Oleosin Cor a 15 is a novel allergen for Italian hazelnut allergic children

BACKGROUND: Hazelnut allergy, which is characterized by symptoms that range from mild to severe, is one of the most common allergies in children throughout Europe, and an accurate diagnosis of this allergy is therefore essential. However, lipophilic allergens, such as oleosins, are generally underrepresented in diagnostic tests. We therefore sought to characterize the IgE reactivity of raw and roasted hazelnut oleosins, using the sera of hazelnut‐allergic pediatric patients. METHODS: Raw and roasted hazelnut oil body–associated proteins were analyzed by means of 1D and 2D electrophoresis and MS. Oleosin IgE reactivity was assessed by immunoblotting with the sera of 27 children who have confirmed hazelnut allergies and from 10 tolerant subjects. A molecular characterization of the oleosins was performed by interrogating the C. avellana cv. Jefferson and cv. TGL genomes, and through expression and purification of the recombinant new allergen. RESULTS: A proteomic and genomic investigation allowed two new oleosins to be identified, in addition to Cor a 12 and Cor a 13, in hazelnut oil bodies. One of the new oleosins was registered as a new allergen, according to the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Subcommittee criteria, and termed Cor a 15. Cor a 15 was the most frequently immunorecognized oleosin in our cohort. Oleosins resulted to be the only immunorecognized allergens in a subgroup of allergic patients who showed low ImmunoCAP assay IgE values and positive OFC and PbP. Hazelnut roasting resulted in an increase in oleosin immunoreactivity. CONCLUSION: A novel hazelnut oleosin, named Cor a 15, has been discovered. Cor a 15 could play a role in eliciting an allergic reaction in a subgroup of pediatric patients that exclusively immunorecognize oleosins. The high prevalence of hazelnut oleosin sensitization here reported further confirms the need to include oleosins in routine diagnostic procedures

Parenting and the Serotonin Transporter Gene (5HTTLPR), Is There an Association? A Systematic Review of the Literature

The current systematic review examines whether there is an association between the genetic 5-HTTPLR polymorphism and parenting, and the mechanisms by which this association operates. The literature was searched in various databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. In line with our inclusion criteria, nine articles were eligible out of 22. Most of the studies analysed in this review found an association between 5HTTLPR and parenting. Four studies found a direct association between 5-HTTLPR and parenting with conflicting findings: two studies found that mothers carrying the short variant were more sensitive to their infants, while two studies found that parents carrying the S allele were less sensitive. In addition, several studies found strong interaction between genetic and environmental factors, such as childhood stress and disruptive child behaviour, quality of early care experiences, poor parenting environment, and quality of the environment. Only one study found an association between children’s 5HTTLPR and parenting. Parenting can be described as a highly complex construct influenced by multiple factors, including the environment, as well as parent and child characteristics. According to the studies, maternal 5-HTTLPR polymorphism is most likely to be associated with sensitive parenting

The Italian language postpartum specific anxiety scale [PSAS-IT]: translation, psychometric evaluation, and validation.

Introduction: While often positive, the lifecourse transition to motherhood is susceptible to the risk for developing mood disorders. Postpartum anxiety has often been overshadowed by other perinatal-specific mental health disorders, such as postpartum depression, and therefore has not been at the forefront or center of as much empirical study. This has meant there is a lack of effective and reliable tools with which to measure it, despite growing evidence suggesting its detrimental impact on mothers, their babies, wider family and social contacts, and on healthcare systems. This current study aimed to translate and validate the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale [PSAS] into the Italian language, and to validate the tool for its use in detecting anxiety specific to motherhood. Methods: The study (N = 457) comprised 4 stages: English-Italian translation and back-translation to obtain the Italian version [PSAS-IT]; a preliminary pilot study to adapt the PSAS to the characteristics of the Italian population; measurement invariance; and internal reliability of subscales. Results: The PSAS-IT demonstrates similar psychometric properties as the original English-language PSAS, with acceptable acceptability, construct and convergent validity, and internal consistency. Confirmatory factor analysis for multiple groups (Italy and United Kingdom) showed that the factor structure of the PSAS was valid for both groups [χ2 (2436) = 4679.481, p < 0.001, TLI = 0.969, CFI =0.972, RMSEA = 0.045, SRMR =0.064]. Discussion: The resulting findings offer a reliable measure of postpartum anxiety in Italian language up to six months after birth

Assessment of left atrial systolic dyssynchrony in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and heart failure using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging: MESA study

