Implications of crop model ensemble size and composition for estimates of adaptation effects and agreement of recommendations.

Climate change is expected to severely affect cropping systems and food production in many parts of the world unless local adaptation can ameliorate these impacts. Ensembles of crop simulation models can be useful tools for assessing if proposed adaptation options are capable of achieving target yields, whilst also quantifying the share of uncertainty in the simulated crop impact resulting from the crop models themselves. Although some studies have analysed the influence of ensemble size on model outcomes, the effect of ensemble composition has not yet been properly appraised. Moreover, results and derived recommendations typically rely on averaged ensemble simulation results without accounting sufficiently for the spread of model outcomes. Therefore, we developed an Ensemble Outcome Agreement (EOA) index, which analyses the effect of changes in composition and size of a multi-model ensemble (MME) to evaluate the level of agreement between MME outcomes with respect to a given hypothesis (e.g. that adaptation measures result in positive crop responses). We analysed the recommendations of a previous study performed with an ensemble of 17 crop models and testing 54 adaptation options for rainfed winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) at Lleida (NE Spain) under perturbed conditions of temperature, precipitation and atmospheric CO2 concentration. Our results confirmed that most adaptations recommended in the previous study have a positive effect. However, we also showed that some options did not remain recommendable in specific conditions if different ensembles were considered. Using EOA, we were able to identify the adaptation options for which there is high confidence in their effectiveness at enhancing yields, even under severe climate perturbations. These include substituting spring wheat for winter wheat combined with earlier sowing dates and standard or longer duration cultivars, or introducing supplementary irrigation, the latter increasing EOA values in all cases. There is low confidence in recovering yields to baseline levels, although this target could be attained for some adaptation options under moderate climate perturbations. Recommendations derived from such robust results may provide crucial information for stakeholders seeking to implement adaptation measures.

Use of crop simulation modelling to aid ideotype design of future cereal cultivars.

A major challenge of the 21st century is to achieve food supply security under a changing climate and roughly a doubling in food demand by 2050 compared to present, the majority of which needs to be met by the cereals wheat, rice, maize, and barley. Future harvests are expected to be especially threatened through increased frequency and severity of extreme events, such as heat waves and drought, that pose particular challenges to plant breeders and crop scientists. Process-based crop models developed for simulating interactions between genotype, environment, and management are widely applied to assess impacts of environmental change on crop yield potentials, phenology, water use, etc. During the last decades, crop simulation has become important for supporting plant breeding, in particular in designing ideotypes, i.e. 'model plants', for different crops and cultivation environments. In this review we (i) examine the main limitations of crop simulation modelling for supporting ideotype breeding, (ii) describe developments in cultivar traits in response to climate variations, and (iii) present examples of how crop simulation has supported evaluation and design of cereal cultivars for future conditions. An early success story for rice demonstrates the potential of crop simulation modelling for ideotype breeding. Combining conventional crop simulation with new breeding methods and genetic modelling holds promise to accelerate delivery of future cereal cultivars for different environments. Robustness of model-aided ideotype design can further be enhanced through continued improvements of simulation models to better capture effects of extremes and the use of multi-model ensembles.

Proteomic identification of allergenic seed proteins, napin and cruciferin, from cold-pressed rapeseed oils.

In Finland and France atopic children commonly react to seeds of oilseed rape and turnip rape in skin prick tests (SPT) and open food challenges. These seeds are not as such in dietary use and therefore the routes of sensitization are unknown. Possible allergens were extracted from commercial cold-pressed and refined rapeseed oils and identified by gel-based tandem nanoflow liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Napin (a 2S albumin), earlier identified as a major allergen in the seeds of oilseed rape and turnip rape, and cruciferin (an 11S globulin), a new potential seed allergen, were detected in cold-pressed oils, but not in refined oils. Pooled sera from five children sensitized or allergic to oilseed rape and turnip rape seeds reacted to these proteins from cold-pressed oil preparations and individual sera from five children reacted to these proteins extracted from the seeds when examined with IgE immunoblotting. Hence cold-pressed rapeseed oil might be one possible route of sensitization for these allergens.

Changes in time of sowing, flowering and maturity of cereals in Europe under climate change.

