Publications by authors named "Garssen J"

Several factors are linked to the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, the molecular mechanisms of the condition remain unknown. As intestinal problems and gut microbiota dysbiosis are associated with ASD development and severity, recent studies have focused on elucidating the microbiota-gut-brain axis' involvement. This study aims to explore mechanisms through which gut microbiota might influence ASD.

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Objective: Given that Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder, with symptoms that worsen over time, our goal is to enhance the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease by utilizing machine learning techniques and microbiome analysis. The primary objective is to identify specific microbiome signatures that can reproducibly differentiate patients with Parkinson's disease from healthy controls.

Methods: We used four Parkinson-related datasets from the NCBI repository, focusing on stool samples.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates how synbiotic supplements can help reduce allergic asthma symptoms in offspring exposed to environmental cigarette smoke and house-dust mites.
  • - Researchers found that pups from mothers exposed to cigarette smoke had increased lung resistance and elevated immune markers, indicating worse asthma symptoms, but synbiotics helped improve these conditions.
  • - By promoting healthy gut bacteria, synbiotic intervention in early life showed promise in reducing allergic reactions and suggests a potential strategy for preventing allergies in children affected by pollution.
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: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected young adults' lives globally, including those in Germany. This study investigated mental health and quality of life during the pandemic, with a particular focus on mood. Immune fitness, the body's capacity to respond to health challenges (such as infections) by activating an appropriate immune response, was assessed as a physical health indicator.

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Article Synopsis
  • Newborns have an underdeveloped immune system, making them vulnerable to infections like rotavirus (RV), which is a major cause of child mortality, especially in developing countries.
  • Maternal immunity plays a crucial role in providing protection against RV through pregnancy and breastfeeding, and this study investigates how enhancing maternal diet can boost newborn immunity.
  • Pregnant rats receiving a specific synbiotic showed pups with reduced RV infection severity and elevated levels of immune-related antibodies, indicating that this dietary intervention improves the pups' ability to fight off infections.
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Degenerative joint disease osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by the degeneration of cartilage, synovial inflammation and low-grade systemic inflammation in association with microbial dysbiosis and intestinal barrier defects. Butyrate is known for its anti-inflammatory and barrier protective effects and might benefit OA patients. In a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial, the effects of four to five weeks of oral treatment with sustained-release (SR) butyrate tablets (600 mg/day) on systemic inflammation and immune function were studied in hand OA patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Early-life nutrition, particularly the inclusion of prebiotics like galacto-oligosaccharides and human milk oligosaccharides, can improve vaccine responses in infants, as shown in a study with mice.
  • - Mice on a specific diet (combination of GOS/lcFOS and HMOS) exhibited stronger immune responses, evidenced by increased ear swelling (a measure of delayed-type hypersensitivity) and higher levels of specific antibodies (IgG1).
  • - The diet enhanced the activation of immune cells, particularly memory B lymphocytes and Th1 cells, indicating that incorporating these prebiotics into infant formulas could lead to better immune development and vaccine efficacy in infants.
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Quality of life (QoL) is traditionally assessed using multiple-item questionnaires. These can be either general, global assessments of QoL or disease-specific questionnaires. However, the use of single-item QoL scales is becoming increasingly popular, as these are more time- and cost-effective, with a readily available and easy-to-interpret outcome.

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Background: Immunomodulatory proteins in human milk (HM) can shape infant immune development. However, strategies to modulate their levels are currently unknown. This study investigated whether maternal prebiotic supplementation alters the levels of immunomodulatory proteins in HM.

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Background: Ingestion of prebiotics during pregnancy and lactation may have immunomodulatory benefits for the developing fetal and infant immune system and provide a potential dietary strategy to reduce the risk of allergic diseases.

Objective: We sought to determine whether maternal supplementation with dietary prebiotics reduces the risk of allergic outcomes in infants with hereditary risk.

Methods: We undertook a double-blind randomized controlled trial in which pregnant women were allocated to consume prebiotics (14.

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In many parts of the world, goat milk has been part of the human diet for millennia. Allergy to goat's milk, not associated with allergy to cow's milk, is a rare disorder, although some cases have been described. Goat milk proteins have substantial homology with cow's milk proteins and even show cross-reactivity; therefore, they are not advised as an alternative to cow's milk for infants with IgE-mediated cow's milk allergies.

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After esophagectomy, an imbalanced inflammatory response increases the risk of postoperative morbidity. The vagus nerve modulates local and systemic inflammatory responses, but its pulmonary branches are transected during esophagectomy as part of the oncological resection, which may account for the high incidence of postoperative (pulmonary) complications. This study investigated the effect of electrical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung injury in rats.

