TGF-β and IL-17 serum levels and specific immunotherapy

Two new T cell subsets may be involved in allergic rhinitis (AR) pathogenesis: Th17 and T regulatory cells, mainly producing IL-17 and TGF-β respectively. Successful Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) induces relevant immunological changes, thus the aim of this study was to evaluate serum IL-17 and TGF-β levels in AR patients treated with SLIT for 2 years. Patients' blood samples were collected before initiating SLIT (baseline), three months after the end of the first pre-seasonal SLIT course, and at the end of the second pre-seasonal course. IL-17 was detectable only in the most severe allergic patients. SLIT significantly induced an increase in serum TGF-β levels. There was moreover a significant relationship between TGF-β and symptom severity and drug use at the end of the study. Therefore, this study provides clinically relevant evidence that two pre-seasonal SLIT courses may significantly affect serum TGF-β levels.     

Serving seniors better: service guidelines for supermarkets

Objective: Generate a list of service guidelines to enable supermarket managers to accommodate the needs of their older customers. Methods: Focus groups and a national telephone survey were conducted with Australian seniors to generate 10 service guidelines for supermarkets. Results: The 10 guidelines produced are considered to be of significant importance by Australian seniors, with some apparent differences in importance and relevance ratings between older and younger seniors, and males and females. Conclusions: Seniors have distinct service preferences when grocery shopping and their needs require special attention in the supermarket environment. In particular, they feel strongly about the quality of staff and equipment with which they come into contact.     

Features of the metabolic syndrome of "hypertriglyceridemic waist" and transplant coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the prevalence of the atherogenic metabolic triad and the hypothesis that waist circumference and fasting triglyceride concentrations could be used as screening tools for identification of the atherogenic metabolic triad in a population of heart transplant men. It also evaluated the relationship between the atherogenic metabolic triad and coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: In the study group of 83 consecutive male heart transplant patients having their routine annual coronarography, 23 patients (28%) were characterized by the atherogenic metabolic triad defined by the presence of elevated fasting insulin and apolipoprotein B concentrations and by small low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles. RESULTS: Seventy-seven per cent of patients with waist circumference values >/= 90 cm and with elevated triglyceride levels (>/=2.0 mmol/liter) were characterized by this atherogenic metabolic triad. Patients with the atherogenic metabolic triad were at markedly increased risk of CAD (odds ratio of 25.3, 95% CI: 1.11-577.3, p < 0.04) compared to heart transplant patients without the atherogenic metabolic triad. CONCLUSIONS: About 30% of heart transplant patients showed the features of the atherogenic metabolic triad. Measurement and interpretation of waist circumference and fasting triglycerides could be used among heart transplant patients to early identify men characterized by the presence of elevated fasting insulin and apolipoprotein B concentrations and small LDL particles. The presence of the atherogenic metabolic triad identified patients at high risk of CAD even in the heart transplant population.     

Interdisziplin?re Leitlinien zur Diagnostik und Therapie der extrazerebralen Amyloidosen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Quality control of banked milk in Brasilia, Brazil.

The authors studied quality control procedures at human milk banks and nutritional profiles of 909 milk samples (from 195 donors, aged 15 to 45 years) from banked human milk (BHM) in Brasília, Brazil. Number of donations per donor ranged from 1 to > 10 that consisted mostly of mature milk (90.9%) with a mean total energy of 529 +/- 85 kcal/L and a mean total lipid of 22.7 g/L +/- 13.2. Microbiological quality (titrable acidity-Dornic, degrees D) was suitable for infant feeding in 99.2% of samples (< 8 degrees D), ranging from 2 degrees D to 8 degrees D (mean 4.8 +/- 1.4 degrees D). Most BHM (98.1%) samples were dispensed to inpatient infants (1-7 days) diagnosed with respiratory distress (30.1%), prematurity (20.7%), metabolic distress (16.0%), jaundice (14.4%), bacterial infection (6.0%), pneumonia (3.3%), congenital cardiac distress (2.2%), or other conditions (6.2%). Well-motivated mothers and trained staff are serving and sustaining an important life-saving network with long-lasting impact on public health.