The phenological development of cereal crops from emergence through flowering to maturity is largely controlled by temperature, but also affected by day length and potential physiological stresses. Responses may vary between species and varieties. Climate change will affect the timing of cereal crop development, but exact changes will also depend on changes in varieties as affected by plant breeding and variety choices. This study aimed to assess changes in timing of major phenological stages of cereal crops in Northern and Central Europe under climate change. Records on dates of sowing, flowering, and maturity of wheat, oats and maize were collected from field experiments conducted during the period 1985-2009. Data for spring wheat and spring oats covered latitudes from 46 to 64°N, winter wheat from 46 to 61°N, and maize from 47 to 58°N. The number of observations (site-year-variety combinations) varied with phenological phase, but exceeded 2190, 227, 2076 and 1506 for winter wheat, spring wheat, spring oats and maize, respectively. The data were used to fit simple crop development models, assuming that the duration of the period until flowering depends on temperature and day length for wheat and oats, and on temperature for maize, and that the duration of the period from flowering to maturity in all species depends on temperature only. Species-specific base temperatures were used. Sowing date of spring cereals was estimated using a threshold temperature for the mean air temperature during 10 days prior to sowing. The mean estimated temperature thresholds for sowing were 6.1, 7.1 and 10.1°C for oats, wheat and maize, respectively. For spring oats and wheat the temperature threshold increased with latitude. The effective temperature sums required for both flowering and maturity increased with increasing mean annual temperature of the location, indicating that varieties are well adapted to given conditions. The responses of wheat and oats were largest for the period from flowering to maturity. Changes in timing of cereal phenology by 2040 were assessed for two climate model projections according to the observed dependencies on temperature and day length. The results showed advancements of sowing date of spring cereals by 1-3 weeks depending on climate model and region within Europe. The changes were largest in Northern Europe. Timing of flowering and maturity were projected to advance by 1-3 weeks. The changes were largest for grain maize and smallest for winter wheat, and they were generally largest in the western and northern part of the domain. There were considerable differences in predicted timing of sowing, flowering and maturity between the two climate model projections applied.

Latex allergy: low prevalence of immunoglobulin E to highly purified proteins Hev b 2 and Hev b 13.

BACKGROUND: Hevea brasiliensis (Hev b) 2 and Hev b 13 have recently been identified as major latex allergens by detecting specific IgE antibodies in >50% of sera from Hev b latex-allergic individuals. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the prevalence rates for sensitization to extensively purified latex allergens in patients from three diverse geographical areas. METHODS: Native Hev b 2, Hev b 5, Hev b 6.01 and Hev b 13 were purified by non-denaturating chromatography and were used in ELISAs to assess sera from 215 latex-allergic patients and 172 atopic non-sensitized controls from Finland, Spain and the United States to detect allergen-specific IgE antibodies. RESULTS: Unexpectedly, even highly purified Hev b 13 contained epitope(s) to which Hev b 6-specific human IgE antibodies bound effectively. Further purification, however, reduced the prevalence of IgE antibody reactivity to low levels: 15%, 5% and 11% for Hev b 2, and 18%, 30% and 27% for Hev b 13 among latex-allergic Finnish, Spanish and American patients, respectively. Interestingly, Finnish patients had a lower prevalence of Hev b 5-specific IgE antibody (28%) as compared with Spanish (49%) and American (71%) patients. The prevalence of Hev b 6.01-specific IgE reactivity was uniformly >50% in all three populations. CONCLUSION: Neither Hev b 2 nor Hev b 13 appear to be major latex allergens when evaluated in serological assays using highly purified allergens. The reason(s) for the observed differences in published sensitization rates in various geographic regions requires further study. The purity of the allergen preparations has a marked impact on the accuracy of latex-specific IgE antibody detection in epidemiological studies and in the serological diagnosis of latex allergy.

