Association of Food Allergy, Other Allergies With Autism Spectrum Disorder

JAMA: Food and other types of allergies are more likely to be reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than in children without ASD but the underlying reasons for this association aren’t clear.
Why The Research Is Interesting: A diagnosis of ASD has become more common among U.S. children but it isn’t clear why or what causes ASD. Some studies have suggested immune system dysfunction may potentially play a role. Allergies are common medical conditions of immune dysfunction in children.

How allergens trigger asthma attacks

CNRS: A team of Inserm and CNRS researchers from the Institute of Pharmacology and Structural Biology—or IPBS (CNRS / Université Toulouse III—Paul Sabatier)—have identified a protein that acts like a sensor detecting various allergens in the respiratory tract responsible for asthma attacks. Their study, codirected by Corinne Cayrol and Jean-Philippe Girard, is published in Nature Immunology on 19 March 2018. These scientists' work offers hope for breakthroughs in the treatment of allergic diseases. What do mold, pollen, and cockroaches have in common? Though they correspond to three different kingdoms of life, they can all cause asthma attacks in people sensitive to them. And all of them, despite their very different compositions, contain enzymes called proteases. 

Allergies? Probiotic combination may curb your symptoms, new study finds

Florida: As we head into allergy season, you may feel less likely to grab a hanky and sneeze. That’s because new University of Florida research shows a probiotic combination might help reduce hay fever symptoms, if it’s taken during allergy season. Many published studies have shown a probiotic’s ability to regulate the body’s immune response to allergies, but not all of the probiotics show a benefit, UF researchers say. “Not all probiotics work for allergies. This one did,” said Jennifer Dennis, a doctoral student in the UF food science and human nutrition department in UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and first author on the latest study. Scientists already know that the probiotic combination of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, sold as Kyo-Dophilus in stores, helps maintain digestive health and parts of the immune system.

Skin patch to treat peanut allergy shows benefit in children

NIH: A wearable patch that delivers small amounts of peanut protein through the skin shows promise for treating children and young adults with peanut allergy, with greater benefits for younger children, according to one-year results from an ongoing clinical trial. The treatment, called epicutaneous immunotherapy or EPIT, was safe and well-tolerated, and nearly all participants used the skin patch daily as directed.

Investigating the chemical basis of allergies

Mainz: Researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the Institute of Translational Immunology (TIM) of the Mainz University Medical Center investigate to which extent pollutants in the atmosphere or the change in the composition of foods worsen allergies. This requires a deeper understanding of how allergens are modified by the environment and thus induce an altered body's immune responses. The research aims at creating the base for a better understanding of the constantly increasing number of hypersensitivities and at delineating paths for effective treatments and targeted preventative measures.The scientists and physicians at the MCCA hope for a rapid progress in research on allergies and other hypersensitivities through the bundling of their expertise, which is unique in this form.

Allergen-Free Peanuts Lead USDA Report Highlighting New Innovations

USDA: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a new report on discoveries by USDA researchers that have led to new patents and inventions with the potential for commercial application and potential economic growth. USDA innovations included in this annual report range from USDA supported research that could offer solutions for millions who suffer allergies from peanuts and wheat to safe mosquito control that can help halt the transmission of diseases they spread, and others.

Hay Fever: Maladies, Melodies And Remedies

TheScope: In addition to kicking off the barbeque, swimming and vacation seasons, spring also marks the beginning of that pesky and sometimes debilitating seasonal woe, hay fever. Much like Noel Coward’s 1924 play Hay Fever, the colloquial designation has really nothing to do with hay or fever. Clinically known as allergic rhinitis, hay fever describes the hypersensitivity to airborne allergens and the onslaught of bothersome symptoms they provoke. Approximately 20% of the world’s population suffers from seasonal or perennial hay fever. Even Paul Simon wasn’t spared from the suffocating spiral that is allergies.

Four myths about allergies you thought were true – but aren’t

TheConversation: Allergies are on the rise across the developed world and hay fever and eczema have trebled in the last 30 years. Yet allergies are an area of much confusion and concern. Although 40% of people report having a food allergy, in fact only 1-5% do, and allergists commonly report spending most of their consultations refuting firmly held beliefs that have no scientific foundation. Theories about allergy – some from medical research and some from lifestyle “gurus” – have led to conflicting information, making it hard to know what to believe. Because of this, Sense About Science worked with me and a number of allergists, immunologists, respiratory scientists and pharmacists to produce Making Sense of Allergies, a guide tackling the many myths and misconceptions about allergies.

Climate change would be responsible for two thirds of pollen increase in Europe

Vienna: Climate change would be responsible for two thirds of this increase, the remaining third would be due to the colonization of the plant as a result of human activities. These estimates, made by a European team of researchers, show that it is now necessary to establish coordinated management of this invasive plant in Europe followed by long-term pollen and mapping the presence of plants. These estimates are published in the journal Nature Climate Change May 25, 2015.

