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Pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of epinephrine after single and repeat administration of neffy, EpiPen, and manual intramuscular injection
Casale, Thomas B; Ellis, Anne K; Nowak-Wegrzyn, Anna; Kaliner, Michael; Lowenthal, Richard; Tanimoto, Sarina
BACKGROUND:Epinephrine is the first-line treatment for severe allergic reactions, and rapid treatment is associated with lower rates of hospitalization and death. Current treatment options (epinephrine auto-injectors and manual intramuscular injection) are considered cumbersome, and most patients/caregivers fail to use them, even during severe reactions. An intranasal epinephrine delivery device, neffy, has been designed to provide an additional option for patients/caregivers. OBJECTIVE:We sought to assess the comparative pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of neffy 2.0 mg, EpiPen 0.3 mg, and manual intramuscular injection 0.3 mg. METHODS:This was a phase 1, randomized, 6-treatment, 6-period, 2-part crossover study in 59 healthy subjects. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters following single and repeat doses of epinephrine were assessed before dosing and at various postdose intervals. RESULTS:The pharmacokinetic profile of neffy was bracketed by approved injection products, with a mean peak plasma level of 481 pg/mL, which fell between EpiPen (753 pg/mL) and epinephrine manual intramuscular injection (339 pg/mL). When dosed both once and twice, neffy resulted in more pronounced increases in pharmacodynamic parameters relative to EpiPen or manual injection. CONCLUSIONS:neffy's pharmacokinetic profile was bracketed by approved injection products, with pharmacodynamic responses that were comparable to or better than approved injection products. neffy is expected to be a safe and effective option, particularly for patients/caregivers who are reluctant to carry and use injection devices.
PMID: 37604314
ISSN: 1097-6825
CID: 5613442
Citrin: a novel food allergen in citrus seeds and citrus-derived pectin that shows cross-reactivity with cashew and pistachio
Konstantinou, George N; Baker, Mary Grace; Yu, Joyce; Ford, Lara S; Bencharitiwong, Ramon; Grishina, Galina; Sampson, Hugh A; Sicherer, Scott; Nowak-Wegrzyn, Anna
BACKGROUND:Patients exquisitely sensitive to cashew/pistachio are at risk for allergic reactions to citrus seeds and pectin. OBJECTIVE:In this study, we sought to evaluate whether pectin is contaminated with citrus seeds, to identify a culprit antigen in citrus seeds, and to assess for cross-reactivity among allergens in citrus seeds, citrus pectin, and cashew or pistachio. METHODS:Proteins from orange seed coats, orange seed endosperms, lemon seeds, grapefruit seeds, citrus pectin, apple pectin, and grapefruit pectin were extracted. Protein concentrations in all extracts were determined and visualized using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis technique. Immunoglobulin E-binding capacity was determined with Western blot analyses and tandem mass spectrometry for the identification of the culprit allergen in citrus seeds and pectin. RESULTS:In subjects with citrus seed, pectin, and cashew allergies, there was strong immunoglobulin E-reactivity to bands between 17 to 28 kDa and 28 to 38 kDa. The tandem mass spectrometry analysis of these bands indicated the presence of citrin as the culprit allergen. Citrin and Ana o 2 are both 11S globulins belonging to the cupin superfamily, and significant homology was found between these proteins. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Citrus pectin may be contaminated with citrus seeds. Citrin, a newly identified allergen in citrus seeds, seems to be the culprit antigen in citrus seeds and contaminated citrus pectin. Citrin is highly homologous with Ana o 2 in cashew and Pis v 2 in pistachio, suggesting potential for cross-reactivity and providing an explanation for co-allergenicity of cashew or pistachio, citrus seeds, and citrus pectin.
PMID: 37659472
ISSN: 1534-4436
CID: 5590112
The Remaining Challenge to Diagnose and Manage Cow's Milk Allergy: An Opinion Paper to Daily Clinical Practice
Vandenplas, Yvan; Meyer, Rosan; Nowak-Wegrzyn, Anna; Salvatore, Silvia; Venter, Carina; Vieira, Mario C
Guidelines and recommendations for the diagnosis and management of cow's milk allergy (CMA) in childhood are based on scientific review of the available evidence. While this approach is the most rigorous, guidelines may not fully address all scenarios encountered by clinicians. Many symptoms of CMA overlap with other common childhood illnesses and are subjectively reported by the caregivers of the infant, as is the interpretation of the dietary interventions. Additionally, many healthcare professionals and caregivers do not follow the recommendations to perform an oral food challenge or reintroduction of cow's milk after a diagnostic elimination diet because (1) the infant is doing well and (2) the carer's fear of symptoms relapsing with this procedure. As a result, CMA in infants may be either under-diagnosed leading to reduced quality of life for families or over-diagnosed, resulting in unnecessary long-term elimination diets and increasing the risk for nutritional deficiencies. This paper discusses some of these controversial topics, focusing on misdiagnosis and mismanagement in clinical practice. The lack of objective diagnostic criteria can hamper the diagnosis and management of CMA in daily practice.
