Anaphylaxis To Australian Native Ant Venoms; Major Allergens, Cross-reactivity, Diagnosis And Risk Assessment.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$345,813.00
Summary
Insect venom allergy is a major cause of life-threatening allergy (anaphylaxis) in this country, and native ants are the most frequent cause in some regions. For introduced insects (bees and wasps), venom extracts are widely available for diagnostic and therapeutic use, but this is not yet the case for native ants. As many as 50,000 Australians may be affected by allergy to stings from ants in the native genus Myrmecia. This project will provide an in-depth understanding of the ant species respo ....Insect venom allergy is a major cause of life-threatening allergy (anaphylaxis) in this country, and native ants are the most frequent cause in some regions. For introduced insects (bees and wasps), venom extracts are widely available for diagnostic and therapeutic use, but this is not yet the case for native ants. As many as 50,000 Australians may be affected by allergy to stings from ants in the native genus Myrmecia. This project will provide an in-depth understanding of the ant species responsible for anaphylaxis in Australia. We will develop a range of diagnostic test modules, a detailed national map of causative species, and a panel of reference venoms and allergic sera, so that accurate diagnostic tests can be assured, and so that high quality venom extracts can be provided for human use (immunotherapy). We will also study allergic volunteers for up to five years, so as to determine which people are at the highest risk of repeated stings and reactions and thus most likely to benefit from desensitisation. Current evidence suggests that the commonest cause of native insect venom allergy may be the jack jumper ant Myrmecia pilosula, for which a desensitising venom extract has been developed and shown to be highly effective in preventing life threatening reactions. The research described in this application will enable doctors to ensure an accurate diagnosis, which is an essential step before desensitising treatment can be offered for jack jumper allergy. Another large group of people are probably allergic to larger Myrmecia known as bull dog ants or inch ants. Our results with regard to cross-reactivity patterns and venom similarities will enable us to determine an optimum therapeutic mixture of bull dog ant venoms and thus enable us to provide treatment for people allergic to these ants as well.Read moreRead less
The main purpose of this study is to understand how airborne fungi affect asthmatics who are allergic to them. Fungi or moulds release large numbers of spores into the air that are inhaled. In many cases fungal spores outnumber other particles that carry allergen, such as pollens or cat dander, by 100 to 1. This makes fungi the most common potential allergen in the environment. Fungi have been associated with respiratory diseases including fungal sinusitis, asthma, rhinitis, allergic alveolitis ....The main purpose of this study is to understand how airborne fungi affect asthmatics who are allergic to them. Fungi or moulds release large numbers of spores into the air that are inhaled. In many cases fungal spores outnumber other particles that carry allergen, such as pollens or cat dander, by 100 to 1. This makes fungi the most common potential allergen in the environment. Fungi have been associated with respiratory diseases including fungal sinusitis, asthma, rhinitis, allergic alveolitis and sick building syndrome. Largely due to their diversity and complexity, allergenic fungi have not been well studied and the ways in which individuals vary when inhaling spores is not known. Unlike other allergenic particles, it is unlikely that fungal spores release their allergen as soon as they are inhaled because we have shown in earlier in vitro studies that fungi continue to release allergen over time and this is likely to be the case when they are inhaled. Our laboratory has developed two new techniques that allow us to measure how many spores people inhale and whether they are allergic to them. This study will use these tools to detect and identify the important allergenic fungi involved in domestic and outdoor exposure of asthmatics, the degree of contribution to the total allergen load to which subjects are exposed and identify in what conditions fungi are the causal agents in location-specific symptoms. This study will also investigate allergen production of fungi in situ in the human nose, which will have application in allergic sinusitis and asthma amongst other respiratory diseases. We will investigate how readily allergenic spores germinate in the nose and under what conditions they release allergen.Read moreRead less
Population Prevalence And Environmental-genetic Predictors Of Food Allergy In An Infant Cohort
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$551,642.00
Summary
This study will measure which children are at greatest risk of food allergy. We plan to recruit 5000 children to test for food allergies, as well as asking a range of questions on different lifestyle factors such as diet and history of allergies . If positive, participants will be invited to a hospital clinic for tests and treatment. This will allow us to describe the epidemiology of food allergy, and assist the development of better services for those with food allergy in the community.
