The psychological impact of diagnostic food challenges to confirm the resolution of peanut or tree nut allergy.

Background: Twenty percent of children outgrow peanut allergy and 10% outgrow tree nut allergy. Resolution can be confirmed by a food challenge. Little is known about the psychosocial impact of the challenge.

Highly accurate prediction of food challenge outcome using routinely available clinical data.

Background: Serum specific IgE or skin prick tests are less useful at levels below accepted decision points.

Objectives: We sought to develop and validate a model to predict food challenge outcome by using routinely collected data in a diverse sample of children considered suitable for food challenge.

Methods: The proto-algorithm was generated by using a limited data set from 1 service (phase 1).

Vitamin D3 supplementation for 16 weeks improves flow-mediated dilation in overweight African-American adults.

Background: A growing body of evidence has linked vitamin D deficiency to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Vitamin D deficiency is also more common in African Americans for whom an increased cardiovascular disease risk exists. This study sought to test the hypothesis that 16 weeks of 60,000 IU monthly supplementation of oral vitamin D(3) would improve flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in African Americans, whereas no change would be observed in the placebo group.

Leukocyte telomere length in healthy Caucasian and African-American adolescents: relationships with race, sex, adiposity, adipokines, and physical activity.

Objective: To examine the relationships of race, sex, adiposity, adipokines, and physical activity to telomere length in adolescents.

Study Design: Leukocyte telomere length (T/S ratio) was assessed cross-sectionally in 667 adolescents (aged 14-18 years; 48% African-Americans; 51% girls) using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction method. Generalized estimating equations analyses were performed.