Anaphylaxis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Anaphylaxis, including details on food allergies, diagnosis, treatment, causes.

Basophils play a pivotal role in immunoglobulin-G-mediated but not immunoglobulin-E-mediated systemic anaphylaxis.

Tsujimura Y, Obata K, Mukai K, Shindou H, Yoshida M, Nishikado H, Kawano Y, Minegishi Y, Shimizu T, Karasuyama H

Department of Immune Regulation and Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan.

Anaphylaxis is an acute, severe, and potentially fatal systemic allergic reaction. Immunoglobulin E (IgE), mast cells, and histamine have long been associated with anaphylaxis, but an alternative pathway mediated by IgG has been suggested to be more important in the elicitation of anaphylaxis. Here, we showed that basophils, the least common blood cells, were dispensable for IgE-mediated anaphylaxis but played a critical role in IgG-mediated, passive and active systemic anaphylaxis in mice. In vivo depletion of basophils but not macrophages, neutrophils, or NK cells ameliorated IgG-mediated passive anaphylaxis and rescued mice from death in active anaphylaxis. Upon capture of IgG-allergen complexes, basophils released platelet-activating factor (PAF), leading to increased vascular permeability. These results highlight a pivotal role for basophils in vivo and contrast two major, distinct pathways leading to allergen-induced systemic anaphylaxis: one mediated by basophils, IgG, and PAF and the other "classical" pathway mediated by mast cells, IgE, and histamine.

Published 10 April 2008 in Immunity, 28(4): 581-9.
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Articles on Anaphylaxis published 19 March 2008:

A novel vibrotactile display to improve the performance of anesthesiologists in a simulated critical incident.   Anesth Analg, 106(4): 1182-8, table of contents.

BACKGROUND: Current methods of information transfer in the operating room between monitor and anesthesiologist rely on visual and auditory modalities. These modalities can easily become overloaded in a high cognitive workload situation, such as in a critical incident. The use of vibrotactile communication has been shown to improve information transfer in other high cognitive workload environments such as aviation. We designed a novel waist-mounted vibrotactile display to be worn by the ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Anaphylaxis published 13 March 2008:

Cetuximab-induced anaphylaxis and IgE specific for galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose.   N Engl J Med, 358(11): 1109-17.

BACKGROUND: Cetuximab, a chimeric mouse-human IgG1 monoclonal antibody against the epidermal growth factor receptor, is approved for use in colorectal cancer and squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck. A high prevalence of hypersensitivity reactions to cetuximab has been reported in some areas of the United States. METHODS: We analyzed serum samples from four groups of subjects for IgE antibodies against cetuximab: pretreatment samples from 76 case subjects who had been treated with ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Anaphylaxis published 13 February 2008:

The economic costs of severe anaphylaxis in France: an inquiry carried out by the Allergy Vigilance Network.   Allergy, 63(3): 360-5.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of severe anaphylaxis, between 1 and 3 per 10,000, has increased sharply over recent years, with a rate of lethality of 1%. The economic burden is unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to estimate the economic costs of anaphylaxis, including direct costs of treatment, hospitalization, preventive and long-care measures, and the indirect cost: absenteeism. METHODS: Analysis of 402 patients of anaphylaxis declared by 384 allergists was reported to the Allergy ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Anaphylaxis published 4 February 2008:

9. Anaphylaxis.   J Allergy Clin Immunol, 121(2): S402-7; quiz S420.

Anaphylaxis is an acute-onset, potentially fatal systemic allergic reaction. It is usually triggered by an agent such as an insect sting, food, or medication, through a mechanism involving IgE and the high-affinity IgE receptor on mast cells or basophils. Less commonly, it is triggered through other immunologic mechanisms, or through nonimmunologic mechanisms. It often occurs in community settings. Anaphylaxis episodes range in severity from those that are mild and resolve spontaneously to ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Anaphylaxis published 31 January 2008:

Immune tolerance induction in patients with IgA anaphylactoid reactions following long-term intravenous IgG treatment.   Clin Exp Immunol, 151(3): 455-8.

To date, there is very little information regarding the pathomechanism of IgA anaphylactoid reactions and the management of affected patients. Five adult patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) and a history of anaphylactic reactions due to the administration of immunoglobulin preparations were studied. The activity of anti-IgA was determined by the gel agglutination technique using IgA-coated beads. Antibodies to IgA were detected in the serum of all five patients. Initially, IgA ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Anaphylaxis published 29 January 2008:

Anaphylaxis during cardiac surgery: implications for clinicians.   Anesth Analg, 106(2): 392-403.

During surgery, patients are exposed to multiple foreign substances including anesthetic drugs, antibiotics, blood products, heparin, polypeptides (aprotinin, latex, and protamine), and intravascular volume expanders, which have the potential to produce life-threatening allergic reactions termed "anaphylaxis." The hallmark of perioperative anaphylaxis is acute cardiovascular and pulmonary dysfunction. Patients undergoing cardiac surgery have extensive monitoring that permits rapid ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Anaphylactoid syndrome of pregnancy immediately after intrauterine pressure catheter placement.   Am J Obstet Gynecol, 198(2): e8-9.

A 35-year-old multipara woman underwent intrauterine pressure catheter placement during labor. Immediately afterwards, she had severe dyspnea develop, became unresponsive, and had a prolonged fetal bradycardia. During emergency cesarean section, she required cardiopulmonary resuscitation repetitively. She then had disseminated intravascular coagulopathy develop and underwent hysterectomy. Anaphylactic reaction may be associated with intrauterine pressure catheter placement. [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Anaphylaxis published 21 January 2008:

The cysteinyl leukotrienes: where do they come from? What are they? Where are they going?   Nat Immunol, 9(2): 113-5.

Cysteinyl leukotrienes are established mediators of bronchial asthma and have agonist roles analogous to those of histamine in allergic rhinitis. We now know that the substance originally termed slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis was composed of three cysteinyl leukotrienes that act in the inflammatory response via receptors on smooth muscle and on bone marrow-derived inflammatory cells. K. Frank Austen describes the work culminating in the identification, biosynthesis and functional ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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