Latex allergy: the sum quantity of four major allergens shows the allergenic potential of medical gloves.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of allergenic potential of medical devices made of natural rubber latex (NRL) requires the measurement of concentrations of specific allergenic proteins or polypeptides eluting from rubber. METHODS: Four NRL allergens (Hev b 1, 3, 5, and 6.02) were quantified in all medical glove brands marketed in Finland in 1999, 2001, and 2003 (n = 208) by a capture enzyme immunoassay. The results were compared with those obtained from previous nationwide market surveys, using a skin prick test-validated human IgE-based ELISA-inhibition method. RESULTS: A high overall correlation (r = 0.87, 95% CI 0.83-0.90) emerged between the sum values of the four allergens(microg/g glove) and IgE-ELISA inhibition (allergen units, AU/ml, 1 : 5 diluted glove extract). The sum of four allergens when set at 0.15 microg/g discriminated 'low allergenic' (<10 AU/ml) from 'moderate- to high-allergenic' (>/=10 AU/ml) gloves at a sensitivity of 0.93 (95% CI 0.85-0.98) and specificity of 0.90 (95% CI 0.83-0.94). When the sum was below the detection limit (0.03 microg/g) all gloves belonged to the previously defined low-allergen category. CONCLUSIONS: By comparing the sum concentration of four selected NRL allergens with results obtained in human IgE-ELISA inhibition, it was possible set a cut-off level (0.15 microg/g) below which virtually all gloves contain low or insignificant amounts of allergens, and can be considered as low allergenic. At different cut-off-points, one could calculate the likelihood of a given glove to belong to the previously defined low, moderate or high allergen categories.

Hev b 6.01 and Hev b 5 induce pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines from peripheral blood mononuclear cells in latex allergy.

BACKGROUND: Hev b 6.01 (prohevein) and Hev b 5 [acidic natural rubber latex (NRL) protein] are major IgE-binding allergens in NRL allergy. OBJECTIVE: To examine allergen-specific cytokine and chemokine responses in NRL-allergic patients. METHODS: Fourteen NRL-allergic patients and 10 healthy controls participated in the study. Hev b 6.01 and Hev b 5 were purified under non-denaturating conditions by chromatographic methods. Specific IgE antibodies were measured by ELISA and proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by (3)H-thymidine incorporation assay. Allergen-specific induction of cytokine and chemokine mRNA in PBMC was measured by real-time PCR and protein levels by ELISA. Surface expression of chemokine receptors was analysed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Twelve (86%) NRL-allergic patients had positive skin prick test reactions and IgE antibodies against Hev b 6.01, but less than 30% responded to Hev b 5. Cell proliferation against Hev b 6.01, but not against Hev b 5, was significantly increased. Both allergens elicited significantly higher expression of pro-inflammatory and T-helper type 2 cytokines (TNF, IL-12p40, IL-13) and chemokines (CCL3, CCL4, CCL20) in the NRL-allergic patients than in controls. Interestingly, mRNA expression of the regulatory cytokine TGF-beta1 was reduced, whereas IL-10 expression was enhanced after allergen stimulations in patients with NRL allergy. Finally, the NRL-allergic patients showed increased CCR4 expression on CD3(+)CD8(-) T cells and decreased CXCR3 expression on CD3(+)CD8(+) T cells. CONCLUSION: Allergen-specific induction of cytokines and chemokines in PBMC and chemokine receptor expression on circulating T cells may contribute to the pathogenesis of NRL allergy.

Turnip rape and oilseed rape are new potential food allergens in children with atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: When skin prick testing (SPT) young children with atopic dermatitis (AD) for suspected food allergy, we frequently found positive reactions with turnip rape (Brassica rapa) and oilseed rape (Brassica napus). We performed food challenge to examine whether these children react clinically to turnip rape. METHODS: A total of 1887 children were screened with SPTs for sensitization to turnip rape and oilseed rape. Twenty-eight children with clearly positive SPT (> or =5 mm) were first subjected to labial challenge with turnip rape seeds followed, if negative, by open oral challenge for up to 7 days. Twenty-five children with AD but negative SPT to turnip rape and oilseed rape served as controls. RESULTS: Two-hundred and six (10.9%) children had positive SPT to turnip rape and/or oilseed rape. Twenty-five (89%) of 28 children showed a positive challenge reaction to turnip rape. Seventeen reacted with labial whealing, and eight in oral challenge with facial urticaria, flare-up of AD or abdominal symptoms. All 25 control children remained negative in the labial challenge. CONCLUSIONS: Turnip rape and oilseed rape seem to be new important food allergens in young children with AD. The modes of exposure to these allergens and the possible routes of sensitization remain to be established.

