Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P15088 (mast cell)
 14,925 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a chronic, seasonally exacerbated allergic inflammation of the lids, conjunctiva, and cornea. The pathogenesis of VKC is much more complex than a mere type I hypersensitivity reaction. T-cell-mediated responses, eosinophil attraction, and nonspecific immunological reactions are key mechanisms involved. Cytokines, chemokines, proteases, and growth factors play a major pathogenetic role. Therapeutic options in VKC include mast cell stabilizers, antihistamines, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressive drugs. Newer, more selective therapeutic strategies such as antichemokine receptor antibodies, leukotriene receptor antagonists, and specific macrobiomolecules are under evaluation.
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PMID:[Therapeutic options in vernal keratoconjunctivitis]. 1943 Jul 98

Allergic diseases have greatly increased in industrialized countries. About 30% of people suffer from allergic symptoms and 40%-80% of them have symptoms in the eyes. Atopic conjunctivitis can be divided into seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC) and perennial allergic conjunctivitis (PAC). The treatment of SAC is simple; antihistamines, anti-inflammatory agents, or chromoglycate. In severe cases of SAC, subcutaneous or sublingual immunotherapy is helpful. PAC needs longer therapy, often year round, with mast cell stabilizers, antihistamines, and sometimes local steroids. Atopic keratoconjunctivitis is a more severe disease showing chronic blepharitis often connected with severe keratitis. It needs, in many cases, continuous treatment of the lid eczema and keratoconjunctivitis. Blepharitis is treated with tacrolimus or pimecrolimus ointment. Conjunctivitis additionally needs corticosteroids and, if needed, cyclosporine A (CsA) drops are administered for longer periods. Basic conjunctival treatment is with mast cell-stabilizing agents and in addition, antihistamines are administered. Vernal keratoconjunctivitis is another chronic and serious allergic disease that mainly affects children and young people. It is a long-lasting disease which commonly subsides in puberty. It demands intensive therapy often for many years to avoid serious complicating corneal ulcers. Treatment is mast cell-stabilizing drops and additionally antihistamines. In relapses, corticosteroids are needed. When the use of corticosteroids is continuous, CsA drops should be used, and in relapses, corticosteroids should be used additionally. Nonallergic eosinophilic conjunctivitis (NAEC) is a less known, but rather common, ocular disease. It affects mostly middle-aged and older women. The eye symptoms of NAEC are largely similar to those seen in chronic allergic conjunctivitis. Basic therapy is mast cell-stabilizing drops. Eosinophilic inflammation needs additional corticosteroids. In severe cases, CsA drops are recommended. Antihistamines should be avoided. It is important to recognize the different forms of allergic ocular diseases and to start the treatment early and intensively enough to avoid chronicity of the disease and accompanying tissue destruction.
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PMID:Updates in the treatment of ocular allergies. 2143 49

Vernal keratoconjunctivitis / spring catarrh is a variety of exogenous allergic conjunctivitis, which is a very troublesome ocular disease of childhood and in the adolescent age group. The child suffers from intense itching, grittiness, discharge, redness, lacrimation, photophobia, and so on, thereby, decreasing his learning hours. The troublesome features are aggravated in the spring season / hot climate that lasts for years together and rarely persists after adolescence. Mast cell stabilizers, topical Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and steroids are the available treatment options that too with symptomatic relief and potential side effects, which limits the long-term use of these medicines. The clinical picture of vernal keratoconjunctivitis / spring catarrh is very similar to Kaphaja Abhishyanda, and Triyushnadi Anjana Bhaishajya Ratnavali (B.R.), and its treatment was clinically tried on the patients attending the Netra Roga OPD of the R.G. Government P.G. Ayurveda College Hospital at Paprola (H.P.). A proper protocol and performa was adopted with strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. In the first phase, a pilot study was conducted on 38 clinically diagnosed patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis, and it gave 100% relief in photophobia, foreign body (FB) sensation, and lacrimation, with marked relief in other features. Encouraged by this pilot work, Triyushnadi Anjana (TA) and 2% sodium cromoglycate (mast cell stabilizer) eye drops in the second-phase clinical trial on 32 patients were tried clinically to evaluate the comparative efficacy. In the second clinical trial, the patients were randomly divided into two groups and Group I was given sodium cromoglycate 2% eye drops and Group II was given TA. The outcome of this study verified the results of the first phase pilot study, and on comparison of the results of the two groups in the second clinical study it was observed that the TA-treated group showed better results. Transient irritation in the eyes was reported by all patients after application of TA, which was relieved by keeping the eyes closed for a few minutes. None of the patients reported any adverse action of the trial drug. Thus, it can be concluded that TA is a safe, cost-effective, and potent Ayurvedic alternative in the treatment of vernal keratoconjunctivitis / spring catarrh.
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PMID:A clinical study to assess the efficacy of Triyushnadi Anjana in Kaphaja Abhishyanda with special reference to vernal keratoconjunctivitis. 2204 41

