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Sexual Health
Published in Carolyn Torkelson, Catherine Marienau, Beyond Menopause, 2023
Carolyn Torkelson, Catherine Marienau
Vaginal estrogens come in a variety of formulations, including creams and tablets/inserts/suppositories. Vaginal creams such as Estrace or Premarin are commercially available; also, compounding pharmacies make less expensive formulations of estradiol (E2) and estriol (E3). An added benefit of the compounding product is you can get one that is hypoallergenic. Creams are beneficial because they can be applied intravaginally and can also be used on the vulva area if it is dry and irritated. Many women also apply a small amount of cream around the urethra if this is contributing to urinary irritation and frequency. The drawbacks of vaginal cream are that some women find it “messy” and/or don’t like the feeling of wetness in the vulva area.
Tree pollen allergens
Published in Richard F. Lockey, Dennis K. Ledford, Allergens and Allergen Immunotherapy, 2020
Rosa Codina, Fernando Pineda, Ricardo Palacios
The concept of treating allergic patients according to their sensitization profile with purified or recombinant allergens, termed component-resolved immunotherapy (CRIT), has been proposed [35]. During the last few years, several candidate molecules have been developed by recombinant DNA technology [12,103]. These molecules have reduced allergenic activity while T-cell epitopes and immunogenicity (i.e., capacity to induce protective IgG responses) are maintained [103]. The recombinant, hypoallergenic allergen derivatives have been evaluated in vitro, in experimental animal models and in in vivo provocation testing in humans [12,103]. The first immunotherapy study with recombinant allergen derivatives was performed with hypoallergenic molecules of the major birch pollen allergen, Bet v 1 [90,92], and subsequently, several other successful immunotherapy studies have been performed with recombinant allergens [103].
Lactic Acid Bacteria Application to Decrease Food Allergies
Published in Marcela Albuquerque Cavalcanti de Albuquerque, Alejandra de Moreno de LeBlanc, Jean Guy LeBlanc, Raquel Bedani, Lactic Acid Bacteria, 2020
Vanessa Biscola, Marcela Albuquerque Cavalcanti de Albuquerque, Tatiana Pacheco Nunes, Antonio Diogo Silva Vieira, Bernadette Dora Gombossy de Melo Franco
Although many studies describe high hydrolysis degrees of food allergens by LAB enzymes, some even reporting reductions in IgE-binding levels, results observed in in vitro tests are not always confirmed in vivo. These results evidence a potential of application in the production of hypoallergenic products. However, the only reliable results of actual allergy reduction are those obtained by tests performed with allergic patients. In addition, the majority of studies reporting high degrees of protein degradation also report a residual IgE binding ability of hydrolysates, suggesting the presence of remaining antigenic epitopes rather than a total allergy suppression. The same is valid for tests regarding the immune-regulatory effect of probiotics. Studies performed in vitro or using animal models can serve as indicators of the immune-stimulating potential of these LAB; however, confirmation of their potential application for allergy reduction or suppression requires thorough evaluations performed with allergic patients. Besides, the immune-regulatory effect of probiotics depends on the used strain and on the response of the host. While some studies present promising results, others report no positive effect on allergy reduction.
Dermatophagoides spp. hypoallergens design: what has been achieved so far?
Published in Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents, 2020
Eduardo Santos da Silva, Carina Silva Pinheiro, Luis Gustavo Carvalho Pacheco, Neuza Maria Alcantara-Neves
Proteins that bind to ≥50%, 30–50%, and <30% of the IgE-enriched sera from sensitized patients can be classified as major, mid-tier and minor allergens [14]. Given the importance of these allergenic fractions of Dermatophagoides spp., including their association with allergy symptoms, we analyzed which allergens have been targeted for the development of hypoallergenic derivatives. In this sense, Figure 3(a) shows the target-allergens in patent applications, with up to 10 specific allergens of Dermatophagoides spp., five allergens of B. tropicalis, and two patents whose claims did not specify a unique nor a group of allergens. In comparison, articles have a more limited number of targets, with nine specific allergens of Dermatophagoides spp. and three allergens of B. tropicalis (Figure 3(b)). Interestingly, some patents and articles have used hypoallergenic hybrid proteins as a technology, as it is represented by the edges connecting the nodes in Figure 3. The size of the node represents the number of patent applications (Figure 3(a)) or articles (Figure 3(b)) using that allergen, which can be an indicative of the clinical importance of the allergen. The edges (connections between the nodes) were kept as a way to represent interactions among the different allergens when they were designed as hybrid proteins. Edges’ thickness illustrates the number of times that the allergens were fused into hybrid proteins. Therefore, the thicker the edge more times these allergens were fused together, denoting they are more targeted probably due to their clinical importance.
Current Trend in Immunotherapy for Peanut Allergy
Published in International Reviews of Immunology, 2018
Chong Joo Chan, Timmy Richardo, Renee Lay Hong Lim
Probiotics are live microorganisms capable of conferring health benefits on the host when administered in adequate amounts.69,70 Commercially available probiotics include the Lactobacillus sp. (L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. plantarum), Bifidobacteria sp. (B. bifidum B. bifidum, B. animalis) and Lactococcus sp. (L. lactis, L. subtilis). Probiotics contribute to the maintenance of intestinal microbial balance and modulate the host’s immune system. They have been shown to promote hypoallergenic effect, protecting against allergy.71Lactococcus sp. and Lactobacillus sp. are food-grade lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and “generally recognised as safe” (GRAS) bacteria. Therefore, these can be a preferred choice as mucosal delivery vehicles for vaccine approaches. A study on L. plantarum has shown its ability to elicit immunomodulatory effects on the TH2 cells responses in allergic disorders.72 We previously demonstrated that L. casei shirota strain has the ability to suppress TH2 activation and proinflammatory cytokines production in a dustmite allergy mouse model.71 More recently, the first randomised trial combining probiotic with peanut OIT was shown to be highly effective in modulating the peanut-specific immune response in seven out of nine children treated and showing sustained unresponsiveness.73
Clinical utility of marketing terms used for over-the-counter dermatologic products
Published in Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2018
“Hypoallergenic” is a marketing term used to suggest that a cosmetic product contains fewer allergens than other similarly-acting cosmetics and thus is less likely to promote or potentiate a cutaneous reaction (8). Overall, allergens with a 1% or greater positive rate of potentiating an allergic reaction are included in patch testing trays; however, there is no definition of what constitutes a “hypoallergenic product” or defined positive patch threshold that excludes allergens from being labeled as “hypoallergenic.” Therefore, although some patch testing reactions may be uncommon (affecting around 1% of population), they may still qualify as “hypoallergenic.” (9,10)