Detail

Keywords

Allergy Diagnosis; Immunotherapy; Primary Prevention; Secondary Prevention; Sublingual Immunotherapy

Research group(s)

• Pediatric Allergology and Pulmonology
  Research Area: Pediatric Allergology: Primary food allergies (IgE- and non-IgE-mediated),new markers of diagnosis (BAT), food challenges; allergen-specific preventive immuntherapy trial in 4 year old children Pediatric Pulmonology: cystic fibrosis treatment trials
  Members:
  Zsolt Szepfalusi

Research interests

Zsolt Szépfalusi is M.D. and trained pediatrician with specialty in pediatric allergology and pulmonology. Early scientific activities focused on IgE-mediated allergies and in particular on the mode of materno-fetal interaction with allergic sensitization (1993-1996). On an ex-vivo placenta model experimental data support the idea of an early materno-fetal allergen-cross talk (1998-2005), that seems to be a Th1-driven response. (2006-2012). Clinical studies have been started to elucidate the early and preventive effect of allergen-specific immunotherapy in young children (2005-ongoing). The first placebo-controlled, sensitization-preventive sublingual immunotherapy trial (2008-2012) showed immuno-modulatory effects in actively treated (2014). A confirmatory placebo-controlled trial is under investigation (2018-2022). In cross-sectional, prospective and immunological studies the particular Th2-driving capacity of tacrolimus in organ transplantation could be shown (2006-2014). New biomarkers are needed for food allergy diagnosis. The role of the high-affinity FcERI is studied in vitro and in various types of IgE- and non-IgE-mediated allergies (2007-2021) in order to delineate possible biomarkers. Covid-19 infection also affects children. In a recent large cross-sectional study on 2069 schoolchildren in Vienna a PCR-prevalence of 0.1% (n=2) and a seroprevalence of 1.3% (n=26) was observed.

Techniques, methods & infrastructure

• food challenges (clinical)
• other provocation tests (unspecific, specific)
• flow cytometry
• cell culture (proliferation, cytokine detection, inhibition assays)
• IgE immunoblotting
• basophil activation test (BAT)

Grants

• Early allergen-specific immunotherapy to prevent the development of allergy (2020)
  Source of Funding: Medical University of Vienna, Danube Allergy Research Cluster
  Principal Investigator
• Hydroxychloroquine in pediatric ILD (2017)
  Source of Funding: FWF (Austrian Science Fund), E-Rare Joint Transnational Call
  Principal Investigator

Selected publications

1. Román‐Carrasco, P. et al., 2019. Only α‐Gal bound to lipids, but not to proteins, is transported across enterocytes as an IgE‐reactive molecule that can induce effector cell activation. Allergy, 74(10), pp.1956–1968. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/all.13873.
2. Ponce, M. et al., 2019. Preventive sublingual immunotherapy with House Dust Mite extract modulates epitope diversity in pre‐school children. Allergy, 74(4), pp.780–787. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/all.13658.
3. Moñino‐Romero, S. et al., 2019. Soluble Fcɛ RI  : A biomarker for IgE‐mediated diseases. Allergy, 74(7), pp.1381–1384. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/all.13734.
4. Moñino-Romero, S. et al., 2018. The soluble isoform of human FcɛRI is an endogenous inhibitor of IgE-mediated mast cell responses. Allergy, 74(2), pp.236–245. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/all.13567.
5. Szépfalusi, Z. et al., 2021. Lessons from low seroprevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies in schoolchildren: A cross‐sectional study C. Riggioni, ed. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/pai.13459.