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Biomedical subjects

L Ingemann

Publications and source records attributed to L Ingemann.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1989

Immunotherapy with dog and cat extracts in children.

Hypersensitivity to dogs and cats causes asthma in many children. In this open controlled clinical study we wanted to establish whether immunotherapy can be recommended as a supplement to conventional medical therapy in dog- and cat-induced asthma in children. Twenty-seven children with mean age 10 7/12 years and with allergy to dog or cat according to anamnesis, skin prick test (SPT), specific IgE (RAST) and bronchial provocation test (BPT) entered the study. On the basis of age and bronchial sensitivity they were randomly allocated to either immunotherapy with dog or cat extract (active group, n = 14) or conventional medical therapy (control group, n = 13). Immunotherapy comprised subcutaneous injections with an alum-adsorbed depot extract (Alutard-SQ), and a maintenance dose of 100,000 SQ-U or the maximum tolerated dose. Before entering the study and after 9 months' therapy the patients were evaluated by BPT, SPT, RAST - and IgG4 analyses. The active group showed statistically significant change in bronchial tolerance (P less than 0.02), whereas no such change was found in the control group (P greater than 0.05). The change in skin sensitivity was significantly greater in the active group than in the control group (P less than 0.05), whereas no significant differences were found in RAST and IgG4. However, a significant (P = 0.05) increase in IgG4 was seen in the active but not in the control group. Frequency and degree of side effects in this study were acceptable.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Basophil histamine release in insect venom allergy.

The aim of the present study was to investigate venom-related and venom-non-related immunological reactions in patients stung by bee or wasp. Sixteen consecutive patients (7 with local and 9 with systemic reactions) were tested with skin tests, RAST and basophil histamine release (BHR) test immediately after the insect sting and 2, 4, and 16 weeks later. No test was useful immediately after the insect sting, the "anergic period". In agreement with earlier findings, the SPT was the only allergy test that showed statistically significant differences between patients with local and systemic reactions, although a great overlap was found. Release of histamine from basophils after incubation with anti-IgE also showed statistically significant differences between local and systemic reactions. Further studies are needed, especially measurement of BHR after incubation with anti-IgE before insect stings.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Antigenic analysis of household dust samples.

Household dust samples from the homes of 106 allergy clinic patients in Baltimore were analyzed for specific allergen content. Dust mite antigen content was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) specific for the major allergens of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, D. farinae, and D. microceras. Cat and dog antigen content were determined by ELISA using antisera for Fel d 1 (formerly cat allergen 1) and dog allergens 3 and 13, respectively. Mold content was assessed by culture with microscopic identification. Dust mite antigen was detected in 99% of homes (D. farinae, 95%; D. pteronyssinus, 88%; D. microceras, 31%), with total antigen content ranging from 50 ng/g dust (the lower limit of detection) to 30,170 ng/g (median, 1,123 ng/g). Animal allergens were found in 100% of samples (cat: range, 2 to 130,000 ng Fel d 1/g; median, 90 ng/g; dog: range, 112.5 to 585,000 IU/g; median, 2,719.5 IU/g). Although there were highly significant differences in antigen content (p less than 0.001) between homes with and without a particular pet in residence, many homes without pets contained pet allergens at high concentrations. Molds were also detected in 100% of homes (range, 4 to 761 colonies/30 mg dust; median, 72 colonies/30 mg). No correlation was demonstrated between antigen content and skin test results, a history of asthma, symptoms on allergen exposure, or the age of the home (except for molds) for any of the allergens detected. We conclude that dust mite allergens, cat and dog allergens, and molds are virtually ubiquitous in Baltimore homes and that our ability to predict the presence and relative quantities of these allergens on clinical grounds is very limited.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Demonstration of species-specific sensitization to major allergens of Dermatophagoides species by solid-phase absorption of human IgE antibodies.

