Can sensitization to aeroallergens disappear over time in children with allergic disease?

Background: Remittance of aeroallergen sensitization has been shown in population‐based studies, but there is a common perception that sensitization to aeroallergens rarely if ever disappears in children with allergic disease. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all specific IgE tests carried out in children aged 0–18 years at our hospital laboratory over a 14‐year period. Of 3115 children sensitized to one or more aeroallergens, 244 (7.8%) were retested after a mean (SD) period of 45 (28) months at their physician’s discretion. Results: Disappearance of sensitization to individual aeroallergens did occur, with remittance rates ranging from 3.1% for house dust mite to 17.5% for cat. However, complete remittance of aeroallergen sensitization was found in only one subject. In up to 35% of cases, remittance of sensitization was offset by the appearance of one or more new aeroallergen sensitizations. Remittance was only observed in children sensitized to multiple allergens (with a median of 3 aeroallergen sensitizations), and their median degree of sensitization was low (median 2.1 kU/L). Conclusion: Aeroallergen sensitization can disappear in children with allergic disease, but only in polysensitized individuals. Complete remittance of sensitization to aeroallergens is rare in symptomatic children.     

The prevalence and causes of chronic diarrhea in patients with celiac sprue treated with a gluten-free diet

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The majority of patients with celiac sprue experience diarrhea before diagnosis. There have been no studies of the prevalence or causes of chronic diarrhea in these patients after treatment with a gluten-free diet. METHODS: Seventy-eight patients with celiac sprue (59 women and 19 men) treated with a gluten-free diet for at least 12 months were surveyed about their bowel habits. Those with chronic diarrhea, defined as passage of loose stools three or more times per week for 6 months, underwent an extensive diagnostic evaluation to determine its cause. RESULTS: Sixty-two of the 78 patients (79%) experienced diarrhea before treatment, and 13 (17%) had chronic diarrhea (of lesser severity) after treatment. The causes of diarrhea in 11 patients consenting to this study were microscopic colitis, steatorrhea secondary to exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, dietary lactose or fructose malabsorption, anal sphincter dysfunction causing fecal incontinence, and the irritable bowel syndrome. Only 1 patient had antigliadin antibodies detected in serum or small intestinal villous atrophy. CONCLUSIONS: After treatment of celiac sprue with a gluten-free diet, chronic diarrhea persists in a substantial percentage of patients. Although ongoing gluten ingestion is one possible cause, other causes may be more frequent. Therefore, diagnostic investigation of diarrhea in celiac sprue after treatment seems warranted. (Gastroenterology 1997 Jun;112(6):1830-8)     

Quantitative proteomics identifies altered O‐GlcNAcylation of structural,synaptic and memory‐associated proteins in Alzheimer's disease

Protein modification by O‐linked β‐N‐acetylglucosamine (O‐GlcNAc) is emerging as an important factor in the pathogenesis of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, detailed molecular characterization of this important protein post‐translational modification at the proteome level has been highly challenging, owing to its low stoichiometry and labile nature. Herein, we report the most comprehensive, quantitative proteomics analysis for protein O‐GlcNAcylation in postmortem human brain tissues with and without AD by the use of isobaric tandem mass tag labelling, chemoenzymatic photocleavage enrichment, and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. A total of 1850 O‐GlcNAc peptides covering 1094 O‐GlcNAcylation sites were identified from 530 proteins in the human brain. One hundred and thirty‐one O‐GlcNAc peptides covering 81 proteins were altered in AD brains as compared with controls (q < 0.05). Moreover, alteration of O‐GlcNAc peptide abundance could be attributed more to O‐GlcNAcylation level than to protein level changes. The altered O‐GlcNAcylated proteins belong to several structural and functional categories, including synaptic proteins, cytoskeleton proteins, and memory‐associated proteins. These findings suggest that dysregulation of O‐GlcNAcylation of multiple brain proteins may be involved in the development of sporadic AD. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A randomized, parallel study of the safety and efficacy of 45 mg primaquine versus 75 mg bulaquine as gametocytocidal agents in adults with blood schizonticide-responsive uncomplicated falciparum malaria [ISCRTN50134587]

Background  

The WHO recommends that adults with uncomplicated P. falciparum successfully treated with a blood schizonticide receive a single dose of primaquine (PQ) 45 mg as a gametocytocidal agent. An earlier pilot study suggested that 75 mg of bulaquine (BQ), of which PQ is a major metabolite, may be a useful alternate to PQ.     

利福昔明：有效维持肝性脑病缓解

肝性脑病是的一种慢性消耗性的肝硬化并发症。利福昔明（rifaximin）,一种口服的抗生素,治疗急性肝性脑病的疗效已有报道,但其预防此病疗效未知。