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Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology... Apr 2022
Topics: Animals; Arthropod Venoms; Bee Venoms; Desensitization, Immunologic; Humans; Hymenoptera; Immunotherapy; Insect Bites and Stings; Tryptases
PubMed: 35032675
DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2022.01.009 -
Journal of Investigational Allergology... Oct 2022Hymenoptera venom immunotherapy (VIT) is effective for protecting individuals with systemic allergic reactions caused by Hymenoptera stings. The need for a tool that... (Review)
Review
Hymenoptera venom immunotherapy (VIT) is effective for protecting individuals with systemic allergic reactions caused by Hymenoptera stings. The need for a tool that shows the degree of protection afforded by VIT and the lack of useful biomarkers have made the sting challenge test (SCT) the gold standard for this disorder, although its use has both lights and shadows. SCT with Hymenoptera involves causing a real sting in a patient diagnosed with allergy to the venom of the stinging insect and who is undergoing treatment with specific immunotherapy. In Spain, SCT is included in the list of services offered by some hospitals and forms part of their daily clinical practice. This review aims to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of this test and to describe the standardized procedure and necessary resources, based on the experience of a group of Spanish experts and a review of the literature.
Topics: Animals; Arthropod Venoms; Bee Venoms; Biomarkers; Desensitization, Immunologic; Humans; Hymenoptera; Hypersensitivity; Insect Bites and Stings
PubMed: 35735250
DOI: 10.18176/jiaci.0838 -
Allergy Oct 2019Diagnosis of Hymenoptera venom allergy (HVA) is straightforward in the majority of patients, but can be challenging in double positive and test negative patients. Test...
Diagnosis of Hymenoptera venom allergy (HVA) is straightforward in the majority of patients, but can be challenging in double positive and test negative patients. Test results sometimes can be confusing as patients with high skin test reactivity and high specific IgE (sIgE) levels are not at risk for severe systemic sting reactions (SSR), and conversely, patients with weakly positive or even negative tests can experience severe SSR. Venom immunotherapy (VIT) is safe, highly effective, and recommended in patients with moderate to severe SSR and in patients with SSR confined to generalized skin symptoms if quality of life is impaired.
Topics: Algorithms; Allergens; Animals; Arthropod Venoms; Clinical Decision-Making; Disease Management; Hymenoptera; Hypersensitivity; Insect Bites and Stings
PubMed: 30972798
DOI: 10.1111/all.13817 -
Toxicon : Official Journal of the... Sep 2018The limited number of centipede venom characterizations have revealed a rich diversity of toxins, and recent work has suggested centipede toxins may be more rapidly...
The limited number of centipede venom characterizations have revealed a rich diversity of toxins, and recent work has suggested centipede toxins may be more rapidly diversifying than previously considered. Additionally, many identified challenges in venomics research, including assembly and annotation methods, toxin quantification, and the ability to provide biological or technical replicates, have yet to be addressed in centipede venom characterizations. We performed high-throughput, quantifiable transcriptomic and proteomic methods on two individual Scolopendra viridis centipedes from North Florida. We identified 39 toxins that were proteomically confirmed, and 481 nontoxins that were expressed in the venom gland of S. viridis. The most abundant toxins expressed in the venom of S. viridis belonged to calcium and potassium ion-channel toxins, venom allergens, metalloproteases, and β-pore forming toxins. We compared our results to the previously characterized S. viridis from Morelos, Mexico, and found only five proteomically confirmed toxins in common to both localities, suggesting either extreme toxin divergence within S. viridis, or that these populations may represent entirely different species. By using multiple assembly and annotation methods, we generated a comprehensive and quantitative reference transcriptome and proteome of a Scolopendromorpha centipede species, while overcoming some of the challenges present in venomics research.
Topics: Animals; Arthropod Venoms; Arthropods; Florida; Mexico; Proteome; Transcriptome
PubMed: 30086358
DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.07.030 -
Clinical and Experimental Allergy :... Feb 2022
Topics: Anaphylaxis; Animals; Arthropod Venoms; Bee Venoms; Desensitization, Immunologic; Humans; Immunotherapy; Insect Bites and Stings; Wasp Venoms; Wasps
PubMed: 34735733
DOI: 10.1111/cea.14039 -
Nature Communications Feb 2021Venoms have evolved over a hundred times in animals. Venom toxins are thought to evolve mostly by recruitment of endogenous proteins with physiological functions. Here...
Venoms have evolved over a hundred times in animals. Venom toxins are thought to evolve mostly by recruitment of endogenous proteins with physiological functions. Here we report phylogenetic analyses of venom proteome-annotated venom gland transcriptome data, assisted by genomic analyses, to show that centipede venoms have recruited at least five gene families from bacterial and fungal donors, involving at least eight horizontal gene transfer events. These results establish centipedes as currently the only known animals with venoms used in predation and defence that contain multiple gene families derived from horizontal gene transfer. The results also provide the first evidence for the implication of horizontal gene transfer in the evolutionary origin of venom in an animal lineage. Three of the bacterial gene families encode virulence factors, suggesting that horizontal gene transfer can provide a fast track channel for the evolution of novelty by the exaptation of bacterial weapons into animal venoms.
