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Correct identification of the culprit allergen is an essential part of diagnosis and treatment in immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergic diseases. In recent years, molecular biology has made important advances facilitating such identification and overcoming some of the drawbacks of natural allergen extracts, which consist of mixtures of various proteins that may be allergenic or not, specific for the allergen source or widely distributed (panallergens). New technologies offer the opportunity for a more accurate component-resolved diagnosis, of benefit especially to polysensitized allergic patients. The basic elements of molecular diagnostics with potential relevance to immunotherapy prescription are reviewed here, with a focus on Southern European sensitization patterns to pollen allergens. We propose a basic algorithm regarding component-resolved diagnostic work-up for pollen allergen-specific immunotherapy candidates in Southern Europe; this and similar algorithms can form the basis of improved patient management, conceptually a ‘Component-Resolved Allergy Management'.

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Background:Little is known about the potential of statin-induced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) increase to improve renal function in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. Methods and Results:In this post hoc analysis of the GREek Atorvastatin and Coronary heart disease Evaluation (GREACE) Study we investigated the effect of HDL-C increase after statin treatment on renal function. From a total of 1,600 patients, 880 were on various statins (mainly atorvastatin) and 720 were not. Other secondary prevention therapies were similar in the 2 groups. After a 3 year follow up, the lipid profile was unchanged in the statin untreated group and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was reduced by 5.1% compared with baseline (P<0.0001). In contrast, in the statin treated group non-HDL-C was reduced by 43%, HDL-C was increased by 7% and there was a significant increase in eGFR compared with baseline by 9.8% (P<0.0001). In multiple regression analysis, the mean 7% increase in HDL-C in the treated arm during the entire study was associated with a 5.6% increase in eGFR recorded after the 6 th week of treatment. The odds ratio of eGFR increase with every 5% statin-induced rise in HDL-C was 1.78 (95% confidence interval 1.19-3.34; P=0.001).Conclusions: Statin treatment significantly improved renal function. Statin-induced HDL-C increase significantly and independently contributed to this improvement. This finding supports the concept that improving lipid variables other than low density lipoprotein cholesterol is also beneficial to preserving renal function.