Vet Dermatol. 2012 Jun;23(3):222-e45. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3164.2012.01052.x.

Dust mite species in the households of mite-sensitive dogs with atopic dermatitis.

Farmaki R, Saridomichelakis MN, Leontides L, Papazahariadou MG, Gioulekas D, Koutinas AF.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND:
The presence of important house dust and storage mite species in the microenvironment of atopic dogs has not been thoroughly investigated.

OBJECTIVES:
To compare the presence and population of five dust mite species (Dermatophagoides farinae, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Acarus siro, Tyrophagus putrescentiae and Lepidoglyphus destructor) among households with mite-sensitive atopic dogs (Group A), households with clinically healthy dogs (Group B) and households without pets (Group C, n=25) in Greece.

ANIMALS:
Twenty mite-sensitive atopic dogs and 20 clinically healthy dogs.

METHODS:
Dust samples were collected with a vacuum cleaner from owners' mattresses (all groups) and from dogs' sleeping areas (Groups A and B) or living room couch (Group C), once every season of the year. Following dust flotation, mites were counted and identified.

RESULTS:
Dermatophagoides farinae was the most prevalent (60, 40 and 64% in Groups A, B and C, respectively), followed by D. pteronyssinus (45, 35 and 48%, respectively), whereas the three storage mites were found in fewer households. No major differences could be found between Groups A and B or between households with (Groups A and B) and without dogs (Group C) egarding the presence or numbers of the five dust mite species.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE:
The presence and population of five common house dust and storage mite species does not differ among Greek households with mite-sensitive atopic dogs, households with healthy dogs and households without pets.

© 2012 The Authors. Veterinary Dermatology. © 2012 ESVD and ACVD.

PMID: 22575020

J Asthma. 2011 Nov;48(9):901-6. doi: 10.3109/02770903.2011.611958. Epub 2011 Sep 16.

Asthma control test is correlated to FEV1 and nitric oxide in Greek asthmatic patients: influence of treatment.

Papakosta D, Latsios D, Manika K, Porpodis K, Kontakioti E, Gioulekas D.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND:
Asthma is a common chronic disease affecting patients' health status and quality of life. Although recent guidelines focus on asthma control, asthma remains poorly controlled in many patients even under specialist care. Asthma Control Test™ (ACT) is a short, simple, patient-based tool that provides consistent assessment of asthma.

OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study was to estimate the relationship of ACT with objective measures of lung function and inflammation such as forced expiratory volume in 1st second (FEV(1)) and exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in outpatients admitted for initial diagnosis of asthma and at follow-up.

METHODS:
One hundred and sixty (104 women and 56 men, mean age 39.7 ± 16.6 years) asthmatic patients with newly diagnosed asthma were included in the study. Patients completed the ACT questionnaire and underwent a detailed clinical examination, FeNO measurement, and prebronchodilator spirometry before (visit 1) and 4-12 weeks after initiation of treatment (visit 2).

RESULTS:
At visit 1, the mean ACT score was 21.27 ± 3.74. According to ACT score, 37 patients (23.1%) were completely controlled, 85 patients (53.1%) were partly controlled, and 38 patients (23.8%) were uncontrolled. Patients with uncontrolled asthma had statistically higher FeNO values than patients with partly controlled (p = .038) and completely controlled asthma (p = .016). ACT score was found to have a positive correlation with prebronchodilator %FEV(1) (r = 0.177, p = .025) and negative correlation with FeNO ( r = -0.211, p = .007). At visit 2, the mean ACT score was 23.00 ± 2.19. The change in ACT score between the two visits was significantly correlated to changes in FEV(1) (r = 0.538, p < .001) and in FeNO (r = -0.466, p < .001). Patients treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) showed significant improvement in FEV(1) and in ACT score and a decrease in FeNO compared with patients without ICS treatment.

CONCLUSION:
Although FEV(1) remains the main objective parameter for evaluating asthma, ACT score was found to reflect lung function and inflammation in a Greek asthmatic population.

PMID: 21923284

J Asthma. 2009 Aug;46(6):625-31. doi: 10.1080/02770900903029796.

Long-term prognosis of asthma is good--a 12-year followup study. Influence of treatment.

Porpodis K, Papakosta D, Manika K, Kontakiotis T, Gaga M, Sichletidis L, Gioulekas D

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Abstract

The number of studies on the prognosis of bronchial asthma (BA) is rather limited. The aim of the study was to determine the evolution of BA in a long-term 12-year follow-up and to investigate possible contributing factors. One hundred and sixty-three patients who visited the Out-patient Clinic for BA from 1989 to 1993 (Visit 1) were included in the study. They were reevaluated during 2003-2005 (Visit 2). At both visits, the patients filled in a special questionnaire, underwent skin tests, spirometry, methacholine challenge and they were classified into three severity groups according to GINA of 1992 as: Mild, Moderate, and Severe asthma. At Visit 1, 95 (58.3%) patients were classified in the mild asthma group, 45 (27.6%) in moderate and 23 (14.1%) in severe; whereas at Visit 2, 107 (65.6%) patients had mild asthma, 44 (27%) moderate and 12 (7.4%) severe. At Visit 1 asthma severity was associated with male gender, younger age, and the absence of rhinitis. At Visit 2 on the other hand, asthma severity was associated with older age, longer duration of disease, smoking and again the absence of rhinitis and increased BHR at both visits. Inhaled corticosteroid use correlated with improvement in lung function. Long-term prognosis of BA was good and outcome was favorably influenced by male gender, early and mild onset of disease, absence of smoking and presence of rhinitis.