Our immune systems vary with the seasons

Cambridge: Our immune systems vary with the seasons, according to a study led by the University of Cambridge that could help explain why certain conditions such as heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis are aggravated in winter whilst people tend to be healthier in the summer. "In some ways, it’s obvious – it helps explain why so many diseases are much worse in the winter months – but no one had appreciated the extent to which this actually occurred" (John Todd)

The study, published today in the journal Nature Communications, shows that the activity of almost a quarter of our genes (5,136 out of 22,822 genes tested) differs according to the time of year, with some more active in winter and others more active in summer. This seasonality also affects our immune cells and the composition of our blood and adipose tissue (fat).

Exposure to air pollution in the first year of life increases risk for allergies

British Columbia: New research from the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) study shows that exposure to outdoor air pollution during the first year of life increases the risk of developing allergies to food, mould, pets and pests. The study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, showed that the sensitivity to allergens was associated with exposure to traffic-related air pollution during infancy. “With the increasing rates of allergies amongst children in Canada and elsewhere, we were interested in determining if air pollution from traffic might be partially responsible,” said Michael Brauer, the study’s senior author and a professor in the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. “This is the first study to find a link between air pollution and measured allergic sensitization during the first year.”

Peanut-allergic children are more at risk of exposure at home than at school

Montreal: Children who are allergic to peanuts are far more likely to be exposed to them in their own homes that at school, says Dr. Sabrine Cherkaoui of the University of Montreal's Faculty of Medicine. Cherkaoui and her colleagues at McGill University came to the discovery after reviewing the circumstances surrounding 567 incidents of accidental peanut exposure to allergic children. “Our study looked at 1,941 children who had been diagnosed as being allergic to peanuts to determine how exposure occurs, how serious the outcomes of the exposure are, and what treatment is given,” explained Cherkaoui, who was first author of the study. “We discovered that children are most at risk of exposure in their own homes.

The intestine is a central organ in cases of food allergies

Vienna: Four per cent of the population which is about 320,000 Austrians and up to 250 million people worldwide suffer from food allergies. The majority of those affected suffer from gastrointestinal problems, including symptoms such as diarrhoea, sickness, or vomiting. The intestine not only serves for ingestion, but probably also is the organ where the development of a food allergy first occurs. 80 per cent of human immune cells are located in the intestine to protect the body – as a consequence, a healthy intestine as part of the immune system is crucial for developing tolerance for food components and harmless agents.

Understanding the body’s response to worms and allergies

Manchester: Research from The University of Manchester is bringing scientists a step closer to developing new therapies for controlling the body’s response to allergies and parasitic worm infections. In a paper published in Nature Communications, Pr Andrew MacDonald discovered a new way that immune cells control inflammation during worm infection or an allergic response like asthma. It’s important to understand how this type of inflammation is controlled as it can be very damaging and in some cases lead to long term conditions.

Can children with egg allergy tolerate pasteurised raw egg?

Adelaide: New research from the University of Adelaide shows pasteurised (heated) raw egg contains the same main allergens as non-pasteurised (fresh) raw egg, and is not likely to be tolerated in children with egg allergy.

The baker and the lupine

Allergy and Immunology: Lupine belongs to the Fabaceae family, like peanuts, peas, lentils and beans. It is increasingly used in baking and in the manufacture of pastry. In addition to ingestion, inhalation exposure to lupine could be responsible for allergic symptoms. A study was conducted across Europe to assess the sensibilization of bakers to lupine alongside their sensitization to peanut, soya, wheat flour and rye. The results of this study show that 67% of bakers were sensitized to wheat flour and / or rye, 35% to 33% peanut and lupine.

Why “hypoallergenic” isn’t a thing

American Chemical Society: It’s a simple claim made on thousands of personal care products for adults and kids: hypoallergenic. But what does that actually mean? Turns out, it can mean whatever manufacturers want it to mean, and that can leave you feeling itchy. Speaking of Chemistry is back this week with Sophia Cai explaining why “hypoallergenic” isn’t really a thing.

Pollen levels average, symptoms dependent on the weather

Vienna: Nature has awoken from her winter sleep. The changeable weather means that the season has got off to a quiet start. Birch pollen, however, is almost due to be released and all predictions are that the levels will be average. Caveat: if the season starts suddenly, however, the symptoms experienced by sufferers can nevertheless be very severe.

New Peanut Allergy Test Goes Beyond Scratching the Surface

Connecticut University: Current peanut allergy tests are not very reliable when it comes to diagnosing the severity of an individual’s allergic reaction, which can range from hives to life-threatening anaphylactic shock.
With an estimated three million people in the United States allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, having a more precise and reliable allergy test could prevent hospitalizations and allow for better monitoring of individuals suffering from peanut allergies.

Peanut Allergies: Prevention by Early Exposure?

NIH. US: It might seem obvious that the best way to avoid a food allergy is to steer clear of the offending item. But a recent study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggests that just the opposite may be true: strict avoidance from a very early age may be the wrong strategy when it comes to kids at high risk of developing an allergy to peanuts [1].