[Evidence-based and consented guideline on allergy prevention].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to I Reese.
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BACKGROUND: In a subgroup of patients with chronic urticaria (CU) the disease is caused by pseudoallergic reactions to food. The aim of this study was to investigate whether disturbances of the gastrointestinal barrier function play a role in the pathomechanism of the disease. METHODS: In 55 patients with CU gastrointestinal permeability was measured with an in vivo triple-sugar-test before and after 24 days of a diet low in pseudoallergens. Sucrose served as marker for gastroduodenal permeability, lactulose/mannitol ratio for intestinal permeability. RESULTS: Basal gastroduodenal and intestinal permeability were significantly higher in patients with urticaria as compared to controls. In 29 of the 55 patients skin symptoms decreased or completely disappeared during the diet (responders). Compared to nonresponders (n = 26), responders had a significantly higher gastroduodenal permeability before treatment (0.36 +/- 0.04 vs 0.15 +/- 0.01% sucrose; P < 0.001), which decreased after the diet (0.17 +/- 0.02; P < 0.001). The number of patients with Helicobacter pylori infections did not differ between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that in a subgroup of patients with CU and pseudoallergy an impaired gastroduodenal barrier function may be of pathophysiological importance. The underlying mechanisms seem to be independent of H. pylori infection.
In many biotechnological processes, living microorganisms are used as biocatalysts. Biochemical engineering science is becoming more aware that individual cells of an organism in a process can be fairly inhomogeneous regarding their properties and physiological status. Raman microspectroscopy is a novel approach to characterize such differentiated populations. Cells of the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium beijerinckii were dried on transparent support surfaces. The laser beam of a confocal Raman microscope was focused on individual cells viewed through the objective. Single bacterial cells in size approximately 1 microm and sample mass approximately 1 pg could be analyzed within a few minutes, when placed on a calcium fluoride support and using excitation at 632.8 nm. Spectral features could be attributed to all major cell components. Cells from a morphologically differentiated culture sample showed different compositions, indicating the presence of subpopulations. As a reference, the storage polymer granulose was detected. The multidimensional information in Raman spectra gives a global view on all major components of the cell at once, complementing other more specific information-rich methods for single-cell analysis. The method can be used, for example, to study heterogeneities in a microbial population.
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The efficacy of 111In-labeled hematoporphyrin derivative (HPD) in localizing and detecting atheromas had been investigated with 10 atherogenic New Zealand white rabbits. Atherosclerotic plaques surgically induced in the abdominal aorta showed selective uptake of 111In-HPD over normal blood vessels averaging 0.01% ID/g tissue (range 0.003-0.023% ID/g). Normal aorta and thoracic artery concentrated an average of 0.0026% ID/g which is less than the mean blood activity of 0.0034% ID/mL. Statistical analysis demonstrated significant difference in the uptake of 111In-HPD by the atherosclerotic plaque segments as compared to normal abdominal aorta (P = 0.0023) and normal thoracic artery (P = 0.0012). In hypercholesteremic rabbits, the mean plaque segment to normal blood vessels ratio was 4:1 (range 2 to 9:1) sufficiently high to permit plaque delineation in the scintigram. Although 111In-HPD showed promise as a plaque imaging agent, further investigation with large animal models such as primates is needed to confirm current findings.
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Human serum glycoproteins can be classified into those containing N-acetyl-D-galactosamine and into those lacking this hexosamine. The N-acetyl-D-galactosamine-containing serum glycoproteins have alkali-labile chains containing this hexosamine linked O-glycosidically to hydroxy amino acids. These alkali-labile chains can be demonstrated in neuraminic acid free serum glycoproteins by gas liquid chromatography and by using precipitating lectins from invertebrates and plants. They are represented by two chains, one containing only N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, the other with D-galactose linked (1--3) beta-glycosidically to this hexosamine forming a disaccharide. Serologically these two chains, which usually occur together on one molecule, can be characterized by their reaction with lectins from Helix pomatia (anti-A like) and from Agaricus bisporus and Arachis hypogaea (anti-TF specificity).
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Human serum cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8) is a carbohydrate-rich glycoprotein, which reacts with 18 different lectins from plants and invertebrates by a specific precipitin reaction; most of the lectins combine with alkali-stable bound carbohydrate chains. One third of these lectin receptors appear after neuraminidase-treatment, two thirds can be demonstrated before and after removal of neuraminic acid. The specific lectin receptors of the alkali-labile carbohydrate chains are characterized and analyzed by chemical and serological methods.