Clinical reactivity of celery cultivars in allergic patients: Role of Api g 1.

BACKGROUND: Celery (Apium graveolens L.) is a vegetable consumed world-wide. Celery stalks and celeriac roots are often ingredients in convenient food products like spice blends and soups. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we examined the allergenicity of distinct celeriac cultivars. METHODS: Sixteen celery-allergic patients were identified using a double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge. Ten different celeriac cultivars were used for skin prick testing in the patients. Two cultivars were further applied for oral food challenges; their protein composition was analysed by immunoblotting, and contents of major allergen Api g 1 were quantified. RESULTS: From the 10 investigated celeriac cultivars, two cultivars elicited significantly different skin reactivity ("Anita": 5.0 [2.0-12.0] mm vs "Prinz": 7.0 [3.0-9.5] mm; P = .047). Moreover, "Anita" induced fewer symptoms after a controlled oral-celeriac challenge in 14 patient (P < .001). The protein profiles on 2DE protein gels showed distinct protein patterns and higher protein amounts of Api g 1 in "Prinz" than in "Anita." CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Taken together, the data from this study suggest that cultivar Anita is better tolerated in celery-allergic patients than "Prinz." Differences in the protein expression profile between the cultivars, particularly the different content of Api g 1, could cause the different allergenicity.

Effects of water beds on the sleep and motility of theophylline-treated preterm infants.

With evidence accumulating that the sleep of infants receiving theophylline is sharply reduced, this study tested whether water bed flotation could increase the sleep and attenuate the restlessness of preterm infants treated with theophylline for apnea. Seventeen preterm infants served as their own control, off and on gently oscillating water beds. The infants' sleep and motility were assessed on days 3 and 4 during the experimental and control conditions. While on the water bed, the infants had significantly more quiet and active sleep, shorter sleep latencies, fewer state changes, less restlessness during sleep, less waking activity, and fewer jittery and unsmooth movements. Reductions in wakefulness and state changes on the water bed were significantly greater, the longer the infants were receiving theophylline, but they were unrelated to theophylline levels which, for the group as a whole, were relatively low. Residual apnea was not reduced on the water bed. Although water bed flotation significantly improved the infants' sleep and motility, stable behaviour differences among the infants were observed across the experimental and control conditions.