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Biomedical subjects

S L Bahna

Publications and source records attributed to S L Bahna.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Exquisite food allergy without eating.

The past few decades have witnessed an increasing understanding of the role of food allergy in human disease. Nevertheless, controversies still exist in several aspects of this area. One such controversy concerns the body systems that can be the target of food hypersensitivity reactions. Another is the role of noningestant exposure to food in a nonoccupational setting. Both of these aspects are vividly demonstrated in the case presented here.

Child↗
PubMed1994

Blind food challenge testing with wide-open eyes.

Because food allergy treatment is basically avoidance of the offending food(s), identification of the latter becomes the cornerstone for management. At present, the elimination-challenge test is the most definitive procedure for verification of a cause-and-effect relationship between a particular food and a certain reaction, allergic or not. The oral challenge test is most reliable when conducted in a double-blind, placebo-controlled manner. In routine clinical practice, however, single-blind testing is satisfactory in most cases. Open challenge testing might be acceptable in young children or for screening the least suspected foods. It would be prudent to avoid the test, in any of its forms, in instances where a specific food caused a life-threatening reaction. Caution needs to be practiced in planning, conducting, and interpreting the results of challenge tests. Difficulties may be encountered in disguising the test food, choosing a placebo, reproducing the natural exposure, incorporation of possible associated factors, and avoiding any bias on the patient's or observer's part.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1991

Food allergy and the respiratory tract.

The role of food allergy in the respiratory tract is often underestimated. A wide variety of food-induced respiratory symptoms has been described. In some patients, a food additive rather than a food protein is the offending agent. This presentation focuses on food-induced asthma and milk-induced chronic pulmonary disease in infants.

Asthma↗
PubMed1991

Food hypersensitivity.

Food allergy is one of several causes of adverse reactions to foods. The underlying immunologic mechanism varies from one manifestation to another, hence no current single laboratory test can be expected to be positive in every case. The diagnosis could be suggested by information gathered from the medical history or screening procedures, such as trials of elimination diets, the food/symptom diary, skin testing, and in vitro-specific IgE antibody measurement. All foods suspected by any of the aforementioned methods should be subjected to verification by appropriate elimination-challenge testing, preferably in a double-blind, placebo-controlled manner. Basically, treatment is dietary elimination, and its success requires identification and avoidance of all offending foods and control of other contributory factors.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1990

Atopy and IgE in patients with leprosy.

The atopic status of patients with leprosy was assessed by medical history, physical examination, serum total IgE, and specific IgE antibodies to common allergens (by skin testing and RAST). Tests for specific IgE antibody to Mycobacterium leprae were performed by RAST and immunoblotting technique. We studied 28 patients with leprosy and 49 control subjects. The two groups did not differ significantly in the prevalence of atopic disease. The IgE level was significantly higher in the patients, however, than in the control subjects, whether there was atopy (296.1 versus 96.3 IU/ml) or not atopy (72.9 versus 18.9 IU/ml). Neither RAST nor immunoblotting technique detected significant levels of IgE antibodies to M. leprae. Our data indicate that leprosy was associated with increased total IgE level, but clinical atopy in patients with leprosy was similar to that in control subjects. The observed IgE increase in patients with leprosy appears to be generally nonspecific.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Imported fire ant allergy in young children: skin reactivity and serum IgE antibodies to venom and whole body extract.

We studied 19 young children (aged 15 to 39 months) who had had a systemic allergic reaction after imported fire ant (IFA) sting. Skin testing was performed with whole body extract (WBE) of both Solenopsis species; positive reactions to S. invicta was noted in 94% and to S. richteri in 100%. Serum was tested for total IgE level and for specific IgE antibodies by RAST with WBE and venom (V) of S. invicta. In vitro results were compared with those of 19 age and sex-matched atopic control subjects. The range of total serum IgE level was 31 to 1720 IU/ml (geometric mean 160 IU/ml), compared with 7.5 to 6756 IU/ml (geometric mean 85 IU/ml) in the control subjects. The difference between the two groups, however, was not statistically significant (p greater than 0.05). In the IFA-allergic group, the IFA WBE RAST mean binding was 13.5% (range 2.0% to 30.2%), and the IFA V RAST mean was 29.2% (range 7.8% to 46.7%). The control sera demonstrated low levels of activity to both IFA WBE RAST (0.7% to 4.8%) and IFA V RAST (0.7% to 5.9%). IFA WBE RAST demonstrated that 26% of the IFA-allergic patients had counts within the range of the atopic control subjects. In contrast, the IFA V RAST clearly separated all IFA-allergic patients from their age and sex-matched atopic control subjects. A scoring system for IFA V RAST is proposed. These results demonstrate superiority of IFA V over IFA WBE RAST in the diagnosis of allergy to S. invicta.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Food sensitivity. Handling reactions to foods and food additives.

Food sensitivity is only one of several types of food-related reactions. Symptoms are not pathognomonic; hence, a broad differential diagnosis is often considered. Unless the anticipated reaction is systemic anaphylaxis, the role of any food suspected (by history, skin testing, and/or radioallergosorbent test) of causing the patient's symptoms should be verified by elimination-challenge testing. Dietary elimination is the most effective treatment, but its success depends on several factors.

Food Additives↗
PubMed1987

Food allergy for the primary care physician.

Interest in food allergy has increased among physicians as well as the public. The symptoms are mainly in the gastrointestinal tract, the skin, and the respiratory system. Other organs are less commonly affected. The offending food can be suspected from the medical history, by skin testing, or by serum-specific IgE antibodies (RAST). Verification, however, depends on documentation of disappearance of symptoms after avoidance of the offending food and their recurrence on reintroduction of that food. Treatment is mainly dietary avoidance. Its success, however, depends on many factors. Pharmacologic agents may be needed in some cases for symptomatic relief and possibly for prophylaxis. The awareness on the part of the primary physician of the manifestations of food allergy and its diagnosis should enhance the physician's expertise in dealing with such patients regarding further management.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Is breast the best?

With the recent resurgence of breast-feeding, the medical profession has been facing numerous questions regarding the advantages, limitations and practicality of this mode of infant feeding. The recent identification in human milk of "growth modulators" has probably augmented its nutritional superiority. Several psychosocial advantages of breast-feeding have also become well recognized. The increasing knowledge on the immunologic quality of human milk has contributed a great deal to the explanation of the long noticed lower morbidity and mortality in breastfed infants. Several benefits have also been recognized for the nursing mother herself. On the other hand, problems in breast-feeding may arise from conditions either in the infant or in the mother. Only a few such conditions constitute absolute obstacles to breast-feeding. In promoting breast-feeding, a leading role should be exercised by the medical profession assisted by a responsible role for the formula manufacturers and a supporting role for the women's organizations.

Breast Feeding↗