Comparison of the skin test and ImmunoCAP system in the evaluation of mold allergy

Alternaria Allergy and Immunotherapy

BACKGROUND

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is the only known causative treatment for Alternaria allergy, but the difficulty in standardizing Alternaria extracts hampers its effectiveness and safety.

SUMMARY

Alternaria, a potent airborne allergen, has a high sensitization rate and is known to trigger the onset and exacerbation of respiratory allergies, even inducing fungal food allergy syndrome in some cases. It can trigger a type 2 inflammatory response, leading to an increase in the secretion of type 2 inflammatory cytokines and eosinophils, which are the culprits behind allergic symptoms. Diagnosing Alternaria allergy is a multistep process, involving a careful examination of clinical symptoms, medical history, skin prick tests, serum-specific IgE detection, or provocation tests. Alt a1, the major component of Alternaria, is a vital player in diagnosing Alternaria allergy through component-resolved diagnosis. Interestingly, Alternaria can reduce the protein activity of other allergens like pollen and cat dander when mixed with them. In order to solve the problems of standardization, efficacy and safety of traditional Alternaria AIT, novel AIT methods targeting Alt a1 and innovative vaccines such as epitope, DNA, and mRNA vaccines seem promising in bypassing the standardization issue of Alternaria extracts. But these studies are in early stages, and most researches are still focused on animal models, calling for more evidence to validate their use in humans.

KEY MESSAGES

This review delves into the various aspects of Alternaria allergy, including characteristics, epidemiology, immune mechanisms, diagnosis, clinical manifestations, and the application and limitations of Alternaria AIT, aiming to provide a foundation for the management of patients with Alternaria allergy.

Social Determinants of Health and ER Utilization: Role of Information Integration during COVID-19

Emergency room (ER) admissions are the front door for the utilization of a community's health resources and serve as a valuable proxy for a community health system's capacity. While recent research suggests that social determinants of health (SDOH) are important predictors of patient health outcomes, their impact on ER utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic is not well understood. Further, the role of hospital information integration in moderating the impact of SDOH on ER utilization has not received adequate attention. Utilizing longitudinal claims data from a regional health information exchange spanning six years including the COVID-19 period, we study how SDOH affects ER utilization and whether effective integration of patient health information across hospitals can moderate its impact. Our results suggest that a patient's economic well-being significantly reduces future ER utilization. The magnitude of this relationship is significant when patients are treated at hospitals with high information integration but is weaker when patients receive care at hospitals with lower levels of information integration. Instead, patients' family and social support can reduce ER utilization when they are treated at hospitals with low information integration. In other words, different dimensions of SDOH are important in low versus high information integration conditions. Furthermore, predictive modeling shows that patient visit type and prior visit history can significantly improve the predictive accuracy of ER utilization. Our research implications support efforts to develop national standards for the collection and sharing of SDOH data, and their use and interpretation for clinical decision making by healthcare providers and policy makers.

Review of Rhinitis: Classification, Types, Pathophysiology

Rhinitis describes a pattern of symptoms as a result of nasal inflammation and/or dysfunction of the nasal mucosa. It is an umbrella entity that includes many different subtypes, several of which escape of complete characterization. Rhinitis is considered as a pathologic condition with considerable morbidity and financial burden on health care systems worldwide. Its economic impact is further emphasized by the fact that it represents a risk factor for other conditions such as sinusitis, asthma, learning disabilities, behavioral changes, and psychological impairment. Rhinitis may be associated with many etiologic triggers such as infections, immediate-type allergic responses, inhaled irritants, medications, hormonal disturbances, and neural system dysfunction. It is basically classified into three major clinical phenotypes: allergic rhinitis (AR), infectious rhinitis, and non-allergic, non-infectious rhinitis (NAR). However, this subdivision may be considered as an oversimplification because a combined (mixed) phenotype exists in many individuals and different endotypes of rhinitis subgroups are overlapping. Due to the variety of pathophysiologic mechanisms (endotypes) and clinical symptoms (phenotypes), it is difficult to develop clear guidelines for diagnosis and treatment. This study aims to review the types of allergic and non-allergic rhinitis, providing a thorough analysis of the pathophysiological background, diagnostic approach, and main treatment options.

