Hypersensitivity Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Hypersensitivity, including details on allergens, asthma, syndromes, skin tests, immune responses.

Implementation of a regulatory gene network to simulate the TH1/2 differentiation in an agent-based model of hypersensitivity reactions.

Santoni D, Pedicini M, Castiglione F

Institute for Computing Applications 'M. Picone', National Research Council (CNR), V.le del Policlinico, 13700161 Rome, Italy.

MOTIVATION: An unbalanced differentiation of T helper cells from precursor type TH0 to the TH1 or TH2 phenotype in immune responses often leads to a pathological condition. In general, immune reactions biased toward TH1 responses may result in auto-immune diseases, while enhanced TH2 responses may cause allergic reactions. The aim of this work is to integrate a gene network of the TH differentiation in an agent-based model of the hyper-sensitivity reaction. The implementation of such a system introduces a second level of description beyond the mesoscopic level of the inter-cellular interaction of the agent-based model. The intra-cellular level consists in the cell internal dynamics of gene activation and transcription. The gene regulatory network includes genes-related molecules that have been found to be involved in the differentiation process in TH cells. RESULTS: The simulator reproduces the hallmarks of an IgE-mediated hypersensitive reaction and provides an example of how to combine the mesoscopic level description of immune cells with the microscopic gene-level dynamics. AVAILABILITY: The basic version of the simulator of the immune response can be downloaded here: http://www.iac.cnr.it/~filippo/C-ImmSim.html

Published 20 May 2008 in Bioinformatics, 24(11): 1374-80.
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Articles on Hypersensitivity published 21 April 2008:

Food allergies and hypersensitivity: a review of pharmacotherapy and therapeutic strategies.   Expert Opin Pharmacother, 9(7): 1145-52.

BACKGROUND: Food allergy is a major cause of life-threatening hypersensitivity reactions. Food-induced anaphylaxis is the most common reason for someone to present to the emergency department for an anaphylactic reaction. At present, the avoidance of the allergenic food is the only method of preventing further reactions for allergic patients. OBJECTIVE: With better characterization of allergens and an understanding of the immunologic mechanism involved in this reaction, investigators have ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Hypersensitivity published 16 April 2008:

Hypersensitivity reaction to the ingestion of mango flesh.   Australas J Dermatol, 49(2): 116-9.

A 42-year-old woman presented with a hypersensitivity reaction after the ingestion of a small amount of fresh mango gelato. She developed itchy palpable purpuric lesions over her arms, legs, neck and abdomen 4 days after ingestion. The lesions persisted for 5 weeks despite treatment with betamethasone-17 valerate 0.05% ointment and avoidance of mango. Resolution of these lesions was eventually achieved with continuing treatment. The patient denied any prior contact with mango skin but had ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Hypersensitivity published 15 April 2008:

Delayed hypersensitivity reaction from black henna tattoo manifesting as severe facial swelling.   Am J Emerg Med, 26(4): 515.e3-4.

We report on a 14-year-old boy who was presented to the emergency department with an acute swelling of the face and scalp 3 days after using a new hair dye. The patient had applied a black henna tattoo 1 year earlier. Patch testing revealed an allergy to the potent skin sensitizer paraphenylenediamine, a common ingredient of hair dyes and also found in black henna tattoo. It is important for emergency physicians to be aware of the possibility of a delayed type-IV hypersensitivity reaction from ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

IL-9- and mast cell-mediated intestinal permeability predisposes to oral antigen hypersensitivity.   J Exp Med, 205(4): 897-913.

Previous mouse and clinical studies demonstrate a link between Th2 intestinal inflammation and induction of the effector phase of food allergy. However, the mechanism by which sensitization and mast cell responses occurs is largely unknown. We demonstrate that interleukin (IL)-9 has an important role in this process. IL-9-deficient mice fail to develop experimental oral antigen-induced intestinal anaphylaxis, and intestinal IL-9 overexpression induces an intestinal anaphylaxis phenotype ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Hypersensitivity published 24 March 2008:

Acute hypersensitivity reactions associated with administration of crotalidae polyvalent immune Fab antivenom.   Ann Emerg Med, 51(4): 407-11.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Acute hypersensitivity reactions are well known to occur with the administration of the Antivenin (Crotalidae) Polyvalent (Wyeth Laboratories, Marietta, PA). Crotalidae polyvalent immune Fab (ovine) (CroFab; FabAV, Protherics, Inc., Brentwood, TN) was introduced in 2001, and early studies reported a hypersensitivity reaction rate up to 19%. We describe the incidence of acute hypersensitivity reactions to FabAV in patients bitten by rattlesnakes. METHODS: This was a ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Hypersensitivity published 4 March 2008:

Patterns of quantitative food-specific IgE-antibodies and reported food hypersensitivity in 4-year-old children.   Allergy, 63(4): 418-24.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of food hypersensitivity (FHS) is difficult and interpretation of food allergy tests is complicated. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the probability of reported FHS in relation to levels of food-specific IgE-antibodies (AB) in a population-based setting of 4-year-old children (n = 2336). METHODS: Information on FHS was obtained from a questionnaire and specific IgE-AB to milk, egg, fish, peanut, soy and wheat were analysed. RESULTS: Thirty-one per cent of the children with ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Hypersensitivity published 26 February 2008:

Reduced incidence of insect-bite hypersensitivity in Icelandic horses is associated with a down-regulation of interleukin-4 by interleukin-10 and transforming growth factor-beta1.   Vet Immunol Immunopathol, 122(1): 65-75.

Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an allergic dermatitis of horses caused by IgE-mediated reactions to bites of insects of the genus Culicoides. IBH does not occur in Iceland due to the absence of Culicoides. However, Icelandic horses exported to mainland Europe as adults (1st generation) have a > or =50% incidence of developing IBH. In contrast, their progeny (2nd generation) has a <10% incidence of IBH. Here we show that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from Icelandic ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Hypersensitivity published 21 February 2008:

Discontinuation of nevirapine because of hypersensitivity reactions in patients with prior treatment experience, compared with treatment-naive patients: the ATHENA cohort study.   Clin Infect Dis, 46(6): 933-40.

BACKGROUND: Recommendations that nevirapine (NVP) should be avoided in female individuals with CD4 cell counts >250 cells/microL and in male individuals with CD4 cell counts >400 cells/microL are based on findings in treatment-naive patients. It is unclear whether these guidelines also apply to treatment-experienced patients switching to NVP-based combination therapy. METHODS: Patients in the ATHENA cohort study who had used NVP-based combination therapy were included. We identified ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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