Severe asthma, shrimp allergy and impact of maternal fatty acid status on their children

Abstract

Clinical & Experimental AllergyVolume 46, Issue 3 p. 386-386 Editor-in-Chief Editorial - March 2016Free Access Severe asthma, shrimp allergy and impact of maternal fatty acid status on their children First published: 24 February 2016 https://doi.org/10.1111/cea.12716Citations: 1AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Specific IgE to Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin is a marker of a specific severe asthma phenotype In a well-characterized cohort of older people with asthma, Song et al.1 found that high levels of specific IgE to Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin were associated with severe asthma. This was independent of other factors. These results represent further evidence linking Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin-specific IgE to a specific phenotype of severe asthma characterized by late onset, coexisting chronic rhinosinusitis, eosinophilia and elevated total IgE levels. The constellation of features is illustrated in their paper (reproduced in Fig. 1). This cohort contained many non-atopic individuals, defined on the basis of negative skin prick testing to common aeroallergens. Interestingly, many of these non-atopic subjects still had positive specific IgE to Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin; so perhaps, this particular enterotoxin might be able to generate Th2 inflammation, as a superantigen, bypassing the usual allergic pathways? Fan Chung, in his accompanying editorial, discusses this interesting hypothesis and potential therapeutic implications 2. Woo-Yung Song Multiple correspondence analyses plot for the interrelationships clinical features. Severe asthma is situated close to high Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin-specific IgE (SE-IgE), chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and sputum eosinophilia. Reproduced from 1. Peptide-based immunotherapy successfully suppresses allergic responses in a mouse model of shrimp allergy Peptide-based immunotherapy, utilizing T-cell epitopes, has the theoretical potential to deliver desensitization without causing allergic adverse effects as this approach does not cross link specific IgE. In this issue, Wai et al. 3 describe how they identified the immunodominant T-cell epitopes of shrimp tropomyosin and evaluated their therapeutic impact in a mouse model of shrimp allergy. In their experimental model, they were able to reduce allergic symptoms (Fig. 2), plus antibody and cytokine responses. Can this strategy be translated into human shrimp and other shellfish allergy? Christine Yee Yan Wai Amelioration of systemic allergic symptoms following oral peptide-based immunotherapy. Reproduced from 3. Heterogeneous association of maternal fatty acid status with childhood atopic disease Rucci et al. 4 examined the relationship between maternal fatty acid status during pregnancy and the risk of childhood atopic diseases, while taking into account childhood fatty acid status in the large Generation R birth cohort (Fig. 3). They found heterogeneous associations, for example total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and total n-6 PUFA were associated with a reduced risk of asthma but a higher risk of eczema. Associations were independent of child's status. What is the mechanism? Emanuela Rucci Association of maternal plasma PUFA levels with current asthma in children aged 6 years. Reproduced from 4. References 1Song W-J, Sintobin I, Sohn K-H et al. Staphylococcal enterotoxin IgE sensitization in late-onset severe eosinophilic asthma in the elderly. Clin Exp Allergy 2016; 46: 411– 21. 2Chung KF. Staphylococcal enterotoxin specific IgE: a biomarker for a distinct phenotype of severe asthma? Clin Exp Allergy 2016; 46: 387– 9. 3Wai CYY, Leung NYH, Leung PSC, Chu KH. T cell epitope immunotherapy ameliorates allergic responses in a murine model of shrimp allergy. Clin Exp Allergy 2016; 46: 491– 503. 4Rucci E, den Dekker HT, de Jongste JC. Maternal fatty acid levels during pregnancy, childhood lung function and atopic diseases. The Generation R Study. Clin Exp Allergy 2016; 46: 461– 71. Caption to cover illustration: Confocal microscopy analysis of bradykinin B2 receptor (B2R) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression in the bronchial lamina propria of an individual with asthma after diluent or allergen challenge and from one control individual. [see figure 2b in F. L. M. Ricciardolo et al. (pp. 428–438)]. This logo highlights the Editor-in-Chief Editorial articles on the cover and the first page of each of the articles. Citing Literature Volume46, Issue3March 2016Pages 386-386 ReferencesRelatedInformation