Immunological And Molecular Basis Of Anaphylaxis Caused By Peanut And Tree Nut Allergy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$195,691.00
Summary
An allergy to nuts is estimated to affect 1% of the population and peanuts are the major cause of fatal food-induced anaphylaxis. Five deaths occurred in the UK in 1993 which attracted media attention to the gravity of this problem. Proteins in the nut trigger a massive immunological reaction that causes the body to go into anaphylactic shock in which all the major body systems shut down. Nut allergy usually presents in infancy and persists indefinitely. As nuts are used in a wider and less visi ....An allergy to nuts is estimated to affect 1% of the population and peanuts are the major cause of fatal food-induced anaphylaxis. Five deaths occurred in the UK in 1993 which attracted media attention to the gravity of this problem. Proteins in the nut trigger a massive immunological reaction that causes the body to go into anaphylactic shock in which all the major body systems shut down. Nut allergy usually presents in infancy and persists indefinitely. As nuts are used in a wider and less visible range of food products, sensitisation is increasing and occurring earlier. It has been proposed, wrongly, that peanut (groundnut) allergic patients do not suffer from allergy to tree nuts (hazel, almond, Brazil, walnut). However a British survey of 1250 patients suffering from peanut anaphylaxis revealed that 50% of people with peanut allergy are also allergic to other nuts confirming our own clinical observations. At present, unlike insect venom allergy, grass pollen allergy and house dust mite allergy, there is no preventative treatment available. We plan to explore peanut allergy and investigate cross-reactivity between peanuts and major tree nuts to attempt to identify an allergen(s) that could explain the molecular nature of the allergy and offer approaches to immunotherapy. This information is necessary if we are to achieve safe and effective allergy shots for patients with this life long and life-threatening allergy as well as assisting in the development of better diagnosticRead moreRead less
Many approaches to the prevention and treatment of allergy and associated asthma are dependent on the identification of the allergens producing the inflammation. This applies to new methods of determining the exposure to allergens and measuring the effectiveness of procedures which minimise allergen exposure. Diagnostic and immunotherapeutic measures require reliable preparations of allergens. The presence of important allergens in extracts however can be variable and often low so it important t ....Many approaches to the prevention and treatment of allergy and associated asthma are dependent on the identification of the allergens producing the inflammation. This applies to new methods of determining the exposure to allergens and measuring the effectiveness of procedures which minimise allergen exposure. Diagnostic and immunotherapeutic measures require reliable preparations of allergens. The presence of important allergens in extracts however can be variable and often low so it important that the allergens be identified and monitored. It is also important that new forms of immunotherapy being developed consider the responses to all allergens. Allergy to the cat is, behind house dust mite, the second most frequent allergy associated with asthma in most developed countries and brief exposure to a cat frequently induces life-threatening attacks. Almost all of the study of cat allergens have concentrated on a single allergen called Fel d 1. Although it importance is undisputed critical reading of the literature show it is only responsible for 50% of the IgE binding in cat extracts and recent work on cross allergy to cat and dogs and experimental therapy based on Fel d 1 point to the importance of other allergens. Experience with other source of allergens has shown that at least several allergens are usually important. It is also apparent from other studies that some allergens which are difficult to detect in extracts, and cannot be readily studied by immunochemistry are important. This project will use both cDNA cloning and immunochemistry to identify and characterize the other cat allergens and determine there relative importance. In particular it intended that they can be used, along with Fel d 1, to develop new types of immunotherapy.Read moreRead less
T Cell PKC Expression As A Novel Neonatal Predictor And Modulator Of Allergic Disease.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$557,939.00
Summary
This application will further assess the role of a novel biological predictor of allergic disease, which appears more accurate than any previous marker (based on preliminary data). This is highly relevant to development of predictive tools that could be ultimately used in clinical practice. We will also assess this marker as a potential target for disease prevention, as our preliminary data also indicates that it can be modified by an early intervention aimed at preventing allergic disease.
The Impact Of Outdoor Aeroallergen Exposure On Asthma Exacerbations In Children And Adolescents
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$473,924.00
Summary
Asthma is a chronic condition usually diagnosed in childhood and an important public health concern. We do not fully understand what triggers an asthma attack, although outdoor pollen and moulds may be important. This project will establish the relative importance of pollen and moulds in triggering asthma attacks among Australian children. It will fill gaps in our knowledge of environmental triggers of asthma. Such knowledge will improve asthma management and ultimately public health.
Postviral Wheezing In Childhood: Disregulation Of Airway Tone?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$577,040.00
Summary
Asthma is a very common childhood condition that is becoming increasingly more common. Wheezing is common in infants and young children following viral infections and is often thought of as the first manifestation of asthma. However, many children and infants who wheeze with viral infections appear to grow out of asthma in their teenage years. Asthma that persists into adult life is usually associated with allergies to common environmental allergens, such as house dust mite and grass pollens. Ho ....Asthma is a very common childhood condition that is becoming increasingly more common. Wheezing is common in infants and young children following viral infections and is often thought of as the first manifestation of asthma. However, many children and infants who wheeze with viral infections appear to grow out of asthma in their teenage years. Asthma that persists into adult life is usually associated with allergies to common environmental allergens, such as house dust mite and grass pollens. However, many infants who wheeze with viral infections, especially in the first year of life, do not develop allergies in later life, raising the possibility that they did not have the same type of asthma as those whose symptoms persist. This project will study the effects of viral infections on lung function to determine whether particular types of virus can have detrimental effects of lung function lasting for years. We will also examine whether the age at which the infection occurs and the severity of the infection influence the long-term outcome. The project involves studying infants during the recovery phase of respiratory viral infections, older children years after documented infections and experimental animal models that have been infected under controlled conditions. By determining whether respiratory viral infections can have long-term effects on lung function that can mimic asthma, we will advance our understanding of how asthma develops. In addition, specific treatment and preventative strategies could then be developed to prevent these long-term abnormalities, instead of relying on asthma medication (especially inhaled corticosteroids) as is the current practice. Preventative strategies could include encouraging the development of specific vaccines.Read moreRead less