PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R Gerth van Wijk

Publications and source records attributed to R Gerth van Wijk.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Interleukin-5 and eosinophil cationic protein in nasal lavages of rhinitis patients.

The production of interleukin-5 and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in the nasal cavity was examined in 24 patients with rhinitis who were allergic to the house dust mite. During a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over study, fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray (200 micrograms) was administered twice daily for 2 weeks. After four basal nasal lavages provocation with house dust mite extract was performed and nasal lavages were collected every hour for 9.5 h. Interleukin-5 was present in detectable amounts in nasal lavages from patients allergic to house dust mite. Nasal challenge with house dust mite extract caused immediate nasal symptoms and increased levels of interleukin-5. Between 3.5 and 8.5 h after the challenge symptoms recurred and interleukin-5 levels increased, reflecting a late phase reaction. Eosinophil cationic protein, a marker of activated eosinophils, was released between 6.5 and 9.5 h after challenge. Treatment with fluticasone propionate (as an aqueous nasal spray) significantly decreased the evoked interleukin-5 and ECP levels in the late phase reaction. This response was correlated with an improved symptom score. This could indicate that the number and activity of eosinophils are increased during the late phase allergic reaction, a response that is inhibited by corticosteroids.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Nitric oxide metabolites in nasal lavage fluid of patients with house dust mite allergy.

BACKGROUND: The role of nitric oxide in the early and late phase of the allergic process was investigated in patients with allergic rhinitis against house dust mite and the effect of fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray was determined. METHODS: Production of nitric oxide (measured as nitrite+nitrate) in vivo in nasal mucosa was examined in 24 patients with rhinitis allergic to the house dust mite. In a double blind placebo controlled crossover study fluticasone propionate 200 micrograms aqueous nasal spray was administered twice daily for two weeks. In response to provocation with house dust mite extract (after four basal nasal lavages) nasal lavages were performed every hour for 9.5 hours by washing the nose with saline. In addition, a similar lavage protocol was performed in healthy volunteers with or without challenge with phosphate buffered saline. RESULTS: Nitric oxide is present in nasal lavage fluid in detectable amounts (range 10-50 microM), the level gradually increasing with time in both patients and controls after a decrease during the four basal lavages. Treatment with fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray did not affect initial basal production of nitric oxide nor production following provocation with house dust mite extract. CONCLUSIONS: Production of nitric oxide in nasal mucosa determined in sequential nasal washings is not affected by therapeutic doses of intranasal steroids.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1995

Effect of topical levocabastine on nasal response to allergen challenge and nasal hyperreactivity in perennial rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated that some oral antihistamines reduce nasal nonspecific reactivity and that topical levocabastine reduces cellular influx after nasal allergen challenge. This suggests that antihistamines possess other properties besides classical H1-receptor antagonism. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of 1 week's treatment with topical levocabastine on the nasal clinical response, inflammatory mediators, and nasal hyperreactivity. METHODS: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2-period, 2-treatment, crossover study, 21 rhinitic patients allergic to house dust mite participated. After each treatment period patients were challenged with house dust mite extract. Symptom scores and nasal lavages were collected for nine and one-half hours after challenge. Allergen-induced nasal hyperreactivity was determined by nasal methacholine challenge 24 hours after allergen challenge. A nasal histamine challenge was performed as well. RESULTS: Patients showed only an immediate nasal response. Levocabastine significantly reduced the symptom score after 100 (P = .0063), 1000 (P = .0035), and 10,000 biological units (BU)/mL (P = .0013) of house dust mite extract. Albumin influx and tryptase release were not significantly reduced by levocabastine. No release of histamine and eosinophil cationic protein was seen. Levocabastine did not reduce nasal response to methacholine. Active treatment significantly reduced histamine-induced nasal secretion (P = .0009) and the number of sneezes (P = .0001). CONCLUSION: A significant effect of levocabastine was shown on the immediate clinical response to house dust mite and to histamine challenge only. Our findings suggest that levocabastine is an effective H1-receptor antagonist without anti-inflammatory properties.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1994

Different pattern of IgE binding to chicken egg yolk between patients with inhalant allergy to birds and food-allergic children.

IgE binding antigens in budgerigar, canary and parrot serum were analyzed by immunoblotting. With 4 sera from patients with a respiratory allergy to birds, a closely related pattern of IgE binding to SDS-PAGE separated sera of the 3 birds was found. In all 3 bird sera a major IgE binding structure was present with a MW of about 60 kD. The pattern of IgE binding to SDS-PAGE separated egg yolk in sera from the patients allergic to birds, was different from sera of food-allergic children. Whereas in the bird-allergic patients major IgE binding occurred to a 60 kD component in egg yolk, IgE from food-allergic children was preferentially bound to a 35-kD structure in egg yolk.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Nasal reactivity to histamine and methacholine: two different forms of upper airway responsiveness.

