Allergy and immunology

Article Abstract:

Recent developments in allergy and immunology reveal the importance of the tools and insights of molecular biology. Several of these advances are described. The polymerase chain reaction can be used to detect HIV infection at a very early stage (human immunodeficiency virus, which is associated with AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Zidovudine (AZT), a drug approved for treating patients with HIV and AIDS, appears to increase survival and cause infrequent side effects. Improved survival after organ transplantation was reported by researchers who conducted a study in which pre-operative blood transfusions were performed with consideration of the recipient's and donor's HLA (human leukocyte antigen) compatibility. In treating asthma, the dose of bronchodilator medication seems to be more important for treatment outcome than its method of delivery (metered-dose inhalation versus nebulization). Other relevant aspects of asthma research are cited. Findings regarding food hypersensitivity and allergic responses to venom are briefly presented. The practice of clinical ecology, which focuses on environmental medicine and is currently performed by approximately 500 physicians from different specialties, was debunked in a report by the American College of Physicians as lacking support for its beliefs. Vaccination against HIV infection remains a research priority; some success has been noted with a monkey vaccine against simian (monkey) immunodeficiency virus, which is similar to HIV. Finally, new forms of the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine are evaluated. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Research, Usage, Physiological aspects, HIV (Viruses), HIV, Asthma, HLA histocompatibility antigens, HLA antigens, Vaccines, Molecular biology

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Allergy and immunology

Article Abstract:

One of the most prominent factors affecting the medical field of allergies today is the vague and all-encompassing way that the word 'allergy' is used. Some sources attribute a wide array of symptoms to 'allergies' to all sorts of environmental substances, including many foods. The physiological basis for many of these claims of allergy is weak at best, and in many cases the techniques used to demonstrate the supposed allergies are simply not scientifically valid. Just as controversial, are the claims that a syndrome of premenstrual tension, gastrointestinal symptoms, and depression may be due to allergy to yeast. The causative organism of vaginal yeast infections, Candida albicans, has been accused of eliciting a complex and ill-defined allergic reaction. One major study failed to see any improvement in symptoms after treatment for C. albicans infection, but this study has been criticized by others as flawed. However, advances are being made the development of antibodies to treat various conditions. "Designer antibodies", built in the laboratory according to novel designs, have been used to treat diseases such as systemic vasculitis, a condition in which the patient's own immune system attacks the blood vessels. This same method shows great promise for application to many other disorders. Advances have also been made in the treatment of asthma, but immunologists are facing a world-wide increase in the rate of asthma as well. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Allergy

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Future trends in allergy and immunology

Article Abstract:

There have been many advances in the understanding and treatment of immune disorders. Among the new treatments are the use of lymphokine-activated killer cells (LAK) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) to treat certain kinds of cancer. Immunotherapy with increasing doses of venom has been shown to be effective in preventing anaphylaxis in those sensitive to insect stings. Drugs have been developed to regulate the synthesis of IgE antibody and prevent the activation of mast cells in allergic reactions. The growth of immunology as a specialty will require training more physicians in the immunologic aspects of various diseases. Laboratory technicians who perform certain diagnostic tests could be certified. A troubling development is the reduced funding available to immunology divisions in large universities.

Care and treatment, Practice, Immunologic diseases, Immunologists

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