Preparation of iron-enriched baker's yeast and its efficiency in recovery of rats from dietary iron deficiency

OBJECTIVES Iron is an important mineral, essential for the health and function of mammalian cells. Despite its key role, iron deficiency in humans is common worldwide, often leading to significant health issues within the population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of using iron-enriched baker's yeast as a source of iron, especially for the protection and recovery from conditions related to anemia. METHODS Iron-enriched yeast was prepared by cultivating cells on basal medium comprising different iron concentrations. The effects of iron supplementation on animal health were assessed by feeding anemic rats with a variety of diets containing either inorganic iron or iron-enriched yeast. Body weight, iron bioavailability, blood parameters, and the activity of iron-containing enzymes (catalase) were studied. RESULTS Iron accumulation in yeast cells increased with iron concentration, reaching a maximum of 15 mg/g when 32 mM iron was applied. Rat groups fed iron-enriched yeast had the highest feed efficiency, iron bioavailability, and hemoglobin concentration. The source of iron supplementation influenced catalase activity in kidney tissues, increasing from 70 U/g tissue in anemic rats to 90 U/g tissue (inorganic iron salt), 110 U/g tissue (inorganic iron salt and non-enriched dry yeast), 145 U/g tissue (iron-enriched yeast 15 mg/g iron) and 115 U/g tissue (iron-enriched yeast 30 mg/g iron). The histologic study of tissues from liver, kidney, heart, and spleen of rats from different groups showed that the damage observed in tissues of anemic rats, was not observed after feeding with iron-enriched yeasts. CONCLUSION The results demonstrated that ingestion of iron-enriched yeast is more efficient than inorganic treatment in recovery from iron deficiency, including tissue recovery in rats

Novel method for assessing basophil activation by measuring altered expression of membrane-bound and intracellular basogranulin stores

BackgroundBasophil activation tests can provide valuable information on allergic sensitivity to a range of different allergens. The most widely employed methods involve flow cytometric detection of increased expression of membrane-bound CD63 or CD203c following addition of allergen to basophils in vitro.The identification of basogranulin, a unique basic protein stored in basophil granules, has opened the way for new basophil activation methods to be explored.MethodsBlood was collected from healthy subjects and patients with a history of allergy to food, drugs, house dust and grass pollen. Basophils were stimulated with specific allergen, anti-IgE antibody, or the peptide f-met-leu-phe (FMLP). Flow cytometry was performed with non-permeabilised and permeabilised cells with antibody specific for basogranulin (BB1) or CD63, and data analysed with CellQuest software.ResultsFlow cytometry with permeablised cells indicated depletion of intracellular stores of basogranulin following basophil activation. Associated with basogranulin release was the presence of increased quantities of this marker on the basophil membrane following cellular activation. Increased membrane expression of basogranulin mirrored that for CD63; and with allergens and other stimuli tested the measurement of cell surface basogranulin represented a more sensitive means for assessing basophil activation in vitro. The flow cytometric assays for basogranulin were optimised for use with samples of whole blood so as to avoid the need for basophil purification.ConclusionsThe rapidity, simplicity and sensitivity of basogranulin-based methods for measuring basophil activation will facilitate their application to clinical samples and allow better assessment for allergic sensitivity

MicroRNAs - a promising tool for asthma diagnosis and severity assessment: a systematic review

Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding RNAs (Ribonucleic acids) with regulatory functions that could prove useful as biomarkers for asthma diagnosis and asthma severity-risk stratification. The objective of this systematic review is to identify panels of miRNAs that can be used to support asthma diagnosis and severity-risk assessment. Three databases (Medline, Embase, and SCOPUS) were searched up to 15 September 2020 to identify studies reporting differential expression of specific miRNAs in the tissues of adults and children with asthma. Studies reporting miRNAs associations in animal models that were also studied in humans were included in this review. We identified 75 studies that met our search criteria. Of these, 66 studies reported more than 200 miRNAs that are differentially expressed in asthma patients when compared to non-asthmatic controls. In addition, 16 studies reported 17 miRNAs that are differentially expressed with differences in asthma severity. We were able to construct two panels of miRNAs that are expressed in blood and can serve as core panels to further investigate the practicality and efficiency of using miRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers for asthma diagnosis and severity-risk assessment, respectively

