Risk Factors for Severe Seafood Allergy Among Adults in an Urban City in Vietnam.

Purpose: Increasing seafood consumption is associated with more frequent reports of food allergy. Little is known about seafood allergy (SFA) among adults in Vietnam. We investigated the characteristics of individuals with SFA and the risk factors for severe SFA. Patients and methods: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted among individuals aged ≥ 18 years from universities in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) between December 2021 and July 2022. The survey was based on a structured, validated questionnaire related to FA. Strict definitions of "convincing allergy" were used. Multivariate analysis was used to estimate the risk factors for severe SFA after adjusting for covariates. Data were analyzed using JASP (v.0.16.3) and SPSS (v.22.0). Results: Totally, 1038 out of 2137 (48.57%) individuals completed the questionnaire, of whom 285 (27.46%) had reported SFA. Convincing SFA accounted for 20.13% (209/1038) of the cases, with convincing shellfish allergy being more common than fish allergy. Participants with comorbid shellfish and fish allergy had higher prevalence of atopic dermatitis, peanut/nut allergy, other food allergy, and cutaneous and upper airway symptoms compared to participants with shellfish allergy (p < 0.05). The spectrum of reactive seafood was diverse and characterized by local species. The age of symptom onset was most commonly during late childhood and adolescence, with most reactions persisting into adulthood. A history of anaphylaxis, comorbid peanut, and tree nut allergy, and ≥3 allergens were associated with severe SFA. Conclusion: Features of causative, coexisting seafood allergy, and risk factors for severe SFA were demonstrated, which can provide a reference for future studies.

Genetic characterization of Kushum horses in Kazakhstan based on haplotypes of mtDNA and Y chromosome, and genes associated with important traits of the horses.

The Kushum is a relatively new breed of horses in Kazakhstan that was established in the middle of the 20th century through a cross between mares of Kazakhstan local horses and stallions of Thoroughbred, Trotter, and Russian Don breeds to supply military horses. To reveal the genetic characteristics of this breed, we investigated haplotypes of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the Y chromosome, as well as genotypes of five functional genes associated with coat color, body composition, and locomotion traits. We detected 10 mtDNA haplotypes that fell into 8 of the 17 major haplogroups of horse mtDNA, indicating a unique haplotype composition with high genetic diversity. We also found two Y-chromosomal haplotypes in Kushum horses, which likely originated from Trotter and/or Don breeds. The findings regarding the mtDNA and Y-chromosomal haplotypes are concordant with the documented maternal and paternal origins of the Kushum horses. The allele frequencies of ASIP, MC1R, and MATP associated with coat color were consistent with the coat color variations of Kushum horses. The allele frequencies of MSTN associated with endurance performance and those of DMRT3 associated with gait suggested that the observed allele frequencies of these genes were the result of selective breeding for these traits. As a result of this study, we were able to obtain useful information for a better understanding of the origin and breeding history of the Kushum horse breed using molecular markers.

Genetic characterization of Vietnamese Yellow cattle using mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosomal haplotypes and genes associated with economical traits.

Vietnamese Yellow cattle are native cattle well adapted to local tropical environment. The aim of this study was to investigate genetic characteristics of the Yellow cattle using molecular markers. We investigated the nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial DNA and SRY gene on Y chromosome, and genotyped SREBP-1, SCD1, EDG1, NCAPG, DGAT1, MC1R, and HSP70 genes in the Yellow cattle population. The sequence analysis of the mitochondrial DNA showed that most of the cattle possesses zebu (Bos indicus) type I1 haplotype, suggesting relatively low genetic diversity in maternal lineage. The sequence analysis of the SRY gene indicates that while most of the males possess zebu type haplotype, taurine (Bos taurus) type haplotype was also observed, suggesting gene-flow from taurine cattle. The results of the genotyping of the functional genes showed that the NCAPG, SCD, MC1R, and HsSP70 genes are polymorphic in the population, whereas the SREBP-1, EDG1, and DGAT1 genes are monomorphic. Particularly, the presence of the desirable and undesirable alleles of the NCAPG and HSP70 genes, respectively, will be important for the selection of animals by potential performances in meat productivity and fertility. The present findings will be informative for future conservation and breeding of the Vietnamese Yellow cattle.