High Histamine Control Concentration Leads to False Negative Allergy Skin Testing

BACKGROUND

Allergy skin test reliability depends on the reagents and controls selected. Histamine is used at 1 mg/ml and 6 mg/ml concentration but few studies address the rationale for selecting one versus the other and how this may impact diagnostic accuracy.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the rate of false negative allergen skin tests responses between UniTest PC (using the 1 mg/mL histamine) and Quintip devices (using 6 mg/mL) for 4 common aeroallergens.

METHODS

Subjects aged 18-65 with symptoms of allergy to cat and/or ragweed received skin testing with 4 aeroallergens (dust mite mix, timothy grass, ragweed, cat), histamine and control diluent. Those individuals who tested positive to cat or ragweed with one skin prick test (SPT) device but not the other then proceeded to nasal allergen challenge (NAC). The primary outcomes were the aeroallergen false negative rates and sensitivities of the skin test devices followed by nasal allergen (NAC).

RESULTS

Twenty-five individuals were recruited and underwent a total of 300 SPTs. SPT to allergens (ragweed, dust mite, cat, and timothy grass) resulted in a statistically significant difference in wheal size among the two skin testing devices (p value <0.0001, 0.0001, 0.0006, and 0.0053 respectively). Six NAC procedures were performed to cat/ragweed and 5 of 6 (83% were positive). The overall allergen sensitivity rate for UniTest and Quintip were 97% and 78% respectively with most false negatives due to the use of 6 mg/ml histamine control reagent.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that 6 mg/ml concentration of histamine control reagent may contribute to a false interpretation of aeroallergen skin prick test results.

Value of Component Resolved Diagnostics to Aspergillus fumigatus in Patients with Upper Airway Complaints

INTRODUCTION

Sensitization to Aspergillus fumigatus is a risk factor for severe asthma. However, little is known about its presence, appearance, and impact on allergic rhinitis. Herein, we investigated the usefulness of component resolved diagnostics in patients sensitized to Aspergillus fumigatus protein extract.

METHODS

Seventy-eight patients with suspected allergic rhinitis and elevated IgE levels toward Aspergillus fumigatus protein extract were retrospectively evaluated regarding their total and Aspergillus-specific IgE levels and their skin prick test. Furthermore, they were tested for specific IgE antibodies against Asp f 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6.

RESULTS

Skin prick test missed 6 patients (7.7%) with elevated IgE toward Aspergillus fumigatus protein extract. Fifty percent of patients (n = 39) were sensitized to at least one component. Even though monosensitization affected all components, all patients with positivity toward more than one component were sensitized to Asp f 1. There was a statistically significant increase of Aspergillus-specific IgE with increasing number of components affected by sensitization. Many patients were oligo- (34.6%) or polysensitized (51.3%). There was a high prevalence of sinusitis (61.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

Component resolved diagnostic testing toward the major allergen Asp f 1 was less sensitive than skin prick test and serology to Aspergillus fumigatus protein extract. However, sensitivity of component resolved diagnostics might be underestimated. Diagnostics of the species-specific allergens Asp f 1, 2, and 4 might allow to differentiate between genuine and cross-reactive sensitization. In the clinical routine, skin prick test and serology to crude extract remain the methods of choice.

A Case of Intraoperative Anaphylaxis Caused by Bovine-Derived Thrombin

Intraoperative bovine-derived topical thrombin is still widely used for hemostasis during surgery. A 38-year-old woman with chronic spontaneous urticaria was referred to the orthopedic surgery department for herniated disk and myelopathy. During the first stage of operation, bovine-derived thrombin powder soaked in Gelfoam was used as a hemostatic aid. After 30 minutes, the patient developed anaphylactic shock with systemic skin rash and angioedema. Repeated intravenous bolus and infusion of vasopressor were carried out, and her blood pressure normalized. Skin test and specific immunoglobulin E test showed positive results for bovine thrombin and beef, respectively. During the second stage of operation (After 10 days from first stage of operation), bovine-derived thrombin powder was excluded and the operation was successful without any unexpected events. Therefore, bovine thrombin should be used with caution because it might cause anaphylaxis.