About 30% of people suffer from allergic symptoms, and 40% to 80% of them have eye symptoms. Atopic conjunctivitis is divided into seasonal allergic conjunctivitis and perennial allergic conjunctivitis. The treatment of seasonal allergic conjunctivitis is simple: antihistamines, anti-inflammatory agents, or cromoglycate. Perennial allergic conjunctivitis needs longer therapy with mast cell stabilizers and sometimes local steroids. Atopic keratoconjunctivitis requires long-term treatment of the lid eczema and keratoconjunctivitis. Vernal keratoconjunctivitis mainly affects children and young people. It commonly calms down after puberty. It demands intensive therapy, often for many years, to avoid serious complicating corneal ulcers. Giant papillary conjunctivitis is a foreign body reaction in contact lens users or patients with sutures following ocular surgery. Nonallergic eosinophilic conjunctivitis affects mostly middle-aged and older women with eosinophilic conjunctivitis and dry eye. Contact allergic blepharoconjunctivitis is often caused by cosmetics and eye medication. Work-related ocular allergies should be considered as a cause of resistant ocular symptoms in workplaces.
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PMID:Diagnostics and new developments in the treatment of ocular allergies. 2238 7

Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is an allergic ocular disease in children and young adults. It is linked to atopy but it is characterized by typical inflammatory changes of ocular tissues. The conjunctiva often shows hyperplasia, with infiltration of lymphocytes and eosinophils; also mast cells, confined to the substantia propria in normal subjects, invade the epithelium in VKC. Both mucosal (MC(T)) and connective tissue (MC(TC)) types of mast cell can be found in the conjunctival tissues of VKC patients, whereas MC(TC) predominate in the normal eye. Much of the damage caused to the surface of the eye in VKC appears to be due to cytotoxic factors released from the invading eosinophils. Ongoing studies of cell/mediator interactions involved in the inflammatory process are contributing to the understanding of VKC and other allergic eye diseases also providing the rationale for effective treatment which may be found by blocking the immunological inflammatory network at specific points. Therapeutic studies with nedocromil sodium have shown encouraging results. For example, a six-week placebo comparison in Italy found nedocromil sodium eye drops to be efficacious in reducing hyperaemia, eye itching and inflammatory cells present in tears. Similarly, a four-week trial in Egypt showed this drug superior to sodium cromoglycate using the same q.i.d. regimen.
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PMID:Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis (VKC). 2282 85

Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a bilateral, usually seasonally recurrent, allergic inflammation of the conjunctiva, characterised by limbal gelatinous hypertrophy and/or upper tarsal giant conjunctival papillae. Although rare in temperate regions, it represents an important cause of hospital referral in many parts of Africa and Asia. Clinical and immunohistochemical studies suggest that IgE-dependent (type I allergic) and IgE-independent (type IV allergic) mechanisms are involved in the immunopathogenesis of VKC, in which various inflammatory cells, including different T cell subpopulations play an active role via a cascade of chemical mediators. Endocrine, genetic, neurogenic, environmental and socioeconomic risk factors have been identified. However, its aetiology and pathophysiology remain unclear. The clinical course of this disease is usually benign and self-limiting, but a minority of patients will face very debilitating and sight threatening complications. Topical corticosteroids are often used during flare-ups in combination with mast cell stabilizers as maintenance treatment for VKC. However this management is unsatisfactory in controlling severe cases and avoiding recurrences. Non-steroidal immune modulators such as ciclosporin A and tacrolimus are promising alternatives, but tolerance to these agents needs to be improved and production costs reduced. The purpose of this review is to give an update on its epidemiology, immunopathogenesis and management.
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PMID:Vernal keratoconjunctivitis: an update. 2303 63

Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a persistent, severe allergic eye disease, mainly occurring in children, that can lead to severe ocular complications including visual loss. The underlying etiology and pathophysiology of VKC remain unclear. Common therapies include topical antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers that are effective in mild-to-moderate forms of VKC but are often ineffective in severe forms that require topical or systemic corticosteroids. Dependence on steroids is common with potential adverse effects both local, as increased intraocular pressure, glaucoma, infection and cataract, as well as systemic ones, as reduction in child growth velocity. Alternative therapies are immunosuppressive drugs, like cyclosporine A and tacrolimus, that usually are effective but may also cause adverse effects. A promising therapeutic option is omalizumab, a recombinant anti-IgE humanized monoclonal antibody, currently used as add-on therapy for moderate to severe uncontrolled allergic asthma and chronic spontaneous urticaria. Here, we report the short-time duration of effective relief of symptoms after the prolonged use of omalizumab in a patient affected by refractory VKC. However, in our case any apparent beneficial effect was short lasting, and we propose that the duration of the disease and the concomitant long-term use of steroids leads to iatrogenic damage; thus, the disease becomes refractory to anti-IgE treatment.
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PMID:Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis: A Case of Anti-IgE Treatment with Short-Lasting Remission. 3277 91