When intestinal bacteria that are part of the microbiome were first linked to obesity it seemed to be a scientific curiosity. That was in 2007. Now fast forward 14 years and the microbiome has become the subject of hundreds of thousands of research projects around the globe. This research has led to the understanding of how our gut bacteria can influence the development of many human diseases including asthma and allergy. Not to over simplify all this research but it…
Acute liver injury caused by accidental or intentional acetaminophen overdose is well known. If ingested all at once, 30 acetaminophens are lethal by causing acute liver failure. One of the metabolites of acetaminophen is N-acctyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI) which is produced by the liver enzyme system P-450. Glutathione stores in the liver detoxify this otherwise harmful metabolite. Acute overdose can deplete the glutathione stores in the liver and this will cause the liver cells to die. New research published in the…
-Social isolation is still a good strategy and it works. -Early Covid infection can be successfully treated with monoclonal antibodies casirivimab and imdevimab given as a one-time injection or IV infusion. -Post-exposure prophylaxis can also be given to high-risk individuals who have been exposed to someone with active Covid 19 infection before they develop the infection themselves. The same monoclonal antibodies are used.
The one second answer is “yes”, but there is an over 100-year-old story behind that. BCG, properly called Bacillus Calmette-Guerin is a live attenuated (weakened) form of tuberculosis. The vaccine has been around for 100 years and is routinely given to children in nearly all non-Western countries to prevent TB. Not long after the vaccine was developed in the 1920’s scientists noted a significant decrease in childhood death rates not only from TB but from many unrelated infections. More recent…
IgG food testing (also known as food sensitivity testing) was recently discussed in an editorial from Yale in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. The physicians at Yale sited the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology and the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in recommending strongly against the use of IgG food testing. IgG (Immunoglobulin G) is one of the main immune proteins in humans. It serves both “recognition” and “protection” functions. Homeland Security might serve as…
There is still much to learn about Corona virus. One area that is particularly problematic is how to protect patients that are immunocompromised (roughly 5% of the US population) due to organ transplant, auto-immune/rheumatic diseases, cancer, and dialysis. It has been long understood that the efficacy of many vaccines is attenuated in immunocompromised patients and this also seems to be the case for Covid-19 vaccines. Timing of the vaccine is important and it should be administered between chemotherapy cycles. For…
The answer is yes: they are working well and luckily the foibles are generally mild. Globally there are eleven different vaccines currently in use, but so far only 2% of the world’s population has been vaccinated. We need to do better, including vaccines that don’t have elaborate requirements for transport or refrigeration. Another 251 vaccines are at some stage of development including 60 that are entering human trials. Let me tell you about some of the very promising ones. Vaxxinity…
We are currently in grass pollen season and soon to be added is ragweed pollen. People with grass pollen allergy may have worse symptoms this time of year if they ingest foods that share allergenic components with the pollen. These grass related foods are: melons, oranges, kiwi, tomato, and peanut. Ragweed related foods include: melons, banana, artichoke, cucumber, zucchini, echinacea, chamomile and hibiscus tea.
Many drugs have been considered for treatment of Covid-19 and several monoclonal antibodies have been granted emergency use authorization by the FDA. However, the only FDA approved drug for treating Covid-19 is the IV antiviral Remdesivir that inhibits RNA polymerase. Fluvoxamine is one of many SSRI’s (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) that are used to treat anxiety and depression. However, Fluvoxamine is structurally unrelated to the other SSRI’s. In addition to its serotonin modulating activity, it is a strong agonist (stimulator)…
Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) is an inherited deficiency of functional C-1-esterase inhibitor (C-1-INH) and is characterized by unpredictable recurrent episodes of painful often disabling swelling of the abdomen or face or extremities. In the recent past several new drugs have become available to treat this condition. One of the most exciting ones is Ruconest, which is a C-1-esterase inhibitor made by recombinant technology. Thus, it works by replacing what the patient fails to make (or fails to make in a functional…