Top news of January: Tick bites and alpha-gal syndrome, benefits of dogs, more
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Healio compiled the most-read news in allergy, asthma and immunology posted in January.
Highlights include the protective benefits of dog ownership during infancy; the relationship between tick bites and alpha-gal syndrome; the safety and efficacy of boiled peanuts in oral immunotherapy; the effectiveness of a nasal epinephrine spray; and more.
Dog ownership in infancy may overcome genetic predisposition for wheeze, asthma
Patients with the rs2305480 variant of the GSDMB gene who had a pet dog as a baby did not have an increased risk for persistent wheeze or asthma, according to a study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Read more.
Tick bites linked to alpha-gal syndrome
Tick bite history was a risk factor for alpha-gal syndrome and elevated alpha-gal-specific IgE levels, according to a study from Gilbert J. Kersh, PhD, chief of the rickettsial zoonoses branch in the division of vector-borne diseases at the CDC, and colleagues. Read more.
Boiled peanuts safe, effective as part of oral immunotherapy
OIT that began with boiled peanuts before moving to roasted peanuts appeared pragmatic, safe and effective in inducing desensitization among children with peanut allergy, said Luke E. Grzeskowiak, PhD, of Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute. Read more.
Epinephrine nasal spray achieves pharmacodynamic responses comparable with injections
Intranasal epinephrine produced pharmacodynamic results that were comparable with or higher than autoinjectors and manual injection, according to a study published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Read more.
Female patients disproportionately represented among COVID-19 vaccine allergy referrals
Female patients were disproportionately referred to allergy clinics due to concerns about possible reactions to COVID-19 vaccination compared with male patients in Hong Kong, researchers reported in Asthma. Read more.
Q&A: Epinephrine nasal spray offers advantages for caregivers, patients
Erin Malawer, cofounder of the Food Allergy Collaborative, discusses the potential impact of ARS Pharmaceuticals’ neffy intranasal spray in treating patients with anaphylaxis. Read more.
Speaker: Go beyond raises to retain your practice’s good employees
Priya Bansal, MD, FAAAAI, said that incentives and communication are essential in retaining staff and in succeeding as a practice in today’s economy during her presentation at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting. Read more.
Adults with asthma experience more nonrespiratory diseases than those without asthma
Patients with intermediate- and late-diagnosed asthma had significantly more GERD, depression, sleep apnea, painful conditions and obesity than patients without asthma, as described in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. Read more.
Infant exposure to acid-suppressive medications linked to modest asthma risk
Although there was no association between prenatal exposure to acid-suppressive medications and risk for pediatric allergic diseases, exposures during infancy did present a modest risk for asthma, researchers wrote in JAMA Pediatrics. Read more.
Mepolizumab associated with fewer asthma exacerbations, lower costs in Medicare population
The proportion of patients experiencing an asthma exacerbation fell by 27%, whereas total costs of asthma care fell by $888 from baseline through follow-up, according to Sanjay Sethi, MD, of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and colleagues. Read more.