Mauro Minelli, immunologo clinico ed allergologo

Clinical Study on Alternaria spores sensitization.
Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). 2000 Mar-Apr;28(2):71-3.

Negrini AC, Berra D, Campi P, Cinti B, Corsico R, Feliziani V, Gallesio MT, Liccardi G, Loreti A, Lugo G, Marcucci F, Marcer G, Minelli M, Nardi G, Piu G, Passaleva A, Pozzan M, Puccinelli P, Purello D’Ambrosio F, Venuti A, Zanon P.
Servicio de Alergología, Ospedale S. Martino, Génova, Italia.

BACKGROUND: sensitization to fungi spores is often associated with sensitization to other allergens and so it is difficult to estabilish the exact cause of illness. OBJECTIVE: the aim of the study was to evaluate a group of patients monosensitized to Alternaria and to establish the prevalence, periodicity and clinical profile of this kind of sensitization. METHODS: 37 subjects who were monosensitized to Alternaria (prick-test positive), according to a previous epidemiological study were evaluated. Clinical symptoms and the period of their occurrence were taken into consideration as well as immunological parameters (RAST). RESULTS: 20 patients (over 50%) included in the study proved to be affected by asthma associated with other allergic symptoms and 22 patients (60%) presented perennial symptoms. The RAST carried out on 34 monosensitized subjects proved positive in 11 and negative in 23. CONCLUSIONS: Alternaria sensitization is characterized by a perennial periodicity with severe respiratory symptoms (asthma) which occur primarily in children. Prick test is preferable to and more reliable than RAST as a diagnostic test.

PMID: 10804097 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Corsico R, Cinti B, Feliziani V, Gallesio MT, Liccardi G, Loreti A, Lugo G, Marcucci F, Marcer G, Meriggi A, Minelli M, Gherson G, Nardi G, Negrini AC, Piu G, Passaleva A, Pozzan M, D’Ambrosio FP, Venuti A, Zanon P, Zerboni R.

Fondazione, S. Maugeri, IRCCS, Montescano, Pavia, Italy.

BACKGROUND: The actual prevalence of sensitization to Alternaria is not known, partly due to the unreliability of diagnostic extracts.

OBJECTIVE: To assess skin positivity to extracts of Alternaria in a wide population of Italian patients suffering from respiratory symptoms using a biologically standardized extract.

METHODS: A total of 2942 patients were skin prick tested with Alternaria, and a panel of common inhalant allergens. Blood samples for specific IgE quantitation were taken both from patients positive and from patients negative (control group) to Alternaria extract.

RESULTS: Three hundred six patients (10.4%, ranging from 1.8% in Turin to 29.3% in Cagliari) were positive to Alternaria; 37 were sensitized to only this mold, while the remaining 269 were sensitized to at least one other allergen. Of the Alternaria-positive patients, 79.7% suffered from rhinitis and 53.3% from asthma, either alone or associated with other symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that, at least in Italy and in countries with similar climatic and environmental situations, standardized Alternaria extract should be included in the panel commonly used in investigating the allergen responsible in patients suffering from respiratory allergy.

PMID: 9475571 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]