Food allergy in small children carries a risk of essential fatty acid deficiency, as detected by elevated serum mead acid proportion of total fatty acids

Abstract Background Elevated serum Mead acid as a proportion of total fatty acids is an indirect marker of a deficiency of essential fatty acids (EFA). The aim of the study was to evaluate the symptoms and nutrition of food-allergic children with elevated or normal serum Mead acid. Methods Serum fatty acid compositions from 400 children were studied by clinical indications, mostly by suspicion of deficiency of EFA due to inadequate nutrition. A Mead acid level exceeding 0.21% (percentage of total fatty acids) was considered to be a specific sign of an insufficient EFA supply. From a total of 31 children with elevated Mead acid (MEADplus group), 23 (74%) had food allergy. The symptoms and dietary restrictions of this MEADplus group of food allergic children were compared to 54 age-and sex-matched controls with food allergy but normal Mead acid proportions (MEADminus group) before and 6 months after the serum fatty acid determination. Results At the beginning of the 6-month follow-up, 44% of the food allergic children in both MEADplus and MEADminus groups were on an elimination diet. These diets did not differ between the two groups and we were not able to document an association between the severity of elimination diet and elevated Mead acid proportion. However, the MEADplus children were on average more symptomatic than MEADminus children. In the MEADplus group, food allergy presented with skin symptoms in 100% (vs. 70% in the MEADminus group, p < 0.001) and with vomiting or diarrhea in 70% (vs. 44% in the MEADminus group, p < 0.05). Clinical suspicion of malnutrition resulted in increase in the use of vegetable oil and milk-free margarine in both groups from <50% to 65-74% during the follow-up. After 6 months, 64% of the MEADplus children with food allergy had been sent to a control serum fatty acid analysis. Of these children, Mead acid had declined to normal level in 69%, and remained elevated in 31%. Conclusions Severe symptoms of food allergy combined with elimination diets in children may lead to insufficient nutrition presenting with elevated serum Mead acid. Adding of supplementary polyunsaturated fat to the diet should be considered in these children

Differential Gene Expression in Adipose Stem Cells Cultured in Allogeneic Human Serum Versus Fetal Bovine Serum

In preclinical studies, human adipose stem cells (ASCs) have been shown to have therapeutic applicability, but standard expansion methods for clinical applications remain yet to be established. ASCs are typically expanded in the medium containing fetal bovine serum (FBS). However, sera and other animal-derived culture reagents stage safety issues in clinical therapy, including possible infections and severe immune reactions. By expanding ASCs in the medium containing human serum (HS), the problem can be eliminated. To define how allogeneic HS (alloHS) performs in ASC expansion compared to FBS, a comparative in vitro study in both serum supplements was performed. The choice of serum had a significant effect on ASCs. First, to reach cell proliferation levels comparable with 10% FBS, at least 15% alloHS was required. Second, while genes of the cell cycle pathway were overexpressed in alloHS, genes of the bone morphogenetic protein receptor–mediated signaling on the transforming growth factor beta signaling pathway regulating, for example, osteoblast differentiation, were overexpressed in FBS. The result was further supported by differentiation analysis, where early osteogenic differentiation was significantly enhanced in FBS. The data presented here underscore the importance of thorough investigation of ASCs for utilization in cell therapies. This study is a step forward in the understanding of these potential cells