Allergen-Specific IgE Measurement: Intermethod Comparison of Two Assay Systems in Diagnosing Clinical Allergy

BACKGROUND

Our aim was to examine the performance of IMMULITE 2000 assay for specific IgE (sIgE) by comparing it with ImmunoCAP technology in light of a clinical background.

METHODS

Measurements of sIgE were done in a selected patient group (N = 569; varied sample size for each allergen) and in a random sample group (N = 100; 8 allergens). sIgE results were correlated with skin-prick test results (selected patients) and medical history (nonselected patients).

RESULTS

We have detected fair to excellent correlation and agreement between the results of both assays, despite their methodological differences, both in selected and nonselected patient group (ρc = 0.431-0.976; ρc = 0.390-0.972, respectively). Associations of sIgE levels with skin-prick test (SPT) levels and medical history have shown significant correlation for both assays for majority of tested allergens, where applicable (D. pteronyssinus, cat dander, egg white, milk, peanut, orchard grass, Alternaria tenuis, and common ragweed in selected patients; birch, cat dander, common ragweed, D. pteronyssinus, and orchard grass in nonselected; P < 0.05 for all).

CONCLUSIONS

Laboratory testing for sIgE can be successfully accomplished by IMMULITE 2000 immunoanalyzer at a diagnostic accuracy relative to SPT, comparable to the results acquired by CAP technology but not fully comparable on the level of an individual patient.

Application of immuno-PCR assay for the detection of serum IgE specific to Bermuda allergen

In vivo and in vitro tests are the two major ways of identifying the triggering allergens in sensitized individuals with allergic symptoms. Both methods are equally significant in terms of sensitivity and specificity. However, in certain circumstances, in vitro methods are highly preferred because they circumvent the use of sensitizing drugs in patients. In current study, we described a highly sensitive immuno-PCR (iPCR) assay for serum IgE specific to Bermuda allergens. Using oligonucleotide-labelled antibody, we used iPCR for the sensitive detection of serum IgE. The nucleotide sequence was amplified using conventional PCR and the bands were visualized on 2.5% agarose gel. Results demonstrated a 100-fold enhancement in sensitivity of iPCR over commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Our iPCR method was highly sensitive for Bermuda-specific serum IgE and could be beneficial in allergy clinics.

Prevalence of Aspergillus sensitization and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in cystic fibrosis: systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of Aspergillus sensitization (AS) and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) in cystic fibrosis (CF) has been varyingly reported. The aim of this systematic review was to estimate the overall prevalence of AS/ABPA in CF.

METHODS

We searched the PubMed and EmBase databases for studies reporting the prevalence of AS/ABPA in CF. We calculated the proportion with 95% confidence interval (CI) to assess the prevalence of AS and ABPA in the individual studies and then pooled the results using a random effects model. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 test while publication bias was assessed using both graphical and statistical methods.

RESULTS

Our search yielded 64 eligible studies. The pooled prevalence of AS was 39.1% (95% CI: 33.3-45.1) and was higher with skin test compared to specific IgE (43.8% vs. 32.8%, P = 0.002); however, the prevalence did not vary with the type of skin test used (intradermal or percutaneous). The prevalence of ABPA was 8.9% (95% CI: 7.4-10.7) and was higher in adults as compared to children (10.1% vs. 8.9%, P < 0.0001). There was a wide variation in the criteria used for diagnosing ABPA. Almost 50% (12/23) of the publications after 2004 used criteria other than the CF foundation criteria for diagnosing ABPA. There was significant statistical heterogeneity and evidence of publication bias.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a high prevalence of AS and ABPA in patients with CF. Despite six decades of research, there is still a need to adopt uniform methodology and criteria for the diagnosis of AS/ABPA.

Does Spore Count Matter in Fungal Allergy?: The Role of Allergenic Fungal Species

Purpose

Fungi have been known to be important aeroallergens for hundreds of years. Most studies have focused on total fungal concentration; however, the concentration of specific allergenic fungi may be more important on an individual basis.

