IntroductionAtopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis, often with a concomitant allergy. The ImmunoCAP ISAC (Immuno Solid-Phase Allergen Chip) test is a novel method to determine the allergenic phenotype in a given patient.AimIn this study, we used the ImmunoCAP ISAC test to analyze allergic phenotypes in adult patients with AD.Material and methodsThe study included 19 adult patients with AD. The severity of AD was assessed using SCORAD index. Serum concentrations of total IgE were determined by means fluoro-enzyme immunoassay (FEIA). The levels of asIgE were measured with the ImmunoCAP ISAC kits.ResultsPositive results of the ISAC test were documented in 84.2% of the study subjects. All patients synthesized asIgE against species-specific respiratory allergens; major components of animal allergens (57.87%), tree pollen allergens (47.3%), grass pollen allergens (42.1%), dust mite allergens (26.3%) and major allergen of mugwort (26.3%). 47.3% of the subjects were sensitive to cross-reactive allergenic components, most often proteins of the lipocalin family (57.8%), followed by PR-10 (26.3%), PR-14 (21%) and PR-5 proteins (21%). asIgE against species-specific allergens were found in 10.5% of the study subjects. No statistically significant relationships were observed between the severity or duration of AD and the prevalence and levels of asIgE against the allergens included in the ISAC panel. However, duration of AD correlated significantly with the serum concentration of total IgE.ConclusionsThe ISAC test is suitable for determination of the allergenic phenotype in a given patient, and as such has an unquestioned diagnostic and therapeutic value.

IntroductionThe complex course of skin reactions that contact eczema involves is due in part to abnormalities of the extracellular matrix function. Proteins that degrade extracellular matrix components include metalloproteinases (MMP), which are divided into subcategories depending on the chemical structure and substrate specificity.AimTo analyse patch test results in contact dermatitis patients and to assess MMP-2 levels during skin lesion exacerbation and remission.Material and methodsFifty patients suffering from contact eczema were qualified to the study and 20 healthy volunteers as a control group. The study group patients had epidermal skin tests performed with the “European Standard” set. To assess the MMP-2 level in serum, venous blood was drawn, twice from study group patients – during contact dermatitis exacerbation and remission periods – and once from control group patients. Assessment of MMP-2 in serum was done with ELISA immunoassay. To verify the proposed hypotheses, parametric and nonparametric significance tests were used.ResultsHands were the most frequent location of contact dermatitis. Nickel (II) sulphate was the most frequent sensitizing substance. Mean MMP-2 levels were statistically higher in the study group both in contact dermatitis exacerbation and remission periods than in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference between MMP-2 levels and skin patch test results.ConclusionsNickel is one of the most allergenic contact allergens in patients with contact dermatitis. Metalloproteinase-2 is a good marker of contact dermatitis in various stages of the disease.

