Threshold dose of cow's milk in sensitization to casein higher than those of casein and ß-lactoglobulin in children with cow's milk allergy.

BACKGROUND: Recent treatment for food allergies involves the intake of allergy-causing foods at doses lower than the threshold dose determined by the oral food challenge (OFC). For a more successful treatment, it is necessary to identify a biomarker to establish safer doses of allergens in foods consumed at home. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aim to investigate whether the pattern of sensitization to cow's milk (CM) is related to the threshold dose of CM. METHODS: Fifty patients with sensitization to casein (casein-specific IgE titer ≥ 0.7 UA/ml) and who have undergone the CM OFC test from July 2013 to July 2015 were enrolled. They were examined for the presence or absence of sensitization to ß-lactoglobulin (BLG) (BLG-specific IgE ≥ 0.7 UA/ml). They were divided into two groups, namely, the only-casein-specific IgE-positive (C) group, and both casein- and BLG-specific IgE-positive (C + B) group. RESULTS: The C group had 26 patients and the C + B group had 24. Both the CM- and casein-specific IgE titers were higher in the C + B group than in the C group. The positivity rates determined from OFC test results were 53.8 and 87.5%, and the threshold doses of CM were 88.7 and 31.1 ml in the C and C + B groups, respectively. In patients with low casein-specific IgE titers (≤ 10 UA/ml), the C + B group showed a significantly lower threshold dose of CM than the C group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that children with CM allergy sensitized to casein alone have a higher threshold dose than those sensitized to both casein and BLG.

The 3rd DBCLS BioHackathon: improving life science data integration with Semantic Web technologies.

BACKGROUND: BioHackathon 2010 was the third in a series of meetings hosted by the Database Center for Life Sciences (DBCLS) in Tokyo, Japan. The overall goal of the BioHackathon series is to improve the quality and accessibility of life science research data on the Web by bringing together representatives from public databases, analytical tool providers, and cyber-infrastructure researchers to jointly tackle important challenges in the area of in silico biological research. RESULTS: The theme of BioHackathon 2010 was the 'Semantic Web', and all attendees gathered with the shared goal of producing Semantic Web data from their respective resources, and/or consuming or interacting those data using their tools and interfaces. We discussed on topics including guidelines for designing semantic data and interoperability of resources. We consequently developed tools and clients for analysis and visualization. CONCLUSION: We provide a meeting report from BioHackathon 2010, in which we describe the discussions, decisions, and breakthroughs made as we moved towards compliance with Semantic Web technologies - from source provider, through middleware, to the end-consumer.

Structural property of soybean protein P34 and specific IgE response to recombinant P34 in patients with soybean allergy.

Soybean allergy is one of the important food allergies because soybean is widely used in processed foods. P34 has been identified as the main allergen in soybeans. The main objective was to analyze the structural property of recombinant P34 and the P34 antigen-specific IgE response in soybean allergy using recombinant P34. Recombinant P34 was expressed by the BL21 (DE3) strain of Escherichia coli. Purified recombinant P34 showed oligomerization and binding to endotoxin. The binding of recombinant P34 to endotoxin was confirmed by LPS pull-down assay. High-density SDS treatment dissociated oligomeric recombinant P34 and removed endotoxin. Both native P34 and purified recombinant P34 showed almost identical structural properties as determined by circular dichroism analysis. We analyzed recombinant-P34-specific IgE antibodies by the ImmunoCAP System. In ImmunoCAP using recombinant P34, all sera from healthy controls were classified as negative. A correlation was found between the specific IgE antibodies to whole soybean and recombinant P34 (r=0.526, P<0.05). The sera from 3 of 9 (33%) patients with outgrown soybean allergy and 6 of 9 (66%) patients with soybean allergy were classified as positive. SDS-treated recombinant P34 retained its structure and biological activity. Recombinant P34 is a useful tool for the analysis of antigen-specific response in soybean allergy. It may be possible to develop a modified form of recombinant P34 for the diagnosis or treatment of soybean allergy using specific immunotherapy techniques.

