BROADLY speaking, East Asians and Westerners suffer the same types of food allergies in about the same proportions. But there is an exception. Westerners are roughly twice as likely as East Asians to be allergic to peanuts. This is a puzzle—as is the question of why anyone is allergic to peanuts in the first place. Read the rest at The Economist.
Category Archives: Immunology
One Thing Short and Tall Men Have in Common
This article was originally posted on RealClearScience.
There aren’t very many things that short and tall men have in common. Tall men make more money, have a greater choice in women, and are likelier to be elected president than their vertically challenged brethren. For all the talk of “white privilege,” maybe it is time for our culture to ponder the implications of “tall privilege.” That’s because, as a general rule, short guys have received the short end of the societal stick. (No pun intended.)
But, in at least one biological aspect, short and tall men share something in common: A less than ideal immune response. Continue reading
Narcolepsy May Be an Autoimmune Disease
This article was originally posted on RealClearScience.
Fans of the 2001 movie Rat Race will remember that Rowan Atkinson’s character suffered from narcolepsy. Moments before claiming the $2-million cash prize, he fell asleep. In real life, not only do narcoleptics suffer from irresistible daytime sleepiness, but they also have trouble sleeping at nighttime and may physically collapse from sudden muscle weakness, a symptom known as cataplexy. But, what causes it? Continue reading
New Test Could Eliminate Allergy Skin Pricks
This article was originally published on RealClearScience.
When I was a kid, I remember going to the allergist’s office and having him stick me in the back with several dozen tiny needles, each filled with a common allergen such as cat hair. After a few minutes, my back became itchy, and patterns of bright red bumps emerged like this, indicating an allergic reaction. My doctor, along with my parents, stood over my back, pointing at all the pretty colors. He informed us that I was mildly allergic to dogs and terribly allergic to cats, but not at all allergic to goats. (We ended up getting a dog, anyway, and I spent the next several years getting allergy shots, too.) Continue reading
How Does the Plague Kill People?
This article was originally posted on RealClearScience.
Every year, about seven Americans come down with plague. Yes, that plague, the one known as Black Death and which wiped out about one-third of Europe’s population in the mid-1300s. Continue reading
Allergies: A Rash of Euroenthusiasm
THE European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy gets a lot of flak. Critics lambast it for illogical subsidies, onerous regulations and vast expense. It might even cause allergies. Read the rest at The Economist.
Bee Sting Allergy Might Actually Be Useful
This article was originally posted on RealClearScience.
The adaptive immune response is the branch of our immune system that most people are familiar with. It’s the reason vaccines work. When exposed to a molecule that triggers an immune reaction (known as an “antigen”), the body produces antibodies that specifically bind to that molecule, eventually leading to its destruction. The most common class of antibody produced is called immunoglobulin G (IgG).
Our bodies can also produce a less common type of antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE). Notably, IgE helps fight off parasitic infections, but other than that, its role is largely unknown. In the developed world, parasites are no longer a major concern, so immunologists believe that IgE occupies its time by causing trouble, instead.
If you have allergies, blame IgE. For some reason, benign substances such as peanuts and cat hair can incite our immune system, which kicks out gobs of IgE. These antibodies then bind to an immune cell called a mast cell, triggering it to release a bunch of chemicals which produce all the symptoms we commonly associate with allergies — sneezing, coughing, itchiness and overall misery. In worst case scenarios, an out-of-control allergic response called anaphylatic shock occurs. This can be deadly.
Does IgE have any modern-day redemptive qualities? According to new research in the journal Immunity, the answer is yes. Continue reading