The association of antibodies to cardiolipin, beta 2-glycoprotein I, prothrombin, and oxidized low-density lipoprotein with thrombosis in 292 patients with familial and sporadic systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of antibodies to phospholipid-binding plasma proteins (aPL) and to oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OX-LDL), and to study the association of these antibodies with thrombosis and coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Clinical data and sera from 89 Finnish patients with familial and 203 with sporadic SLE were available for the study. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were used for antibody determination. RESULTS: The occurrence of thrombosis in our SLE patients was 13.7% (40/292) and of clinically diagnosed CHD was 1.4% (4/292). All antibody assays, except IgM-aCL, were significantly associated with thrombosis. IgG-aCL alone or in combination with anti beta 2-GPI or with anti OX-LDL were reasonably sensitive (38%, 48%, and 58%, respectively) and specific (87%, 80% and 72%, respectively) for a history of thrombosis. A high risk of arterial thrombosis (TIA or stroke) was associated with positivity of IgG-aCL, anti beta 2-GPI, and anti-prothrombin. Venous thrombosis was significantly associated with all other assays except IgM-aCL and anti-prothrombin. No test correlated with CHD, but the number of affected patients was small. There were three multiplex SLE families with two patients having a history of thrombosis: no consistent pattern of aPL or anti OX-LDL was found in these patients. CONCLUSION: IgG-aCL alone or in combination with anti beta 2-GPI or anti OX-LDL are sensitive and specific tests for detecting SLE patients at increased risk of thrombosis. The aetiopathogenesis of thrombosis in familial SLE appears to be multifactorial.

Immune activation in the small intestine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether inflammation in the gut associated immune system is activated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The expression of chemokine receptor- (CCR4, CCR5) and cytokine- (interleukin (IL)2, IL10, interferon gamma (IFNgamma), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), and transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta)) specific mRNA in intestinal biopsy samples from patients with RA was examined. METHODS: Duodenal biopsy samples from 13 patients with RA and 15 control subjects were studied. The mRNA expression of CCR4, CCR5, IL2, IL10, IFNgamma, TNFalpha, and TGFbeta in intestinal biopsy samples was demonstrated by real time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The mRNA expression of CCR4, CCR5, and IL10 in intestinal biopsy samples was increased in patients with RA in comparison with control subjects (p = 0.001, p = 0.046, p = 0.019). No difference in the expression levels of IL2, IFNgamma, TNFalpha, or TGFbeta was seen between patients with RA and controls. CONCLUSIONS: The increased intestinal mRNA expression of IL10, CCR5, and CCR4 suggests that gut associated immune cells are activated in patients with RA.

Cytokine and chemokine receptor profile of peripheral blood mononuclear cells during treatment with infliximab in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To analyse immunological changes during treatment with a monoclonal anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) antibody, infliximab, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: 25 patients with RA and 5 patients with other arthritides were studied during the first 6 weeks of treatment with infliximab. At the start of treatment and after 2 and 6 weeks, spontaneous expression of CCR3 and CCR5 on peripheral blood T cells and monocytes was studied by flow cytometry. The secretion and mRNA expression of interferon gamma (IFNgamma), interleukin (IL)4, IL5, and TNFalpha from phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells was measured with an ELISA and RT-PCR. Plasma levels of C reactive protein, serum amyloid protein A, rheumatoid factor, and antibodies to filaggrin and citrullinated cyclic peptide were measured with an ELISA. RESULTS: The number of CD4 T cells and CD14 monocytes expressing CCR3 (p = 0.013, p = 0.009, respectively) and CD8 T cells expressing CCR5 (p = 0.040) as well as PHA stimulated secretion of IL4 and IFNgamma (p<0.05) increased during treatment in patients with RA. 15 (60%) patients with RA achieved clinical response (at least ACR20) during the first 2 weeks. The number of T cells expressing CCR3 and CCR5 was higher before treatment in non-responders than in responders (p<0.05). The number of T cells increased in responders. CONCLUSION: Increase in secretion of Th1 and Th2 cytokines together with induced expression of chemokine receptors on T cells and monocytes suggest restoration of peripheral cell mediated immunity and blockade of the accumulation of inflammatory cells in joints as response to treatment.