Methods

Ten fungal allergic patients and 2 non-fungal allergic patients were enrolled. The patients with a decrease in physician or patient global assessment by more than 50% of their personal best were considered to have an exacerbation of allergic symptoms and to be in the active stage. Those who maintained their physician and patient global assessment scores at their personal best for more than 3 months were considered to be in the inactive stage. The concentrations of dominant fungi in the patients' houses and outdoors were measured by direct and viable counts at active and inactive stages.

Results

The exacerbation of allergic symptoms was not correlated with total fungal spore concentration or the indoor/outdoor ratio (I/O). Specific fungi, such as Cladosporium oxysporum (C. oxyspurum), C. cladosporioides, and Aspergillus niger (A. niger), were found to be significantly higher concentrations in the active stage than in the inactive stage. Presumed allergenic spore concentration threshold levels were 100 CFU/m³ for C. oxysporum, and 10 CFU/m³ for A. niger, Penicillium brevicompactum and Penicillium oxalicum.

Conclusions

The major factor causing exacerbation of allergic symptoms in established fungal allergic patients may be the spore concentration of specific allergenic fungi rather than the total fungal concentration. These results may be useful in making recommendations as regards environmental control for fungal allergic patients.

The spectrum of allergic fungal diseases of the upper and lower airways

Fungi cause a wide spectrum of fungal diseases of the upper and lower airways. There are three main phyla involved in allergic fungal disease: (1) Ascomycota (2) Basidiomycota (3) Zygomycota. Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) causes chronic rhinosinusitis symptoms and is caused predominantly by Aspergillus fumigatus in India and Bipolaris in the United States. The recommended treatment approach for AFRS is surgical intervention and systemic steroids. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (APBA) is most commonly diagnosed in patients with asthma or cystic fibrosis. Long term systemic steroids are the mainstay treatment option for ABPA with the addition of an antifungal medication. Fungal sensitization or exposure increases a patient's risk of developing severe asthma and has been termed severe asthma associated with fungal sensitivity (SAFS). Investigating for triggers and causes of a patient's asthma should be sought to decrease worsening progression of the disease.

Mold allergens in respiratory allergy: from structure to therapy

Allergic reactions to fungi were described 300 years ago, but the importance of allergy to fungi has been underestimated for a long time. Allergens from fungi mainly cause respiratory and skin symptoms in sensitized patients. In this review, we will focus on fungi and fungal allergens involved in respiratory forms of allergy, such as allergic rhinitis and asthma. Fungi can act as indoor and outdoor respiratory allergen sources, and depending on climate conditions, the rates of sensitization in individuals attending allergy clinics range from 5% to 20%. Due to the poor quality of natural fungal allergen extracts, diagnosis of fungal allergy is hampered, and allergen-specific immunotherapy is rarely given. Several factors are responsible for the poor quality of natural fungal extracts, among which the influence of culture conditions on allergen contents. However, molecular cloning techniques have allowed us to isolate DNAs coding for fungal allergens and to produce a continuously growing panel of recombinant allergens for the diagnosis of fungal allergy. Moreover, technologies are now available for the preparation of recombinant and synthetic fungal allergen derivatives which can be used to develop safe vaccines for the treatment of fungal allergy.

IgE-mediated immune responses and airway detection of Aspergillus and Candida in adult cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND

The recovery of Aspergillus and Candida from the respiratory secretions of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is common. Their relationship to the development of allergic sensitization and effect on lung function has not been established. Improved techniques to detect these organisms are needed to increase knowledge of these effects.

METHODS

A 2-year prospective observational cohort study was performed. Fifty-five adult patients with CF had sputum monitored for Aspergillus by culture and real-time polymerase chain reaction and Candida by CHROMagar and carbon assimilation profile (API/ID 32C). Skin prick tests and ImmunoCAP IgEs to a panel of common and fungal allergens were performed. Lung function and pulmonary exacerbation rates were monitored over 2 years.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine percent of patient sputum samples showed chronic colonization with Candida and 60% showed colonization with Aspergillus. There was no association between the recovery of either organism and the presence of specific IgE responses. There was no difference in lung function decline for patients with Aspergillus or Candida colonization compared with those without (FEV₁ percent predicted, P = .41 and P = .90, respectively; FVC % predicted, P = .87 and P = .37, respectively). However, there was a significantly greater decline in FEV1 and increase in IV antibiotic days for those sensitized to Aspergillus (FEV₁ decline, P = .03; IV antibiotics days, P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS

Allergic sensitization is not associated with recovery of Candida or Aspergillus from the sputum of patients with CF. Aspergillus but not Candida sensitization is associated with greater lung function decline and pulmonary exacerbations.