Twenty-five mite-allergic patients in the Brussels area were tested with the skin-prick test (1, 5 and 10 histamine equivalents by prick test (HEP] and RAST with standardized extracts of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp) and D. microceras (Dm). Highly significant correlations (0.69 less than rS less than 0.96) between the two species coincided with marginal, but highly significant (P less than 0.01), greater reactions to Dp in all comparisons. Species-specific IgE antibodies to antigen Dp-42 (= P1) and Dp-X were readily detected by solid-phase serum absorption with heterologous antigen and subsequent crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis (CRIE). An absorption single radial immunodiffusion (SRID) technique, involving major allergens Dp-42, Dm-6 and Df-6 of Dp, Dm and D. farinae (Df), demonstrated the presence of IgE antibodies reacting with epitopes common to all species, epitopes common to two species, absent on the third, and epitopes strictly specific for Dp. The majority of patients with a strong IgE binding reacted to both common and strictly species-specific epitopes. The serological findings were in good agreement with the exposure situation in the area: by species-specific ELISA for dust allergen content, Dp occurred as the dominating species, 20 out of 24 homes having dust levels of Dp-42 above 30 ng/g. Five and four homes had detectable levels of Dm-6 and Df-6, respectively, in dust.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

The use of a reference allergenic extract in the evaluation of allergen products.

Two commercially available mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris (Av] pollen extracts Av-ALK and Av-PS were compared with a dialysed reference mugwort pollen extract (Av-REF) by means of crossed immunoelectrophoresis (CIE), crossed radio immunoelectrophoresis (CRIE), RAST-inhibition, RAST-screening and skin prick test. Av-ALK and Av-PS both contained approximately half the number of precipitation arcs detectable in Av-REF, and Av-PS seemed to lack two intermediate allergens and two minor allergens, while Av-ALK seemed to lack one minor allergen. The RAST-inhibition curve obtained for Av-PS did not parallel the curves obtained for Av-ALK and Av-REF, indicating that the allergen composition of Av-PS differs from that of the others. Further, RAST-screening experiments support the CIE observation that Av-PS seemed to lack two of the intermediate allergens. The HEP values determined for Av-ALK and Av-PS diverge considerably from those stated by the manufacturers. The results obtained demonstrate that the outcome of a comparison between a reference allergenic extract and allergenic products depends very much on the method employed.

Allergens↗
PubMed1985

Immunochemical and biological characterization of a mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) pollen extract.

A reference extract of mugwort pollen (Artemisia vulgaris) was characterized by crossed immunoelectrophoresis (CIE), crossed radio immunoelectrophoresis (CRIE) and quantitative skin prick test (QSPT). CIE revealed that the extract contained at least 42 distinct antigens of which 24 migrated towards the anode and 18 towards the cathode at pH 8.6. A CRIE analysis of the crude mugwort pollen extract, performed with sera from 29 mugwort-allergic patients, showed that 10 antigens may be considered allergens; one was classified as a major allergen, five as intermediate allergens, and four as minor allergens. The QSPT performed on the same 29 allergic patients established that 17.4 micrograms lyophilised reference mugwort pollen extract per ml had a biological potency of 1 HEP (histamine equivalent by prick test).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

The effect of prostatectomy on upper urinary tract function.

59 patients with obstructive prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) were evaluated regarding the influence of prostatectomy on upper urinary tract function by means of [51Cr]EDTA clearance and gamma camera renography measurements. 25 patients were randomly allocated to transvesical and 34 patients to transurethral prostatectomy. At the 6-month follow-up a slight decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was seen in the total patient group. Residual renal activity 20 min following injection (A20) as well as half-peak time values showed upper urinary tract obstruction in 54% of the patients preoperatively, whereas dilatation of the upper urinary tract was demonstrated at i.v. pyelography in only 15%. Patients with renographic obstruction preoperatively had low GFR values compared with patients without obstruction. In patients with upper urinary tract obstruction, prostatectomy relieved the obstruction, even in the case of normal urography. In patients with normal upper urinary tract, a clinically insignificant decrease in GFR and increase in A20 and half-peak time was observed. No differences with regard to upper urinary tract function were seen on comparing transurethral with transvesical prostatectomy.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

Accuracy in preoperative estimation of prostatic size. A comparative evaluation of rectal palpation, intravenous pyelography, urethral closure pressure profile recording and cystourethroscopy.

In a prospective study of 75 patients with prostatic hypertrophy a comparison was undertaken of the accuracy in estimates of operative prostatic weight from conventional preoperative investigations. Estimates from rectal digital palpation alone and from intravenous pyelography (prostatic impression, elevation of the bladder base as well as the configuration of distal ureters) were without significant correlation to operative weights, and were not found useful for preoperative estimation of prostatic size. Prostatic length in urethral closure pressure profile measurements as well as the distance from bladder neck to verumontanum and the weight estimated at cystourethroscopy were statistically significantly correlated to operative weights with a coefficient of correlation in the order of 0.5 and were judged useful, although not very precise in the clinical work.

Aged↗