The protective effect of cheese consumption at 18 months on allergic diseases in the first 6 years

BACKGROUND The effect of exposure to microorganisms on allergic diseases has been well studied. The protective effect of early food diversity against allergic diseases was previously shown in the PASTURE cohort study. The consumption of cheese, a food potentially rich in microbial diversity, deserves further examination. We aimed to evaluate whether cheese consumption is associated with allergic diseases. METHODS In the PASTURE study (birth cohort in 5 European countries), data on feeding practices, environmental factors, and allergic diseases were collected by questionnaires from birth to 6 years (N = 931). Cheese consumption at 18 months of age was quantified in terms of frequency and diversity (ie, number of consumed types among 6 types: hard pressed, semipressed, soft, blue, fresh cheese, and cheese from the farm). Multiple logistic regressions were performed to evaluate the effect of cheese consumption on atopic dermatitis (AD), food allergy (FA), allergic rhinitis, asthma, and atopic sensitization at 6 years after adjustment for confounders of atopy. RESULTS Cheese consumption (vs. nonconsumption) had a significant protective effect on AD (OR = 0.51 [0.29-0.90], P = 0.02) and FA (OR = 0.32, [0.15-0.71], P = 0.004), but no effect on atopic sensitization, allergic rhinitis, and asthma at 6 years. This effect on AD and FA may be related to the diversity of consumed cheeses (OR = 0.64 [0.48-0.85] per cheese type, P = 0.002; OR = 0.55 [0.33-0.92], P = 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSION Although reverse causality cannot totally be ruled out, cheese diversity at 18 months had a protective effect against AD and FA at 6 years in addition to the protective effect of diversity of other foods

How does natural variation impact the metabolite profile of phloem and xylem saps in Arabidopsis thaliana?

An important step for land colonization by plants has been the emergence of the vascular tissues, which spatialized into phloem and xylem the transport of water, minerals and photoassimilates. Both systems evolved into critical compartments for the allocation of nutrients in addition to the long distance transport of signal molecules acting on shoot-root communication. Although their anatomy and the biophysics of transport are very different, both vascular transport systems are based on the sieve elements and the vessels that form composed by a network of conducting cells for transporting fluids, and on a subset of highly specialized cells acting in loading, retrieval, unloading and storage. The range of metabolites transported by the xylem and phloem mirrors the physiology of the plant in response to its environment and is intimately associated to its stage of development. Therefore, changes in the phloem and xylem sap compositions can rapidly occur in response to abiotic stresses for the acclimation of plants to the osmotic and metabolic constraints. They provide to the plant an efficient framework to integrate shoot and root stimuli and to coordinate the metabolism of distant organs. With the aim of identifying key factors acting in the long distance integration of shoot and root constraints, we analysed the metabolite profiles of the phloem and xylem saps sampled from Arabidopsis mature plants. Five Arabidopsis accessions grown either in plethoric or limiting nitrogen nutritional conditions were used for this study, with the objective to address the question of the potential plasticity in the sap compositions in response to abiotic stress.The collect of the phloem sap was performed by EDTA-facilitated exudation method from the petiole of mature leaves and the collect of xylem sap was performed from sections of petioles on adult rosettes. The metabolites were analysed by GC-MS to determine the range and the relative content of metabolites present in the exudates. This study showed a significant variability in the sap compositions and in the shoot to root flows, indicating several levels of adaptive mechanisms. The implications for the metabolic bottlenecks occurring either in the phloem or in the xylem will be presented

How does natural variation impact the metabolite profile of phloem and xylem saps in Arabidopsis thaliana?

An important step for land colonization by plants has been the emergence of the vascular tissues, which spatialized into phloem and xylem the transport of water, minerals and photoassimilates. Both systems evolved into critical compartments for the allocation of nutrients in addition to the long distance transport of signal molecules acting on shoot-root communication. Although their anatomy and the biophysics of transport are very different, both vascular transport systems are based on the sieve elements and the vessels that form composed by a network of conducting cells for transporting fluids, and on a subset of highly specialized cells acting in loading, retrieval, unloading and storage. The range of metabolites transported by the xylem and phloem mirrors the physiology of the plant in response to its environment and is intimately associated to its stage of development. Therefore, changes in the phloem and xylem sap compositions can rapidly occur in response to abiotic stresses for the acclimation of plants to the osmotic and metabolic constraints. They provide to the plant an efficient framework to integrate shoot and root stimuli and to coordinate the metabolism of distant organs. With the aim of identifying key factors acting in the long distance integration of shoot and root constraints, we analysed the metabolite profiles of the phloem and xylem saps sampled from Arabidopsis mature plants. Five Arabidopsis accessions grown either in plethoric or limiting nitrogen nutritional conditions were used for this study, with the objective to address the question of the potential plasticity in the sap compositions in response to abiotic stress.The collect of the phloem sap was performed by EDTA-facilitated exudation method from the petiole of mature leaves and the collect of xylem sap was performed from sections of petioles on adult rosettes. The metabolites were analysed by GC-MS to determine the range and the relative content of metabolites present in the exudates. This study showed a significant variability in the sap compositions and in the shoot to root flows, indicating several levels of adaptive mechanisms. The implications for the metabolic bottlenecks occurring either in the phloem or in the xylem will be presented

Protective effect of diversity of cheese consumption in early life against allergic diseases

absen

La diversité de consommation de fromages dans la petite enfance : un facteur protecteur des maladies allergiques ?

