Management of food allergy in the school setting.

Food allergy is a growing health and safety concern that affects up to 8% of school-age children. Because children spend a significant part of their day in school, and the overall number of school-age children with food allergy has been increasing, management of food allergies relies on the collaboration of allergists, families, and schools to treat and prevent acute allergic reactions. For schools, this involves policies centered on food allergen avoidance, preparedness with epinephrine autoinjectors, adequate school personnel training, and accommodations for an equal opportunity learning environment.

Utility of DNA, RNA, Protein, and Functional Approaches to Solve Cryptic Immunodeficiencies.

Purpose: We report a female infant identified by newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiencies (NBS SCID) with T cell lymphopenia (TCL). The patient had persistently elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) with IgA deficiency, and elevated IgM. Gene sequencing for a SCID panel was uninformative.

Panniculitis Masquerading as Erythema Nodosum: A Case Report.

, formerly , is an environmental Gram-positive bacillus that is generally non-pathogenic. Rare case reports in immunosuppressed patients have described sepsis with this organism. In this study, we report a case of as a cause of infectious panniculitis mimicking erythema nodosum after infusion of autologous adipose-derived stem cells in an immunosuppressed patient with refractory Crohn's disease.

Vitamin D and food allergies in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Vitamin D insufficiency has been associated with immune dysfunction and linked to the epidemic of atopic diseases in the Western hemisphere, yet there are studies with conflicting results, and the risk has not been quantified uniformly across studies.

Objective: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate and quantify if vitamin D deficiency is associated with the presence and persistence of food allergy.

Methods: A systematic review was undertaken to assess for the association between food allergy and vitamin D status in children.

Sublingual Immunotherapy Dosing Regimens: What Is Ideal?

Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is a treatment for allergic respiratory diseases that has demonstrated efficacy and safety. Several formulations of SLIT are now available worldwide for treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR). Grass tablets containing 15 to 25 μg of group 5 major allergen reduced combined AR symptoms and medication use by 23% to 41% in 3 treatment years and 2 follow-up years.

Hematologic Malignancies Identified in Patients with Hypereosinophilia and Hypereosinophilic Syndromes.

Background: Certain hematologic malignancies are associated with hypereosinophilia or tissue eosinophilia. It is unclear if patients with hypereosinophilia are more likely to develop one of these malignancies.

Objective: This study sought to quantify the specific hematologic malignancies that developed in patients with preexisting hypereosinophilia.

Symptom-Based Clustering in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Relates to History of Aspirin Sensitivity and Postsurgical Outcomes.

Background: Symptoms burden in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) may be assessed by interviews or by means of validated tools such as the 22-item SinoNasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22). However, when only the total SNOT-22 scores are used, the pattern of symptom distribution and heterogeneity in patient symptoms is lost.

Objectives: To use a standardized symptom assessment tool (SNOT-22) on preoperative symptoms to understand symptom heterogeneity in CRS and to aid in characterization of distinguishing clinical features between subgroups.

Ventricular septal defect and bivalvular endocarditis.

A 63-year-old man presented with generalized fatigue, chills, malaise, dyspnea, intermittent fevers, and 50-pound weight loss of 4 months' duration. Blood cultures were positive for pan-sensitive Streptococcus anginosus. Transesophageal echocardiography showed an 11 mm × 3 mm mobile mass attached to the mitral valve, a 16 mm × 16 mm mobile mass attached to the pulmonary valve, and a small membranous ventricular septal defect.

Morphine-induced trafficking of a mu-opioid receptor interacting protein in rat locus coeruleus neurons.

Opiate addiction is a devastating health problem, with approximately 2million people currently addicted to heroin or non-medical prescription opiates in the United States alone. In neurons, adaptations in cell signaling cascades develop following opioid actions at the mu opioid receptor (MOR). A novel putative target for intervention involves interacting proteins that may regulate trafficking of MOR.

MOR is not enough: identification of novel mu-opioid receptor interacting proteins using traditional and modified membrane yeast two-hybrid screens.

The mu-opioid receptor (MOR) is the G-protein coupled receptor primarily responsible for mediating the analgesic and rewarding properties of opioid agonist drugs such as morphine, fentanyl, and heroin. We have utilized a combination of traditional and modified membrane yeast two-hybrid screening methods to identify a cohort of novel MOR interacting proteins (MORIPs). The interaction between the MOR and a subset of MORIPs was validated in pulldown, co-immunoprecipitation, and co-localization studies using HEK293 cells stably expressing the MOR as well as rodent brain.

Expression of GPR177 (Wntless/Evi/Sprinter), a highly conserved Wnt-transport protein, in rat tissues, zebrafish embryos, and cultured human cells.

GPR177 is an evolutionarily conserved transmembrane protein necessary for Wnt protein secretion. Little is currently known, however, regarding expression of GPR177, especially in vertebrate species. We have developed an antiserum against GPR177, and used it to examine expression of GPR177 in human tissue culture cells, adult mouse, and rat tissues, as well as developing zebrafish embryos.

Interaction of the mu-opioid receptor with GPR177 (Wntless) inhibits Wnt secretion: potential implications for opioid dependence.

Background: Opioid agonist drugs produce analgesia. However, long-term exposure to opioid agonists may lead to opioid dependence. The analgesic and addictive properties of opioid agonist drugs are mediated primarily via the mu-opioid receptor (MOR).

The presence of Lys27 instead of Asn27 in human phospholamban promotes sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase superinhibition and cardiac remodeling.

Background: Phospholamban (PLN) is an inhibitor of the Ca2+ affinity of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA2). The amino acid sequence of PLN is highly conserved, and although all species contain asparagine (Asn), human PLN is unique in containing lysine (Lys) at amino acid 27.

Methods And Results: Human PLN was introduced in the null background.