Table of ContentsA1 Pirfenidone inhibits TGF-b1-induced extracellular matrix production in nasal polyp-derived fibroblastsJae-Min Shin, Heung-Man Lee, Il-Ho ParkA2 The efficacy of a 2-week course of oral steroid in the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria refractory to antihistaminesHyun-Sun Yoon, Gyeong Yul ParkA3 The altered distribution of follicular t helper cells may predict a more pronounced clinical course of primary sjögren’s syndromeMargit ZeherA4 Betamethasone suppresses Th2 cell development induced by langerhans cell like dendritic cellsKatsuhiko Matsui, Saki Tamai, Reiko IkedaA5 An evaluation of variousallergens in cases of allergic bronchial asthma at lucknow and neighbouring districts by intradermal skintestDrsushil Suri, Dranu SuriA6 Evaluation ferqency of ADHD in childhood asthmaMarzieh Heidarzadeh AraniA7 Steven johnson syndrome caused by typhoid fever in a childAzwin Lubis, Anang EndaryantoA8 Chronic Bronchitis with Radio Contrast Media Hypersensitivity: A Case with Hypothesized GINA Step 1 AsthmaShinichiro KogaA9 The association between asthma and depression in Korean adult : An analysis of the fifth korea national health and nutrition examination survey (2010-2012)Lee Ju SukA10 Management of allergic disease exacerbations in pregnancyYasunobu TsuzukiA11 Subcutaneous immunotherapy mouse model for atopic dermatitisSeo Hyeong Kim, Jung U Shin, Ji Yeon Noh, Shan Jin, Shan Jin, Hemin Lee, Jungsoo Lee, Chang Ook Park, Kwang Hoon Lee, Kwang Hoon LeeA12 Atopic disease and/or atopy are risk factors for local anesthetic allergy in patients with history of hypersensitivity reactions to drugs?Fatma Merve TepetamA13 Food hypersensitivity in patients with atopic dermatitis in KoreaChun Wook Park, Jee Hee Son, Soo Ick Cho, Yong Se Cho, Yun Sun Byun, Yoon Seok Yang, Bo Young Chung, Hye One Kim, Hee Jin ChoA14 Anaphylaxis caused by an ant (Brachyponera chinensis) in JapanYoshinori Katada, Toshio Tanaka, Akihiko Nakabayashi, Koji Nishida, Kenichi Aoyagi, Yuki Tsukamoto, Kazushi Konma, Motoo Matsuura, Jung-Won Park, Yoshinori Harada, Kyoung Yong Jeong, Akiko Yura, Maiko YoshimuraA15 Anti-allergic effect of anti-IL-33 by suppression of immunoglobulin light chain and inducible nitric oxide synthaseTae-Suk Kyung, Young Hyo Kim, Chang-Shin Park, Tae Young Jang, Min-Jeong Heo, Ah-Yeoun Jung, Seung-Chan YangA16 Food hypersensitivity in patients with chronic urticaria in KoreaHye One Kim, Yong Se Cho, Yun Sun Byun, Yoon Seok Yang, Bo Young Chung, Jee Hee Son, Chun Wook Park, Hee Jin ChoA17 Dose optimizing study of a depigmented polymerized allergen extract of phleum pollen by means of conjunctival provocation test (CPT)Angelika Sager, Oliver PfaarA18 Correlation of cutaneous sensitivity and cytokine response in children with asthmaAmit Agarwal, Meenu Singh, Bishnupda Chatterjee, Anil ChauhanA19 Colabomycin E, a Streptomycete-Derived Secondary Metabolite, Inhibits Proinflammatory Cytokines in Human Monocytes/MacrophagesIlja Striz, Eva Cecrdlova, Katerina Petrickova, Libor Kolesar, Alena Sekerkova, Veronika Svachov...

Together with development of new pharmaceutical interventions, as well as the introduction of the concept of initial dementia phase, the demand for early diagnosis has been growing. Research on potential blood biomarkers, amazingly attractive, mainly due to the facility of deriving the material, has provided ambiguous results throughout. The existence of an association between ubiquitin and Alzheimer’s disease pathology suggests that it could be a potential neurodegeneration biomarker. The present study aims to identify and assess the relationship between ubiquitin with regard to the adequacy as a biomarker of an initial dementia and cognitive decline in the elderly. Method: The study sample was composed of 230 participants: 109 women and 121 men aged 65 and older. The relationships of plasma ubiquitin levels with cognitive performance, gender, and age were analyzed. The assessments were performed in three groups of cognitive functioning level: cognitively normal, mild cognitive impairment, and mild dementia, of which the subjects were divided with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Results: No significant disparities in plasma ubiquitin levels for various levels of cognitive functioning were identified. Significantly higher plasma ubiquitin levels in women were found in comparison to men. No significant differences were found in ubiquitin concentrations based on age. Results suggest that ubiquitin does not meet the requirements for qualification as a blood biomarker of an early cognitive decline. In order to thoroughly evaluate the potential of research on ubiquitin in connection to an early neurodegenerative process, further studies are needed.

Smoking tobacco can induce formation of inflammable state in respiratory tract and cause lungs damage. Experimental investigations affirm, that the exposure to tobacco smoke causes growth of penetrability of blood-vessels, which favors the enlarged migration of inflammable cells. The growth of exposure to reactive forms of oxygen and concentration changes of cellular antioxidants enzymes, leads to disorders in balance of proteinases and antiproteinases and oxidative stress. As the years go, the disorders mentioned above can lead to deterioration of ventilating efficiency of lungs, and consequently to pronouncement chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which becomes serious problem on a world scale.