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Contribution of Interferon-γ Release Assays (IGRAs) to the Diagnosis of Latent Tuberculosis Infection After Renal Transplantation.

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Contribution of Interferon-γ Release Assays (IGRAs) to the Diagnosis of Latent Tuberculosis Infection After Renal Transplantation.

Transplantation. 2013 May 20;

Authors: Hadaya K, Bridevaux PO, Roux-Lombard P, Delort A, Saudan P, Martin PY, Janssens JP

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Renal transplant recipients (RTRs), as all immunosuppressed patients, are at increased risk of reactivating latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Detecting LTBI in this population is therefore important to prevent active TB. The tuberculin skin test (TST) has a poor sensitivity in this setting. METHODS: The aim of this prospective study was to compare the diagnostic performance of the TST and two interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs): T-SPOT.TB (Oxford Immunotec, Oxford, UK) and QuantiFERON Gold In-Tube (QGIT; Cellestis, Australia), performed simultaneously, for the detection of patients with risk factors for LTBI or a definite history of TB among RTRs under stable immunosuppression. RESULTS: Two hundred five patients (ages 59±13 years, tested 10.4±7.1 years after transplantation) were studied. Positivity rate was 4.5% for TST, 20.5% for T-SPOT.TB, and 23.5% for QGIT. Agreement between IGRAs was fair (κ=0.71). Sensitivity of T-SPOT.TB and QGIT for detection of prior active TB was 55.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 21.2-86.3) and 44.4 (95% CI, 13.7-78.8), respectively. Sensitivity of both IGRAs for detection of risk factors for LTBI was 33.3% (95% CI, 19.6-49.5). Specificity was 85.5% (95% CI, 78.9-90.7) for T-SPOT.TB and 80.1% (95% CI, 72.9-86.2) for QGIT. Combining IGRAs did not significantly improve sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Because their sensitivity for detecting prior active TB and probable LTBI in RTRs is very low, IGRAs cannot be used to exclude LTBI. These results emphasize the limitations of IGRAs in the setting of chronic immunosuppressive therapy.

PMID: 23694948 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Clinical effectiveness of hymenoptera venom immunotherapy: a prospective observational multicenter study of the European academy of allergology and clinical immunology interest group on insect venom hypersensitivity.

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Treatment failure during venom immunotherapy (VIT) may be associated with a variety of risk factors.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to evaluate the association of baseline serum tryptase concentration (BTC) and of other parameters with the frequency of VIT failure during the maintenance phase.

METHODS: In this observational prospective multicenter study, we followed 357 patients with established honey bee or vespid venom allergy after the maintenance dose of VIT had been reached. In all patients, VIT effectiveness was either verified by sting challenge (n = 154) or patient self-reporting of the outcome of a field sting (n = 203). Data were collected on BTC, age, gender, preventive use of anti-allergic drugs (oral antihistamines and/or corticosteroids) right after a field sting, venom dose, antihypertensive medication, type of venom, side effects during VIT, severity of index sting reaction preceding VIT, and duration of VIT. Relative rates were calculated with generalized additive models.

RESULTS: 22 patients (6.2%) developed generalized symptoms during sting challenge or after a field sting. A strong association between the frequency of VIT failure and BTC could be excluded. Due to wide confidence bands, however, weaker effects (odds ratios <3) of BTC were still possible, and were also suggested by a selective analysis of patients who had a sting challenge. The most important factor associated with VIT failure was a honey bee venom allergy. Preventive use of anti-allergic drugs may be associated with a higher protection rate.

INTERPRETATION: It is unlikely that an elevated BTC has a strong negative effect on the rate of treatment failures. The magnitude of the latter, however, may depend on the method of effectiveness assessment. Failure rate is higher in patients suffering from bee venom allergy.

State of the art and perspectives in food allergy (part I): diagnosis.

IgE-mediated food allergy is a major and increasing health issue with significant impairment of quality of life and significant morbidity and mortality. It affects children, as well as adolescents and adults.

This review focuses on novelties in the management of food allergy. Correct diagnosis relies upon history supplemented by quantification of specific IgE (sIgE) antibodies and/or skin tests. Unfortunately, as these tests do not demonstrate absolute predictive values, controlled oral provocation tests are needed to confirm/exclude diagnosis.

To a certain extent, novel in vitro diagnostics in the form of allergen component-based sIgE assays and flow-assisted quantification of in vitro activated basophils might help to discriminate between genuine allergy and merely sensitization. Furthermore they make it possible to establish individual risk profiles, to predict persistence of allergy, and facilitate therapeutic approach.

State of the art and perspectives in food allergy (part II): therapy.

Currently management of food allergy is mainly based on absolute avoidance of the offending food(s) and the use of rescue medication. However, the risk of severe or life-threatening reactions due to inadvertent exposure, nutritional imbalance and social isolation raise the demand of disease-modifying treatments.

The aim of the different treatments is to allow patients to safely ingest the offending food(s). However this unresponsiveness can be transient and require continued treatment (desensitization) or permanent and sustained also after stopping the treatment (tolerance).

This review focuses on non-allergen specific (anti-IgE, Chinese herbal formula, etc..) and allergen specific treatments for food allergy. The anti-IgE treatment is at the moment the only non-allergen-specific therapy, for which some data on a temporarily clinical efficacy have been provided. Regarding allergen-specific treatments, different protocols (oral, sublingual, subcutaneous and epicutaneous) with natural, heat treated and recombinant food allergens have been investigated. Although promising, results of the different clinical trials are heterogeneous.

In particular data on long-term effects are lacking. At the moment food specific immunotherapy can be considered an experimental interventional strategy, limited to research, and not yet ready for routine use.

Noninvasive ventilation for acute respiratory failure.

Authors: Hess DR Abstract Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) for acute respiratory failure has gained much academic and clinical interest. Despite this, NIV is underutilized. The evidence strongly supports its use in patients presenting with an exacerbation of COPD and in patients with acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema. As reviewed in this paper, there is now evidence supporting or not supporting the use of NIV in various other presentations of acute respiratory failure. It is important not only to know when to initiate NIV, but also when this therapy is failing. Whether NIV in the setting of acute respiratory failure can be managed appropriately outside the ICU setting is controversial. Although a variety of interfaces are available, the oronasal mask is the best initial interface in t...

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