Background: Left atrial (LA) remodeling in response to cardiovascular and hemodynamic stress may precede atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF). We hypothesized that LA systolic synchronous contraction as a functional measure of LA remodeling is deranged in patients with paroxysmal AF and HF. Methods: We performed a nested case-control analysis with 1:2 matching for 39 cases of paroxysmal AF (n=28, in sinus rhythm during cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)) and HF (n=14, AF+HF; n=3) and 78 controls with similar demographic and clinical characteristics at the baseline (Table 1). LA circumferential (short axis) and longitudinal strain rate (horizontal long axis) were measured using Multi-modality Tissue Tracking (Toshiba, Japan) from short and long-axis cine CMR images. Circumferential LA systolic dyssynchrony among 18 LA segments (6 segments x 3 slices) was evaluated as; Standard Deviation (SD) of time to pre atrial contraction Strain rate (PreA Src) and Peak systolic strain rate (Peak Srac) (Figure 1). Similarly, longitudinal LA dyssynchrony parameters (among 6 segments) were: SD-Time to pre-atrial contraction strain rate (PreA SrL) and SD-Time to peak systolic strain rate (Peak-SraL). Wilcoxon-rank sum test (non-parametric) or two sample t-test (parametric) were used for comparison between the groups. Results: In participants during MESA exam 5 (age 74±8 years, 51.4% men), systolic circumferential dyssynchrony (SD-TP-PreA Src, msec) was significantly higher in the cases compared to controls (45.06 vs. 28.73, p<0.010). Similarly, case group had greater longitudinal dyssynchrony than controls; SD-TP PreA SrL (51.62 vs. 36.43, p=0.001) and SD-TP-Peak SraL (45.23 vs. 35.92, p=0.027) (Table 1). Conclusions: Patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and heart failure have significantly higher LA circumferential and longitudinal systolic dyssynchrony compared to normal controls

Epigenetic mechanisms in virus-induced tumorigenesis

About 15–20% of human cancers worldwide have viral etiology. Emerging data clearly indicate that several human DNA and RNA viruses, such as human papillomavirus, Epstein–Barr virus, Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and human T-cell lymphotropic virus, contribute to cancer development. Human tumor-associated viruses have evolved multiple molecular mechanisms to disrupt specific cellular pathways to facilitate aberrant replication. Although oncogenic viruses belong to different families, their strategies in human cancer development show many similarities and involve viral-encoded oncoproteins targeting the key cellular proteins that regulate cell growth. Recent studies show that virus and host interactions also occur at the epigenetic level. In this review, we summarize the published information related to the interactions between viral proteins and epigenetic machinery which lead to alterations in the epigenetic landscape of the cell contributing to carcinogenesis

2021 Taxonomic update of phylum Negarnaviricota (Riboviria: Orthornavirae), including the large orders Bunyavirales and Mononegavirales.

Correction to: 2021 Taxonomic update of phylum Negarnaviricota (Riboviria: Orthornavirae), including the large orders Bunyavirales and Mononegavirales. Archives of Virology (2021) 166:3567–3579. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-021-05266-wIn March 2021, following the annual International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) ratification vote on newly proposed taxa, the phylum Negarnaviricota was amended and emended. The phylum was expanded by four families (Aliusviridae, Crepuscuviridae, Myriaviridae, and Natareviridae), three subfamilies (Alpharhabdovirinae, Betarhabdovirinae, and Gammarhabdovirinae), 42 genera, and 200 species. Thirty-nine species were renamed and/or moved and seven species were abolished. This article presents the updated taxonomy of Negarnaviricota as now accepted by the ICTV.This work was supported in part through Laulima Government Solutions, LLC prime contract with the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under Contract No. HHSN272201800013C. J.H.K. performed this work as an employee of Tunnell Government Services (TGS), a subcontractor of Laulima Government Solutions, LLC under Contract No. HHSN272201800013C. This work was also supported in part with federal funds from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), under Contract No. 75N91019D00024, Task Order No. 75N91019F00130 to I.C., who was supported by the Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate, Frederick National Lab for Cancer Research. This work was also funded in part by Contract No. HSHQDC-15-C-00064 awarded by DHS S&T for the management and operation of The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, a federally funded research and development center operated by the Battelle National Biodefense Institute (V.W.); and NIH contract HHSN272201000040I/HHSN27200004/D04 and grant R24AI120942 (N.V., R.B.T.). S.S. acknowledges partial support from the Special Research Initiative of Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES), Mississippi State University, and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture, Hatch Project 1021494. Part of this work was supported by the Francis Crick Institute which receives its core funding from Cancer Research UK (FC001030), the UK Medical Research Council (FC001030), and the Wellcome Trust (FC001030).S

2021 Taxonomic update of phylum Negarnaviricota (Riboviria: Orthornavirae), including the large orders Bunyavirales and Mononegavirales.

In March 2021, following the annual International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) ratification vote on newly proposed taxa, the phylum Negarnaviricota was amended and emended. The phylum was expanded by four families (Aliusviridae, Crepuscuviridae, Myriaviridae, and Natareviridae), three subfamilies (Alpharhabdovirinae, Betarhabdovirinae, and Gammarhabdovirinae), 42 genera, and 200 species. Thirty-nine species were renamed and/or moved and seven species were abolished. This article presents the updated taxonomy of Negarnaviricota as now accepted by the ICTV