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The alcohol hangover is a combination of negative mental and physical symptoms which can be experienced after a single episode of alcohol consumption, starting when blood alcohol concentration (BAC) approaches zero. A popular theory suggests that dehydration is the primary cause of alcohol hangover and that the consumption of water could alleviate hangover symptoms. Here, the current evidence on the relationship between hangover severity, thirst, and water consumption is summarized.

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The common cold, the flu, and the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have many symptoms in common. As such, without testing for severe-acute-respiratory-syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), it is difficult to conclude whether or not one is infected with SARS-CoV-2. The aim of the current study was to compare the presence and severity of COVID-19-related symptoms among those who tested positive or negative for the beta variant of SARS-CoV-2 (B.

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Introduction: Pulmonary neutrophilia is a hallmark of numerous airway diseases including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Neutrophilic asthma, Acute Lung Injury (ALI), Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and COVID-19. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of dietary interventions on lung health in context of pulmonary neutrophilia.

Methods: Male BALB/cByJ mice received 7 intra-nasal doses of either a vehicle or lipopolysaccharides (LPS).

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Immunonutrition, which focuses on specific nutrients in breast milk and post-weaning diets, plays a crucial role in supporting infants' immune system development. This study explored the impact of maternal supplementation with M-16V and a combination of short-chain galacto-oligosaccharide (scGOS) and long-chain fructo-oligosaccharide (lcFOS) from pregnancy through lactation, extending into the early childhood of the offspring. The synbiotic supplementation's effects were examined at both mucosal and systemic levels.

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Introduction: Maternal synbiotic supplementation during pregnancy and lactation can significantly influence the immune system. Prebiotics and probiotics have a positive impact on the immune system by preventing or ameliorating among others intestinal disorders. This study focused on the immunomodulatory effects of M-16V and short chain galacto-oligosaccharides (scGOS)/long chain fructo-oligosachairdes (lcFOS), including systemic and mucosal compartments and milk composition.

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Immune system development during gestation and suckling is significantly modulated by maternal environmental and dietary factors. Breastfeeding is widely recognized as the optimal source of nutrition for infant growth and immune maturation, and its composition can be modulated by the maternal diet. In the present work, we investigated whether oral supplementation with and short-chain galacto-oligosaccharide (scGOS) and long-chain fructo-oligosaccharide (lcFOS) to rat dams during gestation and lactation has an impact on the immune system and microbiota composition of the offspring at day 21 of life.

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Mustard seeds belong to the food category of mandatory labelling due to the severe reactions they can trigger in allergic patients. However, the mechanisms underlying allergic sensitization to mustard seeds are poorly understood. The aim of this work is to study type 2 immune activation induced by the mustard seed major allergen Sin a1 the intestinal mucosa, employing an model mimicking allergen exposure the intestinal epithelial cells (IECs).

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Studies have reported sex and age differences in self-rated health. On average, women rate their health as being poorer compared to men, and older individuals report poorer health than younger individuals. The current study evaluated sex and age differences for self-reported immune fitness, i.

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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease which is often associated with gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction. The GI tract is home to a wide range of microorganisms, among which bacteria, that can influence the host through various mechanisms. Products produced by these bacteria can act in the gut but can also exert effects in the brain via what is now well established to be the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

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Background: Signaling by toll-like receptors (TLRs) initiates important immune responses against viral infection. The role of TLRs in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is not well elucidated. Thus, we investigated the interaction of TLRs agonists and SARS-COV-2 antigens with immune cells in vitro.

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Food and nutrition-related factors have the potential to impact development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and quality of life for people with ASD, but gaps in evidence exist. On 10 November 2022, Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and Food and Nutrition Innovation Institute hosted a 1-d meeting to explore the evidence and evidence gaps regarding the relationships of food and nutrition with ASD. This meeting report summarizes the presentations and deliberations from the meeting.

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Article Synopsis
  • Microfluidics has revolutionized the biomedical field, leading to advanced miniaturized cell culture systems called Organs-on-a-Chip (OoC) that mimic real biological conditions.
  • Integrating immune organs and cells into these OoCs is crucial for accurately reflecting human physiology, despite being complicated and relatively new.
  • This review discusses current advancements in immune OoC models, focusing on biofabrication technologies that aid in creating more precise representations of immune functions, which can help researchers better understand and predict immune-related issues.
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