PMID: 19657907

Respiration. Respiration 2009;78:177–184 DOI: 10.1159/000203989.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Eosinophils Are Correlated to Natural Killer Cells in Eosinophilic Pneumonias

D. Papakosta^a K. Manika^a G. Kyriazis^a T. Kontakiotis^a D. Gioulekas^a T. Polyzoni^a D. Bouros ^b D. Patakas^a

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^a Pulmonary Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, ‘G. Papanicolaou’ Hospital, Exohi, Thessaloniki, and
^b Pulmonary Department, Medical School, University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece

Abstract

Background: Eosinophilic lung diseases comprise a group of heterogeneous pulmonary disorders linked by increased eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). There is supporting evidence that natural killer (NK) cells participate in the regulation of eosinophilic inflammation.

Objective:
Our aim was to investigate the relationship between eosinophils and NK cells in BALF in patients with different interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) focusing on eosinophilic pneumonias.

Methods:
Of 114 patients who presented with increased BALF eosinophils (>5%), 74 patients were classified into the following groups: 27 had eosinophilic pneumonia (EP), 17 had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), 16 had hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HSP) and 14 had cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP/BOOP). Total BALF cells, cell density and cell differential counts were assessed and lymphocyte subsets CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, CD3– CD16/56+ (NK) and CD3+CD16/56+ (NKT) were determined by flow cytometry.

Results:
Significant differences were observed in the percentages of lymphocytes (p<0.001) and CD3+CD16/56+ cells (p = 0.023) among patient groups. In patients with EP, the percentage of eosinophils correlated positively with the number of CD3–CD16/56+ cells (r = 0.522, p = 0.005), the percentage of CD3–CD16/56+ cells (r = 0.690, p ! 0.001), and the absolute count of CD3+CD16/56+ absolute cells (r = 0.609, p = 0.001). However, in patients with IPF, HSP or COP/BOOP, no correlation between the percentage of eosinophils and CD3–CD16/56+ or CD3+CD16/56+ cells was observed.

Conclusions:
Eosinophil inflammation seems to develop through a different pathway in EP compared toother ILDs.

J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2005;15(3):211-5.

Hypoxemia: an early indication of pigeon breeders' disease. Clinical and laboratory findings among pigeon breeders in the Salonica area.

Charitopoulos K, Gioulekas D, Sichletidis L, Chloros D, Vamvakopoulou, V, Zarogoulidis K.

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Pulmonary Clinic, Aristotle's University of Thessalonica Laboratory for the Investigation of Environmental Diseases Exochi, Thessalonica, Greece

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify pathological findings among pigeon breeders in the Salonica area. Fifty-four volunteer breeders with varying intensity of contact with pigeons participated in the study. All the breeders, after filling in a questionnaire that included questions about the existence of conjunctivitis, rhinitis, chronic cough and sputum, were subjected to clinical examination and spirometric, hematological (arterial and venous), radiographic and immunologic tests. Twenty-five point nine percent of the breeders suffered from conjunctivitis, 31.5% from rhinitis and 33.3% from chronic cough and sputum. Fourteen point eight percent of them had class I precipitins, 7.4% had class II, 5.6% had class III and 16.7% had class IV and a positive correlation of precipitin class with the number of pigeons bred was found. Seven breeders (13%) had hypoxemia at rest and other 8 (14.8%) presented with hypoxemia after the exercise testing. Two breeders presented with a combination of findings of allergic alveolitis that satisfied the criteria of the Pigeon Breeders' Disease (PBD). A substantial number of the examined pigeon breeders were sensitized to pigeon serum antigens. Arterial hypoxemia, either at rest and/or after exercise was observed in 27.8% of breeders. Three point seven percent of breeders presented with clinical and laboratory findings consistent with PBD. Chronic cough and sputum in pigeon breeders should be considered as a possible manifestation of PBD.

PMID: 16261958

Allergy. 2003 Sep;58(9):933-8.

15-year aeroallergen records. Their usefulness in Athens Olympics, 2004.

Gioulekas D, Damialis A, Papakosta D, Syrigou A, Mpaka G, Saxoni F, Patakas D.

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION:
About 5-25% of 16 000 athletes involved in preparation for the Athens 2004 Olympics may encounter respiratory allergy (asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis) triggered by exposure to aeroallergens (pollen and fungi spores).

AIM:
Provide information about circulating aeroallergens in three Olympic cities and ensure safety for the allergic athletes who will visit Greece from January to September 2004.

METHODS:
Aeroallergens were recorded using a Burkard volumetric trap. The most frequently implicated pollen (cypress, hazel, wall pellitory, plane, olive, grasses, goosefoot and mugwort) and fungi spores (Alternaria spp., Cladosporium spp.) are presented. These data derive from a 15-year database created by the Pulmonary Department, Thessaloniki, a 2-year database (University of Heraklion-Crete) and a 6-year database by the Pediatric Department, Athens. The above data and the current aeroallergen counts will be continuously announced by the mass media and Internet during the Athens 2004 Olympics.

RESULTS:
Are expressed as: (A) Presentation (Graphs, Tables) of the fluctuation of mean daily values of pollen grains or fungi spores/m3. (B) Presentation (Tables) of the start, peak and end time of aeroallergen circulation. Peak pollen concentrations were observed between March and May (athletes preparation time). During the 2004 Olympics (August-September) relatively high concentrations of goosefoot, mugwort, Alternaria and Cladosporium will be observed. Aeroallergens circulate in Athens 10-15 days earlier than in Thessaloniki and 10 days later than in Heraklion.

CONCLUSIONS:
The data presented in the study are expected to help allergic Olympic athletes achieve peak performance under prophylactic measures.

PMID: 12911424