Potential role of antioxidant food supplements, preservatives and colorants in the pathogenesis of allergy and asthma.

A significant increase in the incidence of allergy and asthma has been observed during the past decades. The background of this phenomenon has not been well explained, but changes in lifestyle and habits are heavily discussed as contributing factors. Among these is a too clean environment, which may predispose individuals to increased sensitivity to allergic responses.

In vitro testing for anti-inflammatory properties of compounds employing peripheral blood mononuclear cells freshly isolated from healthy donors.

Introduction: Inflammation is crucially involved in a variety of diseases like autoimmune syndromes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, sepsis and allograft rejection.

Methods: Freshly isolated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are used as a screening assay for anti-inflammatory properties of compounds. Determinations of neopterin production by ELISA and of tryptophan degradation by HPLC are used as read-outs.

Increased rate of prematurity associated with antenatal antiretroviral therapy in a German/Austrian cohort of HIV-1-infected women.

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes after antenatal antiretroviral therapy in a well-defined prospective cohort of nontransmitting HIV-infected women.

Methods: Prospective monitoring of 183 mother-child pairs from 13 centres in Germany and Austria, delivering between 1995 and 2001, was carried out. Following German-Austrian guidelines recommending an elective Caesarean section (CS) at 36 weeks, prematurity was defined as <36 weeks' gestation for these analyses.

Amnionitis with Ureaplasma urealyticum or other microbes leads to increased morbidity and prolonged hospitalization in very low birth weight infants.

Objective: To investigate the influence of culture proven intrauterine infection on preterm morbidity and to test the effect of antimicrobial treatment.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study conducted between October 1997 and February 2001 in patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes or preterm labor. Vaginal swabs were sampled and amniocentesis for microbiologic culture of the amniotic fluid was performed.

Early cerebrovascular disease in a 2-year-old with extreme obesity and complete metabolic syndrome due to feeding of excessively high amounts of energy.

A 2-year-old morbidly obese boy presented with early manifestation of vascular disease associated with several obesity-related features of the metabolic syndrome due to massive overfeeding. Ultrasound of the carotid arteries showed significant thickening of the intima media, perfusion magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicated cerebral microcirculation disturbance, and echocardiography revealed left ventricular hypertrophy. Thorough assessment of morbidly obese children seems to be of importance from early childhood on.