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G Liccardi

Publications and source records attributed to G Liccardi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Mechanisms and characteristics of airway sensitization to indoor allergens.

The increasing prevalence of allergic respiratory diseases, and particularly of bronchial asthma, has been linked to changes induced by human activities in outdoor and indoor environments. People living in industrialized countries spend most of their time indoors: in private homes, offices and means of transport. Indoor environments are not a refuge from outdoor air pollution. Modern systems for energy saving such as insulated windows and doors reduce the indoor natural ventilation and consequently increase the rate of indoor humidity. These conditions may determine an increase in the level of indoor pollutants (tobacco smoke, gases produced by cooling processes etc.) and of allergens derived from mites, domestic animals and cockroaches. Upholstered furniture, wall-to-wall carpets, central heating systems and/or humidifiers may also contribute to the growth of mite populations. The increasing levels of exposure to pollutants and allergens in indoor environments represents a risk factor for the development of airway sensitization, especially if these materials are inhaled early in life. The major cat allergen Fel d 1 is considered an ubiquitous allergen, since it has been found in many indoor environments where a cat has never been kept. The clothing of cat owners seems to help spread Fel d 1 in cat-free environments. Sensitization to cockroach allergens is very common in patients living in urban areas where unhygenic conditions may favour the growth of cockroach populations. Monitoring of the levels of allergens and strategies of allergen and pollutant avoidance in indoor environments are the main ways to reduce the prevalence of respiratory allergies induced by these materials.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed2000

Pets and cockroaches: two increasing causes of respiratory allergy in indoor environments. Characteristics of airways sensitization and prevention strategies.

The increasing prevalence of allergic sensitization to indoor allergens such as dust mites, pets and cockroaches is the result of the changes in indoor environments induced by human activities. The Westernized lifestyle and the increasing time spent indoors determine a reduction in natural air ventilation and, consequently, higher levels of allergen concentrations and longer exposure to allergens. The major cat allergen Fel d 1 is carried by small-dimension particles (< 5 microm diameter) that readily become airborne and persist immodified for a long time. Fel d 1 must be considered a ubiquitous allergen because it has been found in indoor environments and even in public places where a cat has never been kept. Recent research has demonstrated that clothing of cat owners may contribute to the dispersal of Fel d 1 in cat-free environments. Therefore, washing Fel d 1-contaminated clothes should be considered a simple and effective method for removing this allergen from clothing and, consequently, reducing the risk of Fel d 1 dispersion. Cockroach allergens constitute another important cause of environment-related respiratory allergy and may trigger asthma exacerbations in sensitized individuals. In the prevention of cockroach allergy, the use of chemical agents associated with an intensive vacuum cleaning of indoor environments is an important tool in removing cockroach material containing allergenic proteins. Early recognition of allergy-predisposed babies, monitoring indoor allergens and adequate strategies of allergen avoidance are likely to be important means for reducing the prevalence of bronchial asthma.

Allergens↗
PubMed1999

A study on bronchial responsiveness to methacholine in subjects with untreated autoimmune hyperthyroidism.

Because hyperthyroidism can mimic respiratory disorders with dyspnoea, this study was carried out in order to determine whether bronchial hyperresponsiveness is more frequent in hyperthyroid patients versus controls. Eighteen nonatopic subjects with newly-diagnosed untreated Graves' disease and 18 control subjects entered the study. All subjects underwent an aspecific bronchial provocation test with methacholine. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness was diagnosed in seven patients with hyperthyroidism and in two controls, with no statistically significant difference between the groups (Fisher's exact test; p = 0.1212). In conclusion, these results suggest that hyperthyroidism is not associated with a higher frequency of bronchial hyper-responsiveness to methacholine with respect to euthyroid subjects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Prevalence of sensitization to Alternaria in allergic patients in Italy.

BACKGROUND: The actual prevalence of sensitization to Alternaria is not known, partly due to the unreliability of diagnostic extracts. OBJECTIVE: To assess skin positivity to extracts of Alternaria in a wide population of Italian patients suffering from respiratory symptoms using a biologically standardized extract. METHODS: A total of 2942 patients were skin prick tested with Alternaria, and a panel of common inhalant allergens. Blood samples for specific IgE quantitation were taken both from patients positive and from patients negative (control group) to Alternaria extract. RESULTS: Three hundred six patients (10.4%, ranging from 1.8% in Turin to 29.3% in Cagliari) were positive to Alternaria; 37 were sensitized to only this mold, while the remaining 269 were sensitized to at least one other allergen. Of the Alternaria-positive patients, 79.7% suffered from rhinitis and 53.3% from asthma, either alone or associated with other symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that, at least in Italy and in countries with similar climatic and environmental situations, standardized Alternaria extract should be included in the panel commonly used in investigating the allergen responsible in patients suffering from respiratory allergy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Pollen-related allergy in Europe.

The increasing mobility of Europeans for business and leisure has led to a need for reliable information about exposure to seasonal airborne allergens during travel abroad. Over the last 10 years or so, aeropalynologic and allergologic studies have progressed to meet this need, and extensive international networks now provide regular pollen and hay-fever forecasts. Europe is a geographically complex continent with a widely diverse climate and a wide spectrum of vegetation. Consequently, pollen calendars differ from one area to another; however, on the whole, pollination starts in spring and ends in autumn. Grass pollen is by far the most frequent cause of pollinosis in Europe. In northern Europe, pollen from species of the family Betulaceae is a major cause of the disorder. In contrast, the mild winters and dry summers of Mediterranean areas favor the production of pollen types that are rarely found in central and northern areas of the continent (e.g., the genera Parietaria, Olea, and Cupressus). Clinical and aerobiologic studies show that the pollen map of Europe is changing also as a result of cultural factors (e.g., importation of plants for urban parklands) and greater international travel (e.g., the expansion of the ragweed genus Ambrosia in France, northern Italy, Austria, and Hungary). Studies on allergen-carrying paucimicronic or submicronic airborne particles, which penetrate deep into the lung, are having a relevant impact on our understanding of pollinosis and its distribution throughout Europe.