National audienc

La diversité de consommation de fromages dans la petite enfance : un facteur protecteur des maladies allergiques ?

Introduction et but de l’étudeUne diversité alimentaire importante et précoce a été montrée protectrice contre des maladies allergiques (Roduit C. et al, JACI2012 Jul;130(1): 130-6). L’effet de la diversité de consommation de fromages, riches en microorganismes, n’a pas été étudié. Or l’exposition aux microorganismes est suspectée pour son rôle protecteur contre la survenue de maladies allergiques. Le but de notre étude était d’évaluer l’effet protecteur de la diversité de consommation de fromages contre des maladies allergiques (MA) : allergie alimentaire (AA), dermatite atopique (DA), asthme (AS), rhinite allergique (RA) et bronchite (BR).Matériel et méthodesL’étude a porté sur 941 enfants de la cohorte PATURE (Protection contre l’Allergie : étude du milieu Rural et de son Environnement) qui étudie l’influence de l’exposition à l’environnement fermier sur le développement des maladies allergiques dans 5 pays européens (France, Allemagne, Autriche, Suisse et Finlande). Les données concernant les habitudes alimentaires, l’atopie parentale et les facteurs environnementaux ont été colligées par questionnaire de la naissance à 6 ans. Les MA ont été définies par un diagnostic médical rapporté par les parents. Les fromages ont été classés en 6 catégories (à pâte dure pressée, semi-pressée, molle, bleu, frais, de la ferme). La diversité de consommation de fromages à 18 mois (DC18) a été définie par le nombre de différentes catégories de fromages consommées. L’effet de la diversité de consommation de fromages contre chaque MA à l’âge de 6 ans a été analysé par régressions logistiques linéaires multiples ajustées pour la diversité alimentaire à 6 mois, le pays, l’environnement fermier et les facteurs confondants d’atopie, comme l’atopie parentale.Résultats et Analyse statistiqueDC18 n’était pas corrélée à la diversité alimentaire à 6 ou 12 mois (P < 0,001). Une diversité élevée de fromages consommés avait un effet significativement protecteur contre la DA à 6 ans (P < 0,0007 ; OR = 0,60; IC[0,44;0,81]) et les AA à 6 ans (P < 0,041 ; OR = 0,57; IC[0,33;0,98]), mais pas contre les autres MA à 6 ans (AS, RA, BR).ConclusionLa consommation d’une diversité de fromages à 18 mois semble avoir un effet protecteur contre la DA et les A A à 6 ans, indépendamment de la diversité de consommation des autres groupes d’aliments

Deciphering variations of phloem and xylem sap metabolite profiles in response to N availability in Arabidopsis accessions

International audienc

Emphysema in active farmer’s lung disease

<div><p>Background</p><p>Farmer’s lung (FL) is a common type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. It is often considered that fibrosis is the most frequent finding in chronic FL. Nevertheless, three cohort studies have suggested that some patients with chronic FL may develop emphysema. We aimed to evaluate the current prevalence of emphysema in active FL, to describe the radiological and functional features of emphysema in active FL, and to identify risk factors associated with emphysema in this population.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Patients aged over 18 years with active FL were prospectively recruited through the SOPHIA study (CPP Est; P-2009-521), between 2007 and 2015. Each patient had complete medical history screening, clinical examination, high resolution computed tomodensitometry, bronchoalveolar lavage, pulmonary function tests and serum precipitins.</p><p>Results</p><p>Among 33 patients with active FL, the prevalence of emphysema in this series of incident active FL cases was higher (48.5%) than that of fibrosis (12%) and was not dependent on smoking habits. Most patients with emphysema did not have lung hyperinflation. The possible risk factors for emphysema in active FL were a longer duration of exposure to organic dusts, and at a higher level.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>Emphysema is found in half of patients with active FL and may be influenced by exposure patterns.</p></div

Flow chart of patients included in the study.

<p>* bilateral emphysema in at least three lobes.</p

Occupational characteristics of patients with active FL^*.

<p>Occupational characteristics of patients with active FL^{<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0178263#t004fn002" target="_blank">*</a>}.</p