In 44 subjects (healthy controls and patients with allergic, non-allergic or infectious rhinitis) we compared nasal histamine and methacholine responsiveness. A weak correlation between histamine- and methacholine-induced secretion was found (r = 0.34; p = 0.02), in contrast to the highly significant association between secretion and sneezes induced by histamine (r = 0.78; p < 0.0001). Our observations suggest that histamine and methacholine responsiveness represent different forms of upper airway hyperreactivity. The contribution of glandular responsiveness as measured by methacholine challenge and the involvement of irritant receptors or reflexes as measured by histamine provocation may vary between individuals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[Exercise-dependent anaphylaxis].

The clinical features of exercise-induced anaphylaxis in 5 patients are described, with an accurate history, skin tests, IgE determinations and exercise tests. In these 5 patients we were able to distinguish three different forms of exercise-induced disease: exercise-induced anaphylaxis based upon an IgE-mediated allergy to foods, exercise-induced anaphylaxis without food allergy and cholinergic urticaria.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Nasal hyper-responsiveness to histamine, methacholine and phentolamine in patients with perennial non-allergic rhinitis and in patients with infectious rhinitis.

Recently it has been shown that patients with atopic rhinitis and with an allergy to house dust mites have a stronger nasal response to insufflation of histamine, methacholine and phentolamine than a control group. This hyper-responsiveness could not be demonstrated in patients with perennial non-allergic rhinitis, unless the patients were selected according to the predominant symptoms in the history. Patients with rhinorrhoea ('runners') proved to be hyper-responsive to methacholine compared with normal controls. The existence of two subpopulations was emphasized by hyper-responsiveness to both histamine and methacholine in the runners group compared with the patients with a stuffy nose ('blockers'). Patients with chronic nasal infections (characterized by recurrent episodes of purulent discharge) showed no hyper-responsiveness at all, indicating that either hyper-reactivity does not play an important part in this patient population or methods to detect hyper-reactivity in this group are inadequate. In contrast to our earlier observations in patients with atopic rhinitis, increased responsiveness to phentolamine could not be detected either in the patients with perennial rhinitis or in the patients with infectious rhinitis, indicating that the possible alpha-adrenergic dysfunction found in patients with atopic rhinitis is restricted to this group.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Phazet skin prick tests versus conventional prick tests with allergens and histamine in children.

Forty children underwent two different skin prick tests with allergen-coated Phazet needles and conventional skin prick tests using Pharmalgen extracts (100,000 BU/mL). Good correlation between both skin test methods was found with house dust mites (Rs = 0.61; P less than .001), timothy pollen (Rs = 0.77; P less than .001), and cat epithelium (Rs = 0.74, P less than .001). The correlation coefficient in the case of histamine was lower (Rs = 0.50; P less than .01) than that obtained from the allergens. Larger wheals were generated with Phazet than with conventional prick tests (median: 54.5 mm2 and 24.5 mm2, respectively; Wilcoxon signed rank test, P less than .0001). Comparison of wheal areas and specific IgE did not reveal large differences between the two skin test methods. In conclusion, Phazet, a recently introduced simple, standardized, skin prick test method can replace the conventional skin prick test for the most important allergens such as house dust mites, timothy pollen, and cat epithelium.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

[Occupational pollinosis in gardeners].

The symptoms of occupational pollinosis are described on the basis of case histories, skin tests and serological tests of six commercial gardeners. Exposure to gerberas, freesias, chrysanthemums and to genera of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) such as paprikas, tomatoes, egg plants and potatoes may lead to allergy with raised IgE levels.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Immunoglobulin E antibodies against budgerigar and canary feathers.

In 212 sera from budgerigar and canary fanciers with symptoms of rhinitis and/or bronchial asthma, IgE antibodies against budgerigar feathers (Budf) or canary feathers (Canf) were determined. In 25 of 98 Canf-specific IgE antibody measurements, and in 28 of 154 Budf-specific IgE antibody measurements, a significant (6% or more binding of 125I-anti-IgE) level of specific IgE was found. In 3 sera with the highest levels of Canf- or Budf-specific IgE, IgE antibodies against sera from both birds were present. It is concluded that IgE antibodies against canary and/or budgerigar feathers are present in about 20% of canary and budgerigar fanciers with symptoms of atopic disease. Canary and budgerigar feathers contain IgE-binding antigens that are not present in the corresponding bird sera and droppings.

Allergens↗