Category Archives: Allergy

Allergy, Vitamins

Contrary or Contradictory

A forthcoming “Perspectives in asthma” paper in “JACI” by Litonjua and Weiss will be about the vitamin D hypothesis. Although the authors find that

Evidence exists that vitamin D induces a shift in the balance between TH1 and TH2-rype cytokines toward TH2 dominance

they make a largely unexpected turn by saying that vitamin DEFICIENCY may be to blame for the asthma epidemic. The basic argumentation is

We hypothesize that as populations grow more prosperous and more Westernized, more time is spent indoors and there is less exposure to sunlight leading to vitamin D deficiency…

Given the immediate and effective vitamin D production in skin and its longterm availability by fat stores I cannot follow their last conclusion. Continue reading Contrary or Contradictory →

 

CC-BY-NC Science Surf 19.10.2007, access 17.10.2025
Allergy, Vitamins

The history of vitamin D discovery, industrial production and marketing

There is a new German dissertation about Vigantol (R) excellently written by Jochen Haas and just published at Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft “Vigantol, Adolf Windaus und die Geschichte des Vitamin D”. Altogether 425 pages, it contains a biographical sketch of Windaus (p 32-83), a detailed summary of the juristical questions about irradiating ergosterin (p 96-154), a detailed history of the pharmaceutical production (p 155-238) and finally a chapter about marketing of different brands by Merck (p 238-281). Continue reading The history of vitamin D discovery, industrial production and marketing →

 

CC-BY-NC Science Surf 19.10.2007, access 17.10.2025
Allergy, Vitamins

Why the allergy epidemic did not already start 1935 in Germany

moblog – I have now spent another day at the Berlin Document Center browsing through hundreds of RKI pages – manuscripts, correspondence, bills and personal files. My goal was to find out why the allergy epidemic did not already start off 1935 in Germany when vitamin D synthesis was already possible on a large scale.
Indeed, I found evidence that at least 3 companies radiated at that time yeast derived ergosterin by UV quartz lamps – I.G. Farben, Nordmark-Werke and Deutsche Vitamin Gesellschaft. The number of companies in this field Continue reading Why the allergy epidemic did not already start 1935 in Germany →

 

CC-BY-NC Science Surf 12.10.2007, access 17.10.2025
Allergy

Pax5 and allergy

Transcription factor Pax5 is a key regulator for the B cell lineage (it may even be reponsible for redifferentiation from B to T cells according to new research from the Busslinger lab). As human CD23a, the low affinity IgE receptor, has a functional Pax-5-binding site, there could be a relationship to allergy inheritance. So far I have only looked into Pax-8 while Pax-5 might be even more important.

 

CC-BY-NC Science Surf 8.10.2007, access 17.10.2025
Allergy, Genetics

DNA to heal asthma?

A new nature medicine review is listing clinical trials targeting Toll-like receptors. These include 3 preclinical studies all using cpG-ODNs against TLR9 by Dynavax Astra-Zeneca, Coley / Sanofi-Aventis and Idera / Novartis. Lets wait and see…

 

CC-BY-NC Science Surf 2.10.2007, access 17.10.2025
Allergy

London smog, asthma and the world’s fastest man

Haile Gebrselassie has broken the world record on the Marathon distance in Berlin with 2:04:26! Gratulations!! Earlier this year in London he could not finish due to breathing problems. I wonder if there has been any systematic research on the relationship of air pollution and Marathon results? Munich marathon will start on Oct, 14!

 

CC-BY-NC Science Surf 1.10.2007, access 17.10.2025
Allergy, Vitamins

Vitamin A and allergy

No, I am not confusing here vitamin A and vitamin D as done in the early days of vitamin research. This post is really about vitamin A (but with similar nomenclature problem as with vitamin D). Retinol is ingested in a precursor form; animal sources like liver (–>cod liver oil) contain retinyl esters, whereas plants like carrots contain carotenoids. Continue reading Vitamin A and allergy →

 

CC-BY-NC Science Surf 28.09.2007, access 17.10.2025
Allergy, Vitamins

A short history of steamed cod liver oil

First use of liver cod oil probably originates with the fishing communities of Norway, Greenland and Iceland several centuries ago – an excellent reference is at “Cod liver oil and chemistry” 1895 by Peckel Möller. This book has a nice account on fishing at the Lofotes around the turn of the last century with many details about the cod fish migration.
The first medical use is being dated to 1789 Continue reading A short history of steamed cod liver oil →

 

CC-BY-NC Science Surf 26.09.2007, access 17.10.2025
Allergy, Genetics, Software

Castrated data

Nature had some good recommendations —

… there are challenges to making data on individual research participants available to other investigators, every effort should be made to provide researchers with an opportunity to reproduce the reported results and to investigate new hypotheses and methods.

accompanied by a bullet list

* Statement on availability of results and data so that, as far as possible, others can analyse them independently

The new expression paper published 3 days ago, however, ignores that largely Continue reading Castrated data →

 

CC-BY-NC Science Surf 19.09.2007, access 17.10.2025