Hematochezia before the First Feeding in a Newborn with Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome.

The prevalence and incidence of food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) are clearly not known; its onset before first feeding at birth especially has been rarely reported. A female newborn was referred to our institution due to blood-stained diarrhea before her first feeding at birth. Examination of the stool with Wright-Giemsa staining on day 6 revealed numerous fecal eosinophils, including Charcot-Leyden crystals. Lymphocyte stimulation test (LST) against cow's milk protein also showed positive values on day 12. The hematochezia resolved immediately after starting intravenous nutrition. She was fed with breast milk and extensively hydrolyzed formula and discharged from hospital on day 49. FPIES was diagnosed based on these symptoms and data. Our case was thought to have acquired allergic enterocolitis after sensitization in her fetal period, which caused severe FPIES triggered by the first intake of cow's milk soon after birth. The patient with FPIES presents atypical clinical findings, which is likely to cause misdiagnosis and delay of appropriate treatment. Heightened awareness and increased attention may be necessary to diagnose FPIES, even soon after birth. Evaluating fecal eosinophils and LST, which may be difficult to perform in every clinical hospital, is thought to be useful for the detection of FPIES without oral food challenge.

[QOL questionnaire for pediatric patients with bronchial asthma and their parents or caregivers. Preparation and evaluation of the short form version 2008 (Gifu)].

BACKGROUND: The QOL questionnaire version 2001 for pediatric patients with bronchial asthma and their parents or caregivers includes 15 questions for patients under the age of 4 years and 20 questions for patients over the age of 4 years. We have already reported that the QOL questionnaire version 2001 reflects reliability (including reproducibility), factorial validity, and changes in paroxysmal attacks of asthma. In this study, we revised the questionnaire for use in routine medical practice. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, based on the data of a previous report, the number of questions was reduced further and it was revised to the questionnaire the short form by integrated data. The revised version 2008 (Gifu) consisted of emotional burden, asthma attack, instability of symptoms and proper acceptance of asthma as a common factor, moreover 4 or more years old added load of exercise factor which consisted of two questions in each factor. This QOL short form questionnaire version 2008 (Gifu) is a disease specific questionnaire in comparison with health control, bronchial asthma and non-asthmatic patients, such as atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis. CONCLUSION: Although Cronbach's alpha fell with reduction of the number of questions, we conclude that it was acceptable in the clinical practice.

MR imaging and 1H-MR spectroscopy of a case of van der Knaap disease.

Van der Knaap disease, characterized by megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy and subcortical cysts, is a rare and recently defined condition. We discuss here the MR image (MRI) and MR spectroscopy (MRS) features in a 30-year-old man with S93L homozygous mutation in the MLC1 gene. MRI demonstrated high intensity diffuse white matter with T2-weighted image and subcortical cysts in the parietal and temporal lobes and MRS showed mildly reduced N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in areas of severe T2 elongation with a long TE sequence. A peak of lactate/lipid was indicated at a chemical shift of 1.3 ppm with a short TE sequence. The peak for myo-inositol was normal in areas of severe and mild T2 elongation with short TE MRS. These findings suggest that demyelination progresses slowly in van der Knaap disease and that MRS with long and short TE is useful for the evaluation of neural metabolization associated with van der Knaap disease.

Serial MR imaging and 1H-MR spectroscopy of unidentified bright objects in a case of neurofibromatosis type 1.

Serial study using MR imaging and 1H-MR spectroscopy (1H-MRS) of unidentified bright objects (UBO) in a 9-year-old boy with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is described. UBO was indicated in the left globus pallidum at 3 years old, then appeared in the right globus pallidum at 5 years old along with left hemiconvulsion. These UBO gradually disappeared over several years. On 1H-MRS, the ratios of N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine and that of choline/creatine were each mildly reduced in the UBO. These ratios improved in parallel with disappearance of the UBO. In addition, elevation of the lactate/lipid peak was shown in UBO during the early stage, however, it disappeared in the latter. The longitudinal follow-up using MR image and 1H-MRS was useful for metabolic evaluation of UBO in patients with NF1.