - March 18, 2024 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research
Type 2 and Non-type 2 Inflammation in the Upper Airways: Cellular and Molecular Alterations in Olfactory Neuroepithelium Cell Populations
AbstractPurpose of ReviewNeurogenesis occurring in the olfactory epithelium is critical to continuously replace olfactory neurons to maintain olfactory function, but is impaired during chronic type 2 and non-type 2 inflammation of the upper airways. In this review, we describe the neurobiology of olfaction and the olfactory alterations in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (type 2 inflammation) and post-viral acute rhinosinusitis (non-type 2 inflammation), highlighting the role of immune response attenuating olfactory neurogenesis as a possibly mechanism for the loss of smell in these diseases.Recent FindingsSeveral ...
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - March 16, 2024 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research
Environmental Interventions for Preventing Atopic Diseases
AbstractPurpose of ReviewIn this review, we detail the exposome (consisting of environmental factors such as diet, microbial colonization, allergens, pollutants, and stressors), mechanistic and clinical research supporting its influence on atopic disease, and potentiation from climate change. We highlight contemporary environmental interventions and available evidence substantiating their roles in atopic disease prevention, from observational cohorts to randomized controlled trials, when available.Recent FindingsEarly introduction to allergenic foods is an effective primary prevention strategy to reduce food allergy. Diver...
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - March 16, 2024 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research
Multidisciplinary Decision-Making —ITAlian Consensus After Two Years of Real Practice on the Management of Severe Uncontrolled CRSwNP by Biologics (ITACA Study)
AbstractPurpose of ReviewWe aimed to reach an Italian multidisciplinary consensus on some crucial aspects of treatment decision making in CRSwNP, following 2 years of clinical experience in order to support specialists in the management of CRSwNP in clinical practice. We addressed issues relating to therapeutic decision-making and shared criteria for the treatment choice, as well as appropriate timing and criteria for evaluating treatment response, and highlighted the need for repeated multidisciplinary assessments.Recent FindingsA national survey has been conducted recently to understand how rhinology practice has chang...
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - March 12, 2024 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research
Alpha-Tryptase as a Risk-Modifying Factor for Mast Cell –Mediated Reactions
AbstractPurpose of ReviewTo provide an overview on the current understanding of genetic variability in human tryptases and summarize the literature demonstrating the differential impact of mature tryptases on mast cell –mediated reactions and associated clinical phenotypes.Recent FindingsIt is becoming increasingly recognized that tryptase gene composition, and in particular the common genetic trait hereditary alpha-tryptasemia (H αT), impacts clinical allergy. HαT has consistently been associated with clonal mast cell disorders (MCD) and has also been associated with more frequent anaphylaxis among these patients, and...
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - March 9, 2024 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research
A Review of Shared Decision-Making, Published Protocols, and Post-desensitization Strategies in Oral Immunotherapy (OIT)
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe aim of this review is to highlight key published oral immunotherapy (OIT) protocols and post-desensitization strategies for the major food allergens and to cover important concepts to consider when evaluating OIT for food-allergic patients. Shared decision-making should help identify patient and family values which will help influence the type of evidence-based protocol and maintenance strategy to use.Recent FindingsWith food OIT emerging as a treatment option, there is a pressing need for patients, physicians, and other providers to have a nuanced understanding of the management choices availa...
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - March 5, 2024 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research
Food Insecurity and Health Inequities in Food Allergy
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe intersection of food insecurity among those with food allergy is a growing public health concern. Both food allergy and food insecurity have profound implications on health, social, and economic outcomes. The interaction of social determinants of health, poverty, racism, housing insecurity, and access to care has direct impact on individuals with food allergy.Recent FindingsThere is increasing evidence that universal screening for food insecurity is vital in the routine care of patients with food allergy. Individuals with food allergy who are also burdened by food insecurity face unique challen...
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - February 29, 2024 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research
The Natural History and Risk Factors for the Development of Food Allergies in Children and Adults
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis narrative review explores food allergy prevalence and natural history stratified by life stages, especially in context of evolving knowledge over the last few decades.Recent FindingsThe prevalence of food allergy remains highest in early childhood with common food triggers being cow ’s milk, soy, hen’s egg, wheat, peanut, tree nuts, sesame, fish, and shellfish. This correlates with certain risk factors especially pertinent in the postnatal period which appear to predispose an individual to developing a food allergy. Some allergies (such as milk and egg) were previously thou ght to be easil...
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - February 28, 2024 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research
The Future of Food Allergy Management: Advancements in Therapies
AbstractPurpose of ReviewTo review current and future treatment options for IgE-mediated food allergy.Recent FindingsRecent years have seen major developments in both allergen-specific and allergen-non-specific treatment options, with the first FDA-approved peanut oral immunotherapy (OIT) product becoming available in 2020. In addition to OIT, other immunotherapy modalities, biologics, adjunct therapies, and novel therapeutics are under investigation.SummaryFood allergy is a potentially life-threatening condition associated with a significant psychosocial impact. Numerous products and protocols are under investigation, wit...
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - February 23, 2024 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research