Severe asthma with fungal sensitization

A new phenotype of asthma has been described recently, namely severe asthma with fungal sensitization (SAFS). SAFS can be conceptualized as a continuum of fungal sensitization, with asthma at one end and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis at the other. It is diagnosed by the presence of severe asthma, fungal sensitization, and exclusion of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. Because of the paucity of data and ambiguity in diagnostic criteria, SAFS is currently more of a diagnosis of exclusion than a specific entity. Treatment of SAFS initially should be similar to that of severe asthma, including the use of omalizumab. The potential role of itraconazole as a specific therapy in SAFS requires more evidence before it can be incorporated in routine practice. An urgent need exists for data regarding the prevalence, natural history, and clinical relevance of SAFS so that its exact characterization and importance as a specific subtype of asthma can be clearly defined. This review summarizes the current understanding of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of SAFS.

Severe asthma and fungi: current evidence

Bronchial asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways which may be worsened due to numerous extrinsic factors. The most common trigger is continuous exposure to allergens of which fungal agents are important factors. There is overwhelming evidence for the presence of fungal sensitization in patients with asthma. The diagnosis of fungal sensitization can be made either with skin testing with antigens derived from fungi or measuring specific IgE levels. There is also a strong association between fungal sensitization and severity of asthma. Whether this relationship is causal or just casual remains to be investigated. A variety of fungi are known to cause sensitization in asthmatics, but the most important fungal agent(s) causing severe asthma with fungal sensitization (SAFS) are currently unknown. Aspergillus species seem to be the strongest candidates as only with Aspergillus spp. does one encounter two extreme immunologic phenomena, i.e., the Aspergillus-sensitive asthma and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. The initial clinical management of SAFS should be the same as asthmatics without fungal sensitization. There is some evidence of the role of itraconazole in the management of SAFS but its routine use in SAFS requires further evaluation. This review summarizes the current evidence on the link between fungi and severe asthma.

Comparison of skin prick tests with specific serum immunoglobulin E in the diagnosis of fungal sensitization in patients with severe asthma

BACKGROUND

It has been shown that patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and patients with severe asthma with fungal sensitization (SAFS) can benefit from antifungal therapy. It is not known whether allergy skin prick tests (SPT) or specific IgE tests are more sensitive in the identification of patients who are sensitized to fungi and who are therefore candidates for antifungal therapy.

OBJECTIVES

To compare SPT and specific serum IgE tests for fungal sensitization in patients with severe asthma.

METHODS

We have undertaken SPT and specific serum IgE tests to six fungi (Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Penicillium notatum, Cladosporium herbarum, Alternaria alternata and Botrytis cineria) and specific serum IgE test for Trichophyton in 121 patients with severe asthma (British Thoracic Society/SIGN steps 4 and 5).

RESULTS

Sixty-six percent of patients were sensitized to one or more fungi based on SPT and/or specific serum IgE results. Positivity to SPT and/or specific serum IgE was as follows: A. fumigatus 45%, C. albicans 36%, P. notatum 29%, C. herbarum 24%, A. alternata 22%, B. cineria 18%, Trichophyton 17% (specific serum IgE only). Concordance between the tests was 77% overall but only 14-56% for individual fungi. Twenty-nine (24%) patients were sensitized to a single fungus and seven (6%) were sensitized to all seven fungal species. Fifty percent of patients were sensitized to fungal and non-fungal extracts, 21% were sensitized only to non-fungal extracts, 16% were sensitized only to fungal extracts and 13% had no positive tests.

CONCLUSION

This study is consistent with previous reports that fungal sensitization is common in patients with severe asthma. At present, it remains necessary to undertake both SPT and specific serum IgE testing to identify all cases of fungal sensitization. This may be important in the identification of patients with ABPA and SAFS who may benefit from antifungal therapy.