PMCID:10675216
PMID: 38004156
ISSN: 2072-6643
CID: 5609082
Berberine-containing natural-medicine with boiled peanut-OIT induces sustained peanut-tolerance associated with distinct microbiota signature
Srivastava, Kamal; Cao, Mingzhuo; Fidan, Ozkan; Shi, Yanmei; Yang, Nan; Nowak-Wegrzyn, Anna; Miao, Mingsan; Zhan, Jixun; Sampson, Hugh A; Li, Xiu-Min
BACKGROUND:Gut microbiota influence food allergy. We showed that the natural compound berberine reduces IgE and others reported that BBR alters gut microbiota implying a potential role for microbiota changes in BBR function. OBJECTIVE:We sought to evaluate an oral Berberine-containing natural medicine with a boiled peanut oral immunotherapy (BNP) regimen as a treatment for food allergy using a murine model and to explore the correlation of treatment-induced changes in gut microbiota with therapeutic outcomes. METHODS:B cells were assessed by flow cytometry. Fecal pellets were used for sequencing of bacterial 16S rDNA by Illumina MiSeq. Sequencing data were analyzed using built-in analysis platforms. RESULTS:were negatively correlated. CONCLUSIONS:BNP is a promising regimen for food allergy treatment and its benefits in a murine model are associated with a distinct microbiota signature.
PMCID:10415201
PMID: 37575233
ISSN: 1664-3224
CID: 5595472
Oral food challenges: Measuring what counts [Editorial]
Upton, Julia; Anagnostou, Aikaterini; Nowak-Wegrzyn, Anna
PMID: 37207800
ISSN: 1097-6825
CID: 5536552
Novel therapies for food allergy: The search continues [Editorial]
Anagnostou, Aikaterini; Upton, Julia; Nowak-Wegrzyn, Anna
PMID: 37394249
ISSN: 1534-4436
CID: 5538772
Feeding difficulties in children with food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome
Flom, Julie D; Groetch, Marion; Kovtun, Kyle; Westcott-Chavez, Amity; Schultz, Fallon; Nowak-Wegrzyn, Anna
PMID: 37263350
ISSN: 2213-2201
CID: 5543412
When Supplemental Formula Is Essential: Overcoming Barriers to Hypoallergenic Formula Access for Patients With Food Allergies
Schultz, Fallon; Warren, Christopher Michael; Chehade, Mirna; Cianferoni, Antonella; Gerdts, Jennifer; Groetch, Marion; Gupta, Ruchi S; Strobel, Mary Jo; Upton, Julia E M; Venter, Carina; Waserman, Susan; Nowak-Wegrzyn, Anna
For food-allergic patients, hypoallergenic formulas (HFs) are medically indicated, often a primary component of the diet and essential for patient safety, health, nutrition, and overall well-being. Yet, food allergy is not included among the conditions mandated for coverage under federal health programs and private health insurance. The 2022 infant formula crisis has affected many North American families and has particularly influenced patients with food allergies who rely on a limited number of safe HF brands to safely meet their nutritional needs for growth and development. The current formula shortage further highlights the longstanding difficulties faced by families with food allergies in accessing HF. Within this context, this article focuses on chronic barriers faced by patients with food allergies in accessing HF and proposes potential solutions. Legislation is desperately needed to address HF affordability through changes in insurance reimbursement and disparities in access to HF among individuals with food allergy.
PMID: 37182567
ISSN: 2213-2201
CID: 5544042
The role of online symptom questionnaires to support the diagnosis of cow's milk allergy in children for healthcare professionals - A Delphi consensus study
Meyer, Rosan; Vandenplas, Yvan; Reese, Imke; Vieira, Mario C; Ortiz-Piedrahita, Catalina; Walsh, Joanna; Nowak-Wegrzyn, Anna; Chebar Lozinsky, Adriana; Fox, Adam; Chakravarti, Vijay; Netting, Merryn; Lange, Lars; Venter, Carina
BACKGROUND:Cow's milk allergy (CMA) is one of the most common food allergies world-wide. The emergence of online CMA symptom questionnaires, aimed at parents and/or healthcare professionals (HCP), may raise awareness about the possible diagnosis of CMA, but also increases the risk for overdiagnosis leading to unnecessary dietary restriction impacting on growth and nutrition. This publication sets out to establish the availability of these CMA symptom questionnaires and critically assesses the development and validity. METHODS:Thirteen HCP working in the field of CMA, from different countries, were recruited to participate. A combination of a Pubmed and CINAHL literature and online review using the Google search engine in English language was used. Symptoms in the questionnaires were assessed, using the European Academy for Allergy and Clinical Immunology guidelines for food allergy. Following the assessment of both the questionnaires and literature, the authors followed the modified Delphi approach to generate consensus statements. RESULTS:Six hundred and fifty-one publications were identified, of which 29 were suitable for inclusion, with 26 being associated with the Cow's Milk-Related Symptoms Score. The online search yielded 10 available questionnaires: 7/10 were sponsored by formula milk companies and 7/10 were aimed at parents and three at HCP. Following the assessment of data, 19 statements were generated in two rounds of anonymous voting reaching 100% agreement. CONCLUSIONS:Online CMA questionnaires, available to parents and HCP's, are varied in symptoms, and most were not validated. The overarching consensus generated from authors is that these questionnaires should not be used without the involvement of HCP.
