Methods of allergen detection based on DNA analysis

Many allergens, such as hazelnut, peanut, charlock, celery, sesame, lupine, walnut, almond, macadamia nut, hickory, pistachio, wheat gliadins, may be present in food products, however, undeclared or as unintentional additives. Due to the growing number of allergic reactions, it is crucial to have fast, reliable methods of allergen detection in processed food products. This review summarizes the recent methods of allergen detection in food products based on PCR reactions, namely PCR-ELISA, Real-time PCR, PCR-PNA-HPLC, Duplex PCR and Multiplex Real-time PCR, describing their principles, applications, detection limits, drawbacks and advantages

Quantum dots in food analysis

Several potential, mainly medical applications of quantum dots (QDs), including nanodiagnostics, imaging, targeted drug delivery, and photodynamic therapy have been investigated to date. These fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals are exceptionally suitable for immunolabeling, cell motility assays, in situ hybridization, as live cell markers due to their high photostability. QDs are adapted to the desired application by conjugation to a recognition moiety, e.g., antibodies, peptides, oligonucleotides or aptamers, or by coating with streptavidin. QDs are applied with other techniques, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR), fluorescence resonance-energy transfer (FRET) analysis, fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) and western blot analysis

Immunoreactivity of chemically cross-linked gluten and hydrolysates of wheat flour

The immunoreactivity of gluten and wheat flour proteins crosslinked with chosen chemical reagents was investigated. Native proteins and flour hydrolysates subject to enzymatic proteolysis with collagenase and subtilisin were studied. Determination of immunoreactivity was performed with noncompetitive ELISA method with coeliac patients' sera. The lowest immunoreactivity values were obtained during cross-linking of wheat flour hydrolyzates with polyethyleneimine, below 5% of the values for nonmodified flour

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Content in Selected Food Products

5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a common component of heat treated, drying or stored for a long time food products. It is an intermediate product formed in the Maillard reaction as a result of thermal dehydration of reducing sugars (1-2). HMF is also formed during caramelisation while degradation of carbohydrates at high temperature (3). HMF is responsible for the sensory properties of food, especially for the pleasant flavor. Although it is relatively safe food component, there are reports regarding toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic properties of HMF, and of 5-sulphoxymethylfurfural especially, an allylic sulfuric acid ester metabolite from HMF (4-6). The content of HMF in the various products vary within a wide range and depends on the food group type as well as the type of processing. In present work, the HMF content in different types of breakfast cereals, cookies and muesli as well as in several types of bakery products commercially available in Poland was determined. In addition, the influence of flavor and taste additives (honey, cocoa, dry fruits) as well as the type of cereals (gluten or gluten-free) on the HMF content in the tested products was examined

Pediatric Asthma Caregiver’s Quality of Life Questionnaire is a useful tool for monitoring asthma in children

PURPOSE: There is little agreement among researchers whether a caregiver’s QOL can be used to detect changes in asthma severity in children. We assessed correlation between QOL in parents and QOL in children with asthma as well as clinical parameters of asthma. We determined whether changes in caregiver’s QOL scores reflect changes in child’s QOL and their asthma control. METHODS: This was a 9-week period cohort study. One hundred and ten primary caregivers with 110 children were seen in the clinic at enrollment, at week #1, #5 and #9. At each visit, the parents completed the Pediatric Asthma Caregiver’s Quality of Life Questionnaire (PACQLQ). RESULTS: One hundred and one children and 101 caregivers completed the study. We found a significant correlation between asthma diary score in children and QOL in parents (from r = −0.46 to r = −0.53). We also found significant positive correlation between PAQLQ and PACQLQ and significant association between changes in asthma control and PACQLQ score for both domains. We observed significant change in PACQLQ of caregivers whose children obtained asthma control. CONCLUSIONS: PACQLQ is a useful tool for monitoring asthma in children. The implementation of the PACQLQ would be helpful in involving parents in therapy of their children with asthma

Cytokine profiling in exhaled breath condensate after exercise challenge in asthmatic children with post-exercise symptoms