Allergens↗
PubMed1998

Asthma in pregnant patients: pathophysiology and management.

Epidemiological studies have shown that approximately 1-4% of pregnancies are complicated by bronchial asthma, but these percentages are likely to be substantially underestimated because, in many cases, the condition will be undiagnosed, just as in the nonpregnant population. Undertreatment of pregnant asthmatics especially owing to unfounded fears of adverse pharmacological effects on the developing foetus, remains the major problem. Several studies have demonstrated that severe, uncontrolled asthma may produce serious maternal and foetal complications; consequently pregnant females with severe asthma must be considered at a particularly high risk. In this review we present recent data regarding the physiological respiratory changes in pregnancy, the effect of asthma on the course and outcome of pregnancy, the effect of the pregnancy on the course of the illness and options for effective and appropriate medical management with emphasis for preventive and pharmacological aspects. Since bronchial asthma is a chronic condition with acute exacerbations, a continuing management is necessary to control symptoms, prevent acute obstructions and reduce the degree of airway inflammation. An optimized management of asthma in pregnant females is supported by four integral components: 1)objective assessment of maternal lung function and foetal wellbeing 2) avoidance or control of environmental precipitating factors; 3) pharmacological therapy; and 4) patient education. As regards to pharmacological therapy, we must state that patients with poorly controlled asthma must be evaluated for the use of the same drugs and protocols utilized for nonpregnant females in order to avoid the risk of a potentially life-threatening evolution of the disease. Inhalation therapy is generally better than systemic treatment; in fact this route of drug delivery strongly reduces the risk of systemic side effects and the likelihood of foetal penetration.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Comparison between outdoor and indoor airborne allergenic activity.

BACKGROUND: Allergenic pollens are usually detected in outdoor air by using volumetric spore traps, which allow measurement of atmospheric concentration as pollen grains per m3 of air. The results of the pollen count are useful primarily for outdoor environments while most people spend most of the day indoors. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to compare outdoor pollen levels with allergenic activity measured both outdoors and indoors. METHODS: We used a Lanzoni spore trap to measure airborne Urticaceae pollen and filters collecting particles simultaneously indoors and outdoors and assayed each filter for Parietaria judaica allergenic activity. Samples were collected at the Allergological Service of the "A. Cardarelli" Hospital in Naples with the balcony open on some days and closed on others. Allergenic activity (ng/m3) was measured using the immunocapture RAST. RESULTS: With the balcony open there was no great difference between outdoor and indoor allergenic activity, but with the balcony closed there was a reduction of indoor allergenic activity of about one-third in comparison with outdoor allergenic activity. Statistical analysis (Pearson correlation test) indicated a significant correlation between outdoor allergen levels and indoor allergen levels with the balcony open (r = .4415, P < .05), but not with the balcony closed (r = .3160, P > .05); a significant correlation between outdoor pollen count and indoor allergen levels with the balcony open (r = .4809, P < .05), but not with the balcony closed (r = .3858, P > .05); and a highly significant correlation (r = .5225, P < .001) between outdoor pollen count and outdoor allergen levels. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide scientific evidence for the recommendation to hay fever patients to remain indoors during seasons with high levels of outdoor pollens.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1996

Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) in pollinosis patients after eating pistachio nuts: two cases with two different patterns of onset.

We describe two uncommon cases of oral allergy syndrome (OAS) after eating pistachio nuts (p.n.) in subjects (a 54-year-old man and a 3-year-old girl) with exclusive skin prick test (SPT) positivity to Parietaria (P.) and pistachio nut (p.n.) allergens. Serologic P.- and p.n.-specific IgE determinations were also carried out. A double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) was performed, for ethical reasons, only in the adult patient, but we observed a positive intraoral reaction only after slight scratching of the oral mucosa. Since this patient had put three whole p.n. with their shells into his mouth, breaking them with his teeth, before the onset of symptoms, we suggest that slight injury of the oral mucosa may enhance the local response. Preliminary results with SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting demonstrate the occurrence of a slight degree of cross-reactivity between these allergens, but further studies are necessary to obtain a definite conclusion.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1996

Measurement of serum levels of eosinophil cationic protein to monitor patients with seasonal respiratory allergy induced by Parietaria pollen (treated and untreated with specific immunotherapy).

This trial studied the behavior of a marker of eosinophilic inflammation, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), in the peripheral blood of two groups of subjects with seasonal allergic respiratory symptoms (rhinitis and mild bronchial asthma) induced by pollen allergens of Parietaria judaica (P.j.) (one group treated and another untreated with specific immunotherapy [SIT]), to determine what contribution these serial measurements might provide, in comparison with various other tools now available for pollinosis monitoring. In a previously randomized order, we selected 25 patients with monosensitization to P.j. pollen allergens; among them, 12 had started SIT with a P.j. extract in autumn 1993. As a control group, 13 patients were untreated. All patients were studied with various tests at four different times: time I-November 1993; time II-February 1994; time III-end of May 1994; and time IV-September 1994. Blood samples for determination of serum ECP were collected at each time. Methacholine challenge tests were performed at times I and III. A pollen count was also carried out. A statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) was observed in mean ECP levels at times I and III in SIT treated and untreated patients. The interaction between groups and time was not significant. No statistically significant difference was found between PD20 FEV1 values at times I and III in either group. After 1 year of treatment, we did not find any effect of SIT on bronchial hyperresponsiveness or on ECP serum values.

Adult↗