PMID: 37366210
ISSN: 1399-3038
CID: 5539972
EAACI Molecular Allergology User's Guide 2.0
Dramburg, Stephanie; Hilger, Christiane; Santos, Alexandra F; de Las Vecillas, Leticia; Aalberse, Rob C; Acevedo, Nathalie; Aglas, Lorenz; Altmann, Friedrich; Arruda, Karla L; Asero, Riccardo; Ballmer-Weber, Barbara; Barber, Domingo; Beyer, Kirsten; Biedermann, Tilo; Bilo, Maria Beatrice; Blank, Simon; Bosshard, Philipp P; Breiteneder, Heimo; Brough, Helen A; Bublin, Merima; Campbell, Dianne; Caraballo, Luis; Caubet, Jean Christoph; Celi, Giorgio; Chapman, Martin D; Chruszcz, Maksymilian; Custovic, Adnan; Czolk, Rebecca; Davies, Janet; Douladiris, Nikolaos; Eberlein, Bernadette; Ebisawa, Motohiro; Ehlers, Anna; Eigenmann, Philippe; Gadermaier, Gabriele; Giovannini, Mattia; Gomez, Francisca; Grohman, Rebecca; Guillet, Carole; Hafner, Christine; Hamilton, Robert G; Hauser, Michael; Hawranek, Thomas; Hoffmann, Hans Jürgen; Holzhauser, Thomas; Iizuka, Tomona; Jacquet, Alain; Jakob, Thilo; Janssen-Weets, Bente; Jappe, Uta; Jutel, Marek; Kalic, Tanja; Kamath, Sandip; Kespohl, Sabine; Kleine-Tebbe, Jörg; Knol, Edward; Knulst, André; Konradsen, Jon R; Korošec, Peter; Kuehn, Annette; Lack, Gideon; Le, Thuy-My; Lopata, Andreas; Luengo, Olga; Mäkelä, Mika; Marra, Alessandro Maria; Mills, Clare; Morisset, Martine; Muraro, Antonella; Nowak-Wegrzyn, Anna; Nugraha, Roni; Ollert, Markus; Palosuo, Kati; Pastorello, Elide Anna; Patil, Sarita Ulhas; Platts-Mills, Thomas; Pomés, Anna; Poncet, Pascal; Potapova, Ekaterina; Poulsen, Lars K; Radauer, Christian; Radulovic, Suzana; Raulf, Monika; Rougé, Pierre; Sastre, Joaquin; Sato, Sakura; Scala, Enrico; Schmid, Johannes M; Schmid-Grendelmeier, Peter; Schrama, Denise; Sénéchal, Hélène; Traidl-Hoffmann, Claudia; Valverde-Monge, Marcela; van Hage, Marianne; van Ree, Ronald; Verhoeckx, Kitty; Vieths, Stefan; Wickman, Magnus; Zakzuk, Josefina; Matricardi, Paolo M; Hoffmann-Sommergruber, Karin
Since the discovery of immunoglobulin E (IgE) as a mediator of allergic diseases in 1967, our knowledge about the immunological mechanisms of IgE-mediated allergies has remarkably increased. In addition to understanding the immune response and clinical symptoms, allergy diagnosis and management depend strongly on the precise identification of the elicitors of the IgE-mediated allergic reaction. In the past four decades, innovations in bioscience and technology have facilitated the identification and production of well-defined, highly pure molecules for component-resolved diagnosis (CRD), allowing a personalized diagnosis and management of the allergic disease for individual patients. The first edition of the "EAACI Molecular Allergology User's Guide" (MAUG) in 2016 rapidly became a key reference for clinicians, scientists, and interested readers with a background in allergology, immunology, biology, and medicine. Nevertheless, the field of molecular allergology is moving fast, and after 6 years, a new EAACI Taskforce was established to provide an updated document. The Molecular Allergology User's Guide 2.0 summarizes state-of-the-art information on allergen molecules, their clinical relevance, and their application in diagnostic algorithms for clinical practice. It is designed for both, clinicians and scientists, guiding health care professionals through the overwhelming list of different allergen molecules available for testing. Further, it provides diagnostic algorithms on the clinical relevance of allergenic molecules and gives an overview of their biology, the basic mechanisms of test formats, and the application of tests to measure allergen exposure.
PMID: 37186333
ISSN: 1399-3038
CID: 5503492