Association of markers of systemic inflammation, C reactive protein, serum amyloid A, and fibrinogen, with socioeconomic status.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Systemic inflammation may play an important part in the development of cardiovascular disease. It has also been shown that socioeconomic status predicts cardiovascular events independently of established risk factors. The aim of this study was to analyse the association of three sensitive markers of systemic inflammation: C reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A protein (SAA), and fibrinogen, with socioeconomic status. DESIGN: Cross sectional study. SETTING: Eastern and southern Finland. PARTICIPANTS: 1503 men aged 45 to 74 years who participated in a cardiovascular risk factor survey in 1997. Based on the levels of education and family income, the men were classified to three socioeconomic groups. MAIN RESULTS: Mean concentrations of CRP (p for the trend <0.001), SAA (p for the trend 0.018), and fibrinogen (p for the trend <0.001) decreased substantially with increasing socioeconomic status. The trends in CRP and fibrinogen remained statistically significant after adjustment for smoking, waist to hip ratio, and prevalent longstanding diseases, and a non-significant trend was found for SAA (p for the trend 0.118). The inverse association between inflammation markers and socioeconomic status was particularly strong among the men below 60 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic inflammation is a potential mediator, especially among young and middle aged men, for the association between socioeconomic status and cardiovascular disease.

Filaggrin related antibodies among the aged.

BACKGROUND: The mean age at onset of new cases of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has increased markedly. Because the prevalence of false positive rheumatoid factor reactions increases with advancing age, the diagnostic value of this test has limitations among the aged. OBJECTIVE: To study the occurrence of two filaggrin related antibodies in an aged population. METHODS: The study covered 300 subjects aged 78-88 years, one of whom had RA. The sera were tested with enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), using filaggrin purified from human skin and citrullinated cyclic peptide (CCP) as antigens. RESULTS: One patient with RA was positive for both antibodies. When the cut off level for positive reactions was set at the 98th centile of healthy blood donors, 24 (8%) of the other subjects were positive for antibodies against filaggrin, but only one against CCP. CONCLUSION: The test for anti-CCP antibody has better specificity than the test for antibodies against filaggrin among the aged.

Peptidylarginine deiminase, the arginine to citrulline converting enzyme, is frequently recognized by sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and primary Sjögren syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Antibodies to citrulline-containing epitopes of filaggrin are highly specific for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We studied whether the enzyme peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD), responsible for the post-translational modification of peptide-bound arginine residues to citrulline, constitutes an antigen for patients with RA. METHODS: IgG antibodies to PAD were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in sera from patients with RA, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS), multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthy controls. RESULTS: Compared to healthy controls, raised levels of IgG antibodies to PAD were found in 50 of 57 recent-onset RA patients (88%) and in 40 (70%) of the same 57 patients 3 years later (p<0.0001 for both comparisons). Eleven of 51 (22%) patients with RA of long duration, 19/43 (44%) patients with SLE and 16/19 (84%) patients with pSS, but none of 20 patients with MS, had elevated anti-PAD levels. CONCLUSION: The arginine-citrulline converting enzyme PAD was recognized as a new antigen against which patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases frequently show IgG class antibodies.

Extractable latex allergens in airborne glove powder and in cut glove pieces.

BACKGROUND: Quantification of natural rubber latex (NRL) allergens of NRL glove extracts has been reported in several studies. Similarly, immunoassay studies reporting the level of NRL aeroallergens in air samples have been published. When studying the NRL allergens of gloves, however, little attention has been focused on identifying the relationship between extractable NRL allergens of medical gloves and NRL aeroallergens in indoor air. OBJECTIVE: In an experimental study we analysed NRL aeroallergens of medical gloves in joint relation to total airborne dust concentration and NRL allergen concentration in gloves. METHODS: NRL aeroallergen level was measured using a chamber setting with 18 lots of powdered medical gloves. In each setting 10 pairs of powdered NRL gloves were swinging in an unventilated chamber (9 m3). Air samples were collected using airflow through Millipore filters (pore size 0.8 microm). The filters were weighed before and after the experiment, and total airborne dust concentration in the chamber was calculated. The filter samples were then extracted and the NRL allergen level measured by IgE ELISA-inhibition assay. Furthermore, cut NRL gloves were extracted and analysed by the same method. Finally, levels of two major NRL allergens, Hev b1 and Hev b 6.02, were measured in three selected NRL glove brands. RESULTS: The NRL aeroallergen level in the chamber air ranged from < 0.9 to 2.9 allergen units (AU)/m3. The total airborne dust concentration in the chamber air remained low with all lots of gloves measured (range < 20 to 80 microg/m3). The NRL allergen level in cut glove extracts varied over 100-fold (< 10 to 1050 AU/mL). Statistically significant correlation between aeroallergen concentration and airborne dust (r = 0.8, P = 0.0015) concentration was found. Moreover, significant correlation between aeroallergen levels and allergen content of cut glove pieces was observed (r = 0.59, P < 0.05). Hev b 1 levels varied from 9 to 25 ng/mL and the levels of Hev b 6.02 from 1720 to 14460 ng/mL in the glove extracts. In the extracts from airborne dust samples, Hev b 6.02 content varied from 61 to 183 ng/m3, whereas Hev b 1 levels were very low (0.4 to 3 ng/m3). CONCLUSION: An elevated NRL aeroallergen level is rather related to a high level of airborne glove powder than to a high concentration of extractable NRL allergen in medical gloves.