Topics: Animals; Arthropod Proteins; Arthropod Venoms; Chilopoda; Gene Expression; Gene Transfer, Horizontal; Genes, Bacterial; Genes, Fungal; Phylogeny; Proteomics; Transcriptome
PubMed: 33547293
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21093-8 -
Allergy Sep 2009The most important causative factor for anaphylaxis in mastocytosis are insect stings. The purpose of this review is to analyse the available data concerning prevalence,... (Review)
Review
The most important causative factor for anaphylaxis in mastocytosis are insect stings. The purpose of this review is to analyse the available data concerning prevalence, diagnosis, safety and effectiveness of venom immunotherapy (VIT) in mastocytosis patients. If data were unclear, authors were contacted personally for further information. Quality of evidence (A: high, B: moderate, C: low and D: very low) and strength of recommendation (strong 1 and weak 2) concerning VIT in mastocytosis patients are assessed according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation and are marked in square brackets. Results of VIT were described in 117 patients to date. The mean rate of side-effects during treatment in studies published so far is 23.9% (7.6% requiring adrenaline) with an overall protection rate of 72%. Based on the review we conclude that (1) mastocytosis patients have a high risk of severe sting reactions in particular to yellow jacket, (2) VIT could be suggested [2] in mastocytosis, (3) probably should be done life long [2], (4) VIT in mastocytosis is accompanied by a higher frequency of side-effects, so (5) special precautions should be taken into account notably during the built up phase of the therapy [2], (6) VIT is able to reduce systemic reactions, but to a lesser extent compared to the general insect venom allergic population [2], so (7) patients should be warned that the efficacy of VIT might be less than optimal and they should continue carrying two adrenaline auto injectors [2].
Topics: Anaphylaxis; Animals; Arthropod Venoms; Humans; Immunotherapy; Insect Bites and Stings; Mastocytosis; Wasps
PubMed: 19627278
DOI: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2009.02118.x -
Toxins Jan 2022Linear cationic venom peptides are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that exert their effects by damaging cell membranes. These peptides can be highly specific, and for...
Linear cationic venom peptides are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that exert their effects by damaging cell membranes. These peptides can be highly specific, and for some, a significant therapeutic value was proposed, in particular for treatment of bacterial infections. A prolific source of novel AMPs are arthropod venoms, especially those of hitherto neglected groups such as pseudoscorpions. In this study, we describe for the first time pharmacological effects of AMPs discovered in pseudoscorpion venom. We examined the antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and insecticidal activity of full-length Checacin1, a major component of the venom, and three truncated forms of this peptide. The antimicrobial tests revealed a potent inhibitory activity of Checacin1 against several bacteria and fungi, including methicillin resistant (MRSA) and even Gram-negative pathogens. All peptides reduced survival rates of aphids, with Checacin1 and the C-terminally truncated Checacin1 exhibiting effects comparable to Spinosad, a commercially used pesticide. Cytotoxic effects on mammalian cells were observed mainly for the full-length Checacin1. All tested peptides might be potential candidates for developing lead structures for aphid pest treatment. However, as these peptides were not yet tested on other insects, aphid specificity has not been proven. The N- and C-terminal fragments of Checacin1 are less potent against aphids but exhibit no cytotoxicity on mammalian cells at the tested concentration of 100 µM.
Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Anti-Infective Agents; Aphids; Arachnida; Arthropod Proteins; Arthropod Venoms; Cytotoxins; Dogs; Insecticides; Madin Darby Canine Kidney Cells; Sequence Alignment
PubMed: 35051034
DOI: 10.3390/toxins14010058 -
Revista Da Associacao Medica Brasileira... 2015In southern Brazil, since 1989, several cases of accidents produced by unwilling contact with the body of poisonous caterpillars of the moth species Lonomia obliqua... (Review)
Review
In southern Brazil, since 1989, several cases of accidents produced by unwilling contact with the body of poisonous caterpillars of the moth species Lonomia obliqua Walker, 1855 (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), were described. L. obliqua caterpillars have gregarious behavior and feed on leaves of host trees during the night, staying grouped in the trunk during the day, which favors the occurrence of accidents with the species. This caterpillar has the body covered with bristles that on contact with the skin of individuals, breaks and release their contents, inoculating the venom into the victim. The basic constitution of the venom is protein and its components produce physiological changes in the victim, which include disturbances in hemostasis. Hemorrhagic syndrome associated with consumption coagulopathy, intravascular hemolysis and acute renal failure are some of the possible clinical manifestations related to poisoning by L. obliqua. Specific laboratory tests for diagnosis of poisoning have not been described previously. The diagnosis of poisoning is made based on the patient's medical history, clinical manifestations, erythrocyte levels, and, primarily, parameters that evaluate blood coagulation. Treatment is performed with the use of supportive care and the administration of specific hyperimmune antivenom. Poisoning can be serious and even fatal.
Topics: Animals; Arthropod Venoms; Blood Coagulation; Brazil; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation; Hemorrhage; Hemostasis; Humans; Lepidoptera; Moths; Serine Endopeptidases
PubMed: 26248250
DOI: 10.1590/1806-9282.61.03.263 -
Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology... Mar 2017
Topics: Animals; Arthropod Venoms; Desensitization, Immunologic; Humans; Hymenoptera; Hypersensitivity; Insect Bites and Stings; Pharmaceutical Preparations
PubMed: 28284534
DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2017.02.001