The clinical implications of Aspergillus Fumigatus sensitization in difficult-to-treat asthma patients

Background: fungal sensitivity has been associated with severe asthma outcomes. However, the clinical implication of Aspergillus fumigatus sensitization in difficult-to-treat (or difficult) asthma is unclear.Objectives: to characterize the clinical implications of A fumigatus sensitization in a large difficult asthma cohort.Methods: participants who underwent both skin prick and specific IgE testing to A fumigatus (n = 318) from the longitudinal real-life Wessex AsThma CoHort of difficult asthma, United Kingdom, were characterized by A fumigatus sensitization (either positive skin prick test result or specific IgE) and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis status using clinical/pathophysiological disease measures.Results: a fumigatus sensitization was found in 23.9% (76 of 318) of patients with difficult asthma. Compared with A fumigatus nonsensitized subjects, those with sensitization were significantly more often male (50% vs 31%), older (58 years) with longer asthma duration (33 years), higher maintenance oral corticosteroid (39.7%) and asthma biologic use (27.6%), raised current/maximum log10 total IgE+1 (2.43/2.72 IU/L), worse prebronchodilator airflow obstruction (FEV1 62.2% predicted, FEV1/forced vital capacity 61.2%, forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% exhalation 30.9% predicted), and frequent radiological bronchiectasis (40%), but had less psychophysiologic comorbidities. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis diagnosis was associated with higher treatment needs and stronger eosinophilic signals. Factors independently associated with A fumigatus sensitization in difficult asthma included maintenance oral corticosteroid use (odds ratio [OR], 3.34) and maximum log10 total IgE+1 (OR, 4.30), whereas for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis included maintenance oral corticosteroid use (OR, 6.98), maximum log10 total IgE+1 (OR, 4.65), and radiological bronchiectasis (OR, 4.08).Conclusions: a fumigatus sensitization in difficult asthma identifies a more severe form of airways disease associated with greater morbidity, treatment need, and airways dysfunction/damage, but fewer psychophysiologic comorbidities. Screening of A fumigatus status should be an early element in the comprehensive assessment of patients with difficult asthma.</p

The clinical implications of Aspergillus Fumigatus sensitization in difficult-to-treat asthma patients

Background: fungal sensitivity has been associated with severe asthma outcomes. However, the clinical implication of Aspergillus fumigatus sensitization in difficult-to-treat (or difficult) asthma is unclear.Objectives: to characterize the clinical implications of A fumigatus sensitization in a large difficult asthma cohort.Methods: participants who underwent both skin prick and specific IgE testing to A fumigatus (n = 318) from the longitudinal real-life Wessex AsThma CoHort of difficult asthma, United Kingdom, were characterized by A fumigatus sensitization (either positive skin prick test result or specific IgE) and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis status using clinical/pathophysiological disease measures.Results: a fumigatus sensitization was found in 23.9% (76 of 318) of patients with difficult asthma. Compared with A fumigatus nonsensitized subjects, those with sensitization were significantly more often male (50% vs 31%), older (58 years) with longer asthma duration (33 years), higher maintenance oral corticosteroid (39.7%) and asthma biologic use (27.6%), raised current/maximum log10 total IgE+1 (2.43/2.72 IU/L), worse prebronchodilator airflow obstruction (FEV1 62.2% predicted, FEV1/forced vital capacity 61.2%, forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% exhalation 30.9% predicted), and frequent radiological bronchiectasis (40%), but had less psychophysiologic comorbidities. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis diagnosis was associated with higher treatment needs and stronger eosinophilic signals. Factors independently associated with A fumigatus sensitization in difficult asthma included maintenance oral corticosteroid use (odds ratio [OR], 3.34) and maximum log10 total IgE+1 (OR, 4.30), whereas for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis included maintenance oral corticosteroid use (OR, 6.98), maximum log10 total IgE+1 (OR, 4.65), and radiological bronchiectasis (OR, 4.08).Conclusions: a fumigatus sensitization in difficult asthma identifies a more severe form of airways disease associated with greater morbidity, treatment need, and airways dysfunction/damage, but fewer psychophysiologic comorbidities. Screening of A fumigatus status should be an early element in the comprehensive assessment of patients with difficult asthma.</p