Positive skin and oral challenge responses to potato and occurrence of immunoglobulin E antibodies to patatin (Sol t 1) in infants with atopic dermatitis.

The clinical significance and molecular specificity of hypersensitivity reactions to raw and cooked potatoes remain ambiguous. We therefore investigated the clinical hypersensitivity to raw and cooked potato in infants suspected to have potato allergy and compared the findings with the occurrence of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to patatin (Sol t 1), characterized as the primary allergen of potato. Twelve infants (10 to 24 months of age) suffering from atopic dermatitis (AD) and suspected to have adverse reactions to potato, were examined. As a skin exposure test we used rubbing with both raw and cooked potato, and used open oral challenge with cooked potato for 7 days. A special eczema scoring system (SCORAD) was used to assess the severity of symptoms and signs of AD. Skin-prick tests (SPTs) were performed with raw potato and natural Sol t 1, and serological studies included measurement of total serum IgE and IgE antibodies to Sol t 1, and potato radioallergosorbent testing (RAST). The skin-rubbing test with raw potato was positive in seven (58%) and the oral challenge positive in eight (67%) infants. One infant presented with an immediate reaction and seven with a delayed reaction, i.e. exacerbation of AD, after oral challenge responses to cooked potato. Nine (75%) infants had IgE antibodies to Sol t 1 in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and SPT to natural Sol t 1 was positive in six (50%) potato-allergic infants. In conclusion, we observed positive challenge responses to both raw and cooked potato in food-allergic atopic infants. The presence of IgE antibodies and concomitant positive SPTs to the heat-stable potato allergen, Sol t 1, suggest that cooked potato can be an allergenic food for infants suffering from AD.

The role of plasma phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) in HDL remodeling in acute-phase patients.

During reverse cholesterol transport plasma phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) converts high density lipoprotein(3) (HDL(3)) into two new subpopulations, HDL(2)-like particles and pre-beta-HDL. The acute-phase response is accompanied with dramatic changes in lipid metabolism including alterations in HDL concentration, composition, and thereby its function as a substrate for HDL remodeling proteins in circulation. To evaluate how acute-phase HDL (AP-HDL) functions in PLTP-mediated HDL conversion, we collected plasma samples from patients with severe acute-phase response (n=17), and from healthy controls (n=30). Subsequently, total HDL (1.063

Identification of four novel potato (Solanum tuberosum) allergens belonging to the family of soybean trypsin inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: We have previously identified patatin (Sol t 1) of potato tubers as a major food allergen among atopic children. In addition to Sol t 1, concomitant IgE binding to other, then unidentified, potato proteins was observed. METHODS: Purification and identification of the putative allergens were done by both standard and advanced methods of protein chemistry. The patient series comprised 39 children with positive skin prick test (SPT) to raw potato. Immunoblotting and ELISA were used to examine IgE-binding ability and skin prick testing to assess in vivo reactivity of the purified potato proteins. RESULTS: Four IgE-binding potato proteins with molecular masses ranging from 16 to 20 kDa were purified and identified as cathepsin D-, cysteine-, and aspartic protease inhibitors belonging to the family of soybean trypsin inhibitors (Kunitz type). The proteins were designated Sol t 2, Sol t 3.0101, Sol t 3.0102, and Sol t 4. In ELISA, 51% of the sera of the 39 atopic children showed specific IgE to Sol t 2, 43% to Sol t 3.0101, 58% to Sol t 3.0102, and 67% to Sol t 4, respectively. All these four allergens were able to produce positive wheal-and-flare responses in SPT. CONCLUSION: In addition to Sol t 1, potato tubers contain several proteins belonging to the family of soybean trypsin inhibitors against which atopic children with positive SPT responses to raw potato have in vitro and in vivo reactive IgE antibodies.