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N Arifhodzic

Publications and source records attributed to N Arifhodzic.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

The seasonal variation in allergic rhinitis and its correlation with outdoor allergens in Kuwait.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is the most common allergic problem in Kuwait. Most of the patients who have either AR or asthma are referred to the Al-Rashed Allergy Center. OBJECTIVE: To determine if there is a seasonal variation in AR in Kuwait and to correlate it with the daily pollen count. METHODS: Information about the new patients referred to the center over a 5-year study period (1996-2000) was extracted from the center's records. The daily pollen count in Kuwait city was obtained from the Air Biology Laboratory. RESULTS: There was a significant seasonal variation with a bimodal increase in the number of patients with AR referred to the center. The main peak in the number of patients occurred in September-October, and there was a smaller peak in April-May. The mean number +/- SD of new patients per month over the 5-year period varied from 87 +/- 32 for December to 367 +/- 104 for September. Similarly, the average daily pollen count varied from 3.7 +/- 1.0 pollens per mm3 in January to 124 +/- 92 in October. There was high correlation between the number of new AR patients and the average total pollen count (Pearson correlation, r=0.77, p<0.001), as well as with Chenopodiaceae and Amaranthaceae (weed) pollens (r=0.75, p<0.001), while there was no correlation between the number of new patients and either tree or grass pollens. CONCLUSION: Seasonal AR occurs during two periods in Kuwait, i.e. September-October and April-May, with September-October being the main season. The rise in AR during late summer in Kuwait is mainly associated with the pollination of Chenopodiaceae species.

Allergens↗
PubMed2003

Safety of subcutaneous specific immunotherapy with pollen allergen extracts for respiratory allergy.

BACKGROUND: Specific immunotherapy (SIT) is a well-documented treatment for respiratory allergy. However, the major risk of SIT is the development of systemic anaphylactic reactions. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety of SIT given by subcutaneous route for 3 years to patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (AR) with or without asthma. METHODS: A prospective open-label study of immunotherapy (Chenopodium album, Bermuda grass, or both) in 181 consecutive patients with AR with or without asthma. After an initial dose-escalation phase, a maintenance dose of 0.5 ml of 100,000 PNU/ml was administered monthly for 3 years. The occurrence and severity of systemic reaction (SR) and local reaction was recorded and graded according to the WHO position paper. RESULTS: Of 181 patients enrolled, 57 (31%) did not complete the study (53 due to poor compliance and 4 due to systemic side effects). All 4 patients who developed SR had asthma and all the SR occurred during the dose- escalation phase. Three patients had moderate SR (grade 2), while 1 patient had severe reaction (grade 3). Three of the SR occurred within the first 20 min after injection and 1 SR occurred 2 h after injection. None of the reactions were life threatening and were managed easily. Total rhinitis symptom score decreased from 11.8 at baseline to 7.46 at the end of treatment (p<0.001). The size of the skin prick test reaction to the main sensitising allergen was reduced from 7.48 +/- 2.26 mm at baseline to 5.60 +/- 2.18 mm at the end of treatment, p<001. CONCLUSION: If a strict protocol is used, SIT is safe in AR patients with or without mild asthma and may result in significant subjective and objective improvement.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Exercise testing revisited. The response to exercise in normal and atopic children.

BACKGROUND: Wide differing criteria are used to define the normal airway response to exercise, and as a consequence the estimated incidence of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) in atopic children is wide. The purpose of this study was to establish normal range for changes in spirometry after exercise in children and then to use these normal values to assess the incidence of EIB in atopic children. METHODS: Pulmonary function was assessed before, and 2, 5, and 10 min after 6 min of free running exercise in a group of 48 normal and 96 atopic children (70 asthmatics, 17 with allergic rhinitis, and 9 with atopic dermatitis/food hypersensitivity). RESULTS: The EIB (defined as the normal group mean value -2 SD) occurred with a > 10 percent fall in FEV1, > 17.5 percent fall in peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), > 26 percent fall in mean forced expiratory flow during the middle half of the forced vital capacity (FEF25-75), and > 40 percent fall in FEF25. Sixty-three of 70 asthmatic patients had EIB by at least one of these definitions, most marked at 5 min postexercise. The combination of FEV1 and FEF25-75 criteria enabled detection of all subjects with EIB. By FEV1 and FEF25-75 criteria, none of the subjects with allergic rhinitis or dermatitis had EIB. The fall in FEV1 after exercise in children with allergic rhinitis was within the range of normal, but with a significantly lower mean value than control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: EIB should be defined by using more than one maximum expiratory flow-volume curve parameter (ie, FEV1 and FEF25-75). The EIB (defined as a fall in FEV1 and FEF25-75) was only seen in asthmatic children and not in other atopic groups.

Adolescent↗