Reliability of acute illness dihydrorhodamine-123 testing for chronic granulomatous disease

10.7754/Clin.Lab.2012.120501Clinical Laboratory591-2203-206CLLA

Role of dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in infant allergies and respiratory diseases

10.1155/2012/730568Clinical and Developmental Immunology2012-CDIL

An unusual cause of food-induced anaphylaxis in mothers

Background Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) are prebiotics added to commercial milk formula of infants and mothers. In recent years, cases of allergy related to GOS in atopic children have been reported in the South East Asian region.Case presentations We describe a series of pregnant (n = 4) and lactating mothers (n = 2) who developed anaphylactic reactions after consumption of maternal milk formula containing GOS. All six subjects had pre-existing atopy and a positive skin prick test to GOS and 5/5 of the subjects who were tested had positive basophil activation tests to GOS. All of the mothers and their babies had normal neonatal outcomes after the reactions.Conclusions The supplementation of GOS into milk and beverages in the Asian region should take into account the rare chance of allergenicity of GOS in the atopic population. Keywords: Anaphylaxis, Pregnancy, Galacto-Oligosaccharid

Guanidine-catalyzed enantioselective desymmetrization of meso-aziridines

10.1039/c0cc05840hChemical Communications47133897-3899CHCO

Impulsive-compulsive behaviors are common in Asian Parkinson's disease patients: Assessment using the QUIP

Background: There are limited data on the prevalence of impulsive-compulsive behaviors and subsyndromal impulsive-compulsive behaviors in Asian patients with Parkinson's disease, who are treated with lower dosages of dopaminergic medications. Methods: The recently-validated Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's Disease was administered to 200 consecutive patients attending a Malaysian university-based neurology clinic. Informant report was also systematically obtained. Results: A high rate of Questionnaire positivity was found (35.0% by combined patient and informant report; 24.6% by patient report alone; 27.4% by informant report alone), despite usage of relatively low dosages of dopaminergic medications (mean/median total L-dopa equivalent units of 528/450 mg/day; mean/median agonist-only L-dopa equivalent units of 74/37 mg/day). Eating, sexual and punding or hobbyism behaviors were relatively common, while gambling and compulsive medication use occurred less frequently. Agreement between patient- and informant-reporting of impulsive-compulsive behaviors was moderate-to-fair (Kappa values ranging from 0.203 to 0.494). Factors associated with Questionnaire positivity on univariate analysis were male gender, younger age at Parkinson's disease onset, longer disease duration, use of dopamine agonist or amantadine therapy, higher total L-dopa equivalent units and higher dopamine agonist-only L-dopa equivalent units. On multivariate analysis, male gender and longer disease duration independently predicted Questionnaire positivity. No association was found with cognitive or apathy scores. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that Asian patients with Parkinson's disease may be susceptible to dopaminergic medication-related side effects. The data here also contribute to the understanding of the psychometric properties of the Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Isolation of a novel chiral phytoestrogen breviflavone B from epimedium herb by a new approach of liquid chromatography

10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.663.303Advanced Materials Research663303-30

Rhinitis in the first 18 months of life: exploring the role of respiratory viruses

Background: Rhinitis is common in early childhood, but allergic rhinitis is considered a later manifestation of the atopic march. This study aimed to evaluate rhinitis (allergic and non-allergic) in the first 18 months of life, its link with other atopic manifestations and the role of respiratory viruses.Methods: Subjects (n = 1237) of the Singapore GUSTO birth cohort were followed up quarterly until 18 months of age with questionnaires to screen for rhinitis symptoms lasting at least 2 wk and with monthly calls to positive subjects to detect prolonged/recurrent rhinitis symptoms (total duration ?4 wk). Anterior nasal swabbing for molecular-based virus detection was conducted during these visits and near (within a month) rhinitis episodes. Skin prick testing to common environmental and food allergens was conducted at the 18 month visit.Results: Prolonged/recurrent rhinitis was significantly associated with history of parental atopy (mother: aOR = 2.17; father: aOR = 1.82) and atopic comorbidities of eczema (aOR = 2.53) and wheeze (aOR = 4.63) (p &lt; 0.05), though not with allergen sensitization. Although the frequency of nasal respiratory virus detection during scheduled quarterly visits did not differ between prolonged/recurrent rhinitis and matched controls (p &gt; 0.05), virus detection was higher in swabs obtained within a month following rhinitis episodes in prolonged/recurrent rhinitis subjects compared with scheduled visits (adjusted p = 0.04).Conclusions: Based on the duration of rhinitis symptoms, this study defined a subset of early childhood rhinitis which was associated with atopic predisposition and comorbidities. Persistent respiratory viral shedding may contribute to the symptomatology. Whether this entity is a precursor of subsequent childhood allergic rhinitis will require longer follow-up.<br/

Neutralizing anti-interferon-gamma autoantibody levels may not correlate with clinical course of disease

10.1093/cid/ciw351Clinical Infectious Diseases634572 - 573CIDI