Barbara Majkowska-Wojciechowska

Associations of allergic sensitization and clinical phenotypes with innate immune response genes polymorphisms are modified by house dust mite allergen exposure

Introduction Polymorphisms within innate immunity genes are associated with allergic phenotypes but results are variable. These associations were not analyzed with respect to allergen exposure. We investigated associations of TLR and CD14 polymorphisms with allergy phenotypes in the context of house dust mite (HDM) exposure. Material and methods Children, aged 12-16 years (n=326), were recruited from downtown and rural locations and assessed by allergist. Skin prick tests, total and HDM-specific sIgE measurements were done. HDM allergen concentrations in dust were measured. Genetic polymorphisms were identified using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Results Allergic rhinitis, asthma and atopy were more prevalent in urban area. Although HDM allergen concentrations were higher in rural households, sIgE were present more frequently in urban children. In the whole population no association was found between HDM exposure and sensitization. In children with CD14/−159CC, CD14/−159TT and TLR9/2848GA genotypes increased exposure to HDM was associated with reduced incidence of allergic rhinitis. Significant associations of increased HDM exposure with reduced incidence of atopy were found for the whole population and subjects with CD14/−159CC, CD14/−1359GT, TLR4/896AA and TLR9/2848GA genotypes. Among children with CD14/−159CC and CD14/−1359GG significant positive correlation between HDM allergen concentrations in household and sensitization to HDM was observed. In contrast, protective effect of high HDM allergen exposure against specific sensitization was seen in subjects with TLR4/896 AG. Conclusions Development of specific sensitization and allergy may be associated with innate immune response genes polymorphisms and is modified by allergen exposure.

Association of House Dust Allergen Concentrations With Residential Conditions in City and in Rural Houses

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between house dust mite, cat and dog allergen levels with household characteristics in the houses of children living in urban and rural areas in central Poland.MethodsDust samples were collected from 141 urban and 191 rural houses. Der f1 + Der p1, Can f 1, and Fel d1 levels were measured and associated with residential conditions and atopy-related health outcomes assessed by clinical examination and skin prick testing.ResultsConcentrations of mite allergens were lower, and cat and dog allergen levels were higher in urban houses. Fel d1 and Can f1 levels depended on the presence of a respective animal in the house. In urban houses, Der p1 + Der f1 concentration was lower in households with central heating, whereas Can f1 concentration was related to building age. Multivariate analyses revealed that the concentrations of house dust mite and dog allergens were associated with relative humidity, number of people in the household, and the presence of a dog at home. There was no significant association between allergen level and sensitization or atopic diseases.ConclusionsConcentrations of indoor allergens in urban and rural houses differ significantly, and residential conditions associated with allergen levels seem to be different in both environments.

Environmental factors affecting seasonality of ambulance emergency service visits for exacerbations of asthma and COPD

Abstract: Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the association of severe exacerbations of asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) requiring ambulance emergency service (AES) visits with meteorological parameters and influenza outbreaks. Methods: The records of patients calling the AES in 2007 and 2008 in the urban area of Lodz due to dyspnea were analyzed. Information on 25 daily reported meteorological parameters was obtained from the local meteorological service and data on influenza outbreaks obtained from the national surveillance service. Results: During the winter months, a significantly higher mean daily number of AES visits for both COPD and asthma were noticed when compared to the summer. Interestingly, the number of daily AES visits correlated with several weather parameters, and the multiple regression analysis confirmed a negative correlation with minimum temperature, mean temperature and the dew point for both diseases (R = 0.526; p < 0.01; R = 0.577; p < 0.01 and R = 0.589; p < 0.01). Furthermore, the increased number of AES visits also correlated with a new number of cases of influenza infections as reported by local influenza surveillance system (rs = 77.6%; p < 0.001 and rs = 80.8%; p < 0.001 for asthma and COPD, respectively). Conclusion: Seasonality of AES visits for asthma and COPD are similar and seems to be related to specific weather conditions and to influenza outbreaks.

Forecasting model of Corylus, Alnus, and Betula pollen concentration levels using spatiotemporal correlation properties of pollen count

The aim of the study was to create and evaluate models for predicting high levels of daily pollen concentration of Corylus, Alnus, and Betula using a spatiotemporal correlation of pollen count. For each taxon, a high pollen count level was established according to the first allergy symptoms during exposure. The dataset was divided into a training set and a test set, using a stratified random split. For each taxon and city, the model was built using a random forest method. Corylus models performed poorly. However, the study revealed the possibility of predicting with substantial accuracy the occurrence of days with high pollen concentrations of Alnus and Betula using past pollen count data from monitoring sites. These results can be used for building (1) simpler models, which require data only from aerobiological monitoring sites, and (2) combined meteorological and aerobiological models for predicting high levels of pollen concentration.

Low preparedness for food allergy as perceived by school staff: a EuroPrevall survey across Europe.

Low preparedness for food allergy as perceived by school staff: a EuroPrevall survey across Europe Thuy-My Le, MD, PhD*, Ischa Kummeling, PhD*, Danielle Dixon, MD, Laura Barreales Tolosa, MD, Barbara Ballmer-Weber, MD, Michael Clausen, MD, M. Hazel Gowland, BA, Barbara Majkowska-Wojciechowska, MD, Tihomir Mustakov, MD, Nikolaos G. Papadopoulos, MD, PhD, Andre C. Knulst, MD, PhD, James Potts, BSc, Rimantas Stukas, PhD, and Peter Burney, MD

Allergens, Air Pollutants and Immune System Function in the Era of Global Warming

Nowadays, almost half of the worlds population lives in or near areas where the quality of air is poor. Rapid changes in the environment related to the“industrial revolution” have changed the earth within almost no time. These civilization changes are usually positive, as they lead to technological advancement, raising living standards, providing better health care and hygiene. They are however accompanied by unforeseeable climatic changes and negative health effects, which result from progressive contamination of the biosphere, as well as excessive exposure to toxins and allergens. They, in turn, lead to a growing number of immune system dysfunctions or even deaths in animals and humans.