View clinical trials related to Allergic Inflammation.
Filter by:IgE-associated allergy is a hypersensitivity disease affecting more than 25% of the population in industrialised countries. The recognition of allergen by immunoglobulin E (IgE) plays a central role in the cause of allergic diseases. Both seasonal and nasal provocation studies have demonstrated the rise in specific IgE after allergen exposure. Additionally changes in other clinical and immunological parameters (e.g. nasal blockage, mast cell and basophil sensitivity, various cytokines or T cell profiles) in response to allergen exposure have been described. However the time sensitive interplay of these various factors such as the relationship between rise in IgE levels and change in basophils sensitivity or cytokine profiles is not yet fully understood. Clarifying how these various factors interact and contribute to immunological responses to allergen, is crucial for the development of new therapeutic approaches. The investigators aim to address these questions through a study following 36 Birch allergic patients after provocation with allergen or placebo over a peroid of 6 weeks to 1 year.
Background: - The immune system contains several different types of cells in the blood and other parts of the body. The body can fight infections well with the right balance of these cell types. The wrong balance of cell types may cause diseases, such as allergies or asthma. The COX-2 gene may help decide the balance of cell types that the body makes as part of the immune system. It may also play a role in certain immune system diseases. Researchers want to see how COX-2 affects the cells in the immune system. Objectives: - To study how the COX-2 gene works in the body s immune system. Eligibility: - Individuals 18 years of age and above who are part of the Environmental Polymorphisms Registry. Design: - Participants will have one study visit at the National Institutes of Health. They will collect a urine sample at home on the morning of the study visit. - Participants will have a physical exam and medical history. They will provide a blood sample. They will also give researchers the urine sample they collected that morning. - No treatment will be provided as part of this study.