Introduction: Markers of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) correlate with lung function impairment, airway remodeling and different aspects of the disease such as exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). Aim of the study was to determine the cytokine profile in EBC of children with asthma after an exercise treadmill challenge in order to obtain clinically useful information about mechanisms of EIB; also, to assess correlations between cytokine concentrations in EBC and clinical characteristics of the patients. Material and methods: The study population consisted of 25 randomly selected children, aged 8 to 19 years, with asthma and EIB symptoms despite the use of control medications. Patients on the day of the study visit underwent fractional exhaled nitric oxide measurement (FeNO) and baseline spirometry, performed an exercise treadmill challenge (ETC), and EBC samples were obtained at the end of the ETC. Results: In asthmatic children with positive ETC, monocyte hemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and IL-16 adjusted to pre-EBC forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) were significantly higher compared to children with negative ETC (p = 0.022 and p = 0.017 respectively). After adjustment to pre-EBC FEV1 other cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, MIG, TNF-) were not related to post-exercise changes in FEV1. Conclusions: We observed a specific inflammatory profile in the airways of asthmatic children with bronchoconstriction induced by exercise. The concentration of cytokines in EBC depended on the post-exercise decrease in FEV1, which was measured by the area under the curve (AUC). MCP-1 and IL-16, adjusted to pre-EBC FEV1, were significantly higher in children with a positive exercise challenge compared to those with a negative one.This study was funded by grant 503-2056-1 from the Medical University of Lodz, Poland. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01798823. The study was approved by the Medical University of Lodz Ethics committee, Poland. Written consent from the patients and their parents was obtained

Tomato Allergy: The Characterization of the Selected Allergens and Antioxidants of Tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i>)—A Review

Tomatoes are one of the most broadly produced and consumed crop plants. They are the source of health-promoting nutrients such as antioxidants, including ascorbic acid, polyphenols, or carotenoids. Despite the beneficial role of tomatoes in the daily diet, they have been confirmed as one of the most prevalent allergenic vegetables. Food allergies can cause many clinical symptoms, e.g., in the gastrointestinal tract, skin, and lungs, as well as anaphylactic shock. A huge amount of clinical research has been carried out to improve the understanding of the immunological mechanisms that lead to the lack of tolerance of food antigens, which can result in either immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated reactions or non-IgE-mediated reactions. Lifestyle and diet play an important role in triggering food allergies. Allergy to tomatoes is also linked to other allergies, such as grass pollen and latex allergy. Numerous attempts have been made to identify and characterize tomato allergens; however, the data available on the subject are not sufficient

The impact of cystic fibrosis course on the physical activity of children with cystic fibrosis

Wstęp. Chorzy na mukowiscydozę mają mniejszą wydolność wysiłkową w porównaniu ze zdrową populacją. Cel pracy. Celem badania była ocena wpływu przebiegu choroby na aktywność fizyczną dzieci chorych na mukowiscydozę. Materiał i metody. Badaniem objęto 20 dzieci chorych na mukowiscydozę w wieku 8&#8211;18 lat, w tym 11 dziewczynek i 9 chłopców. W celu zbadania wpływu przebiegu choroby na aktywność fizyczną dzieci chorych na mukowiscydozę wykorzystano kwestionariusz, jakim była anonimowa ankieta skierowana do chorych. W pracy posłużono się również wynikami badań spirometrycznych, z których wykorzystano wartości pomiaru FEV1. Wyniki. Wykazano, że czynności dnia codziennego, takie jak mycie, ubieranie, sprzątanie, spożywanie posiłków jedynie w nielicznych przypadkach sprawiają trudności badanym dzieciom chorym na mukowiscydozę. Ograniczenia te dotyczyły głównie pacjentów w zaawansowanym stadium choroby. Badane dzieci chore na mukowiscydozę nie uprawiały sportów wysiłkowych, wykonywały zaś ćwiczenia ogólnorozwojowe. Wnioski. Ze względu na częste hospitalizacje i przyjmowane leki oraz obniżoną wydolność fizyczną mukowiscydoza miała negatywny wpływ na uczestnictwo badanych dzieci w lekcjach wychowania fizycznego w szkole. Im większa była roczna częstość hospitalizacji i antybiotykoterapii u badanych pacjentów chorych na mukowiscydozę, tym mniejsza była ich aktywność fizyczna i ogólna sprawność. Problemy Pielęgniarstwa 2011; 19 (1): 39&#8211;46Introduction. Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) have decreased physical efficiency compared to healthy population. Aim of the study. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the CF course on physical activity in children with diagnosed CF. Material and methods. Participants were 20 children with CF, aged 8&#8211;18 years old, 11 girs and 9 boys. We used anonymous questionnaire directed to patients in order to assess the impact of the CF course on physical activity in children with diagnosed CF. We also used spirometric lung function parameter, namely FEV1. Results. We showed that every day activitiesnamely washing, dressing up, cleaning up, eating only in numerous cases seem troublesome for studied children with CF. These limitations were related to patients in advanced stage of CF. Studied children with CF did not practice heavy exercises but rather general developmental exercises. Conclusions. Due to frequent hospitalisations, drugs taken and decreased physical efficiency cystic fibrosis showed negative impact on the attendance of patients to physical exercise lesssons in school. Higher annual number of hospitalisations and annual number of antibiotic courses were correlated with were the lower physical activity and general efficiency of the patients were. Nursing Topics 2011; 19 (1): 39&#8211;4