Publications by authors named "Marloes van Splunter"

Accelerating the induction of tolerance to cow's milk (CM) reduces the burden of cow's milk allergy (CMA). In this randomised controlled intervention study, we aimed to investigate the tolerance induction of a novel heated cow milk protein, the iAGE product, in 18 children with CMA (diagnosed by a paedriatric allergist). Children who tolerated the iAGE product were included.

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Background: Nutritional supplements, such as bovine lactoferrin (bLF), have been studied for their immunomodulatory properties, but little is known of their effect on the gut microbiota composition of the elderly when supplemented alone or combined with other nutritional supplements such as prebiotics and micronutrients. In the present study, fecal samples from a double-blind, placebo-controlled nutritional intervention study were analysed. At baseline (T1), 25 elderly women were distributed into two groups receiving dietary intervention (n = 12) or placebo treatment (n = 13) for 9 weeks.

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The introduction of baked milk products in cow's milk (CM) allergic children has previously been shown to accelerate induction tolerance in a selected group of children. However, there is no standardized baked milk product on the market. Recently, a new standardized, heated and glycated cow's milk protein (HP) product was developed.

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Introduction: The skin prick test (SPT) is the first step in the diagnosis of an immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergy. The availability of commercial food allergen extracts is very limited, resulting in a need for alternative extraction methods of food allergens. The objective of this study was to compare the SPT results of homemade food allergen extracts with commercially available extracts.

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It remains uncertain as to whether nutrient supplementation for the general population considered healthy could be useful in the prevention of RTIs, such as COVID-19. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the evidence was evaluated for primary prevention of any viral respiratory tract infection (RTI) such as SARS-CoV-2, through supplementation of nutrients with a recognized role in immune function: multiple micronutrients, vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin B12, C, D, E, beta-carotene, zinc, iron and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The search produced 15,163 records of which 93 papers (based on 115 studies) met the inclusion criteria, resulting in 199,055 subjects (191,636 children and 7,419 adults) from 37 countries.

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Background: Serological techniques are an essential part of the diagnostic tools used in clinical virology. Among these techniques, antibody indexes are not novel, but do require specific expertise. Their niche has expanded substantially in recent years due to increasing evidence of their performance to diagnose viral infections.

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The Mas-related G-protein-coupled receptor X2 (MRGPRX2) is prominently expressed by mast cells and induces degranulation upon binding by different ligands. Its activation has been linked to various mast cell-related diseases, such as chronic spontaneous urticaria, atopic dermatitis and asthma. Therefore, inhibition of MRGPRX2 activity represents a therapeutic target for these conditions.

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Immune-globulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergy is characterized by a variety of clinical entities within the gastrointestinal tract, skin and lungs, and systemically as anaphylaxis. The default response to food antigens, which is antigen specific immune tolerance, requires exposure to the antigen and is already initiated during pregnancy. After birth, tolerance is mostly acquired in the gut after oral ingestion of dietary proteins, whilst exposure to these same proteins via the skin, especially when it is inflamed and has a disrupted barrier, can lead to allergic sensitization.

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Article Synopsis
  • - B cells play a key role in immune responses by producing antibodies, presenting antigens, and releasing cytokines, with various subsets having unique functions.
  • - This study discovered a specific subset of IgG4 B cells that produce proangiogenic cytokines and can enhance endothelial cell growth, identified through transcriptomics.
  • - The presence of CD49b and CD73 surface markers distinguishes these proangiogenic B cells, which are more common in patients with angiogenesis-related diseases like melanoma and eosinophilic esophagitis.
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Ageing is associated with a changing immune system, leading to inflammageing (increased levels of inflammation markers in serum) and immunosenescence (reduced immune cells and reduced responses towards pathogens). This results in reduced vaccination responses and increased infections in elderly. Much is known about the adaptive immune system upon ageing, but less is known about the innate immune system.

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Article Synopsis
  • As people get older, their immune systems don't work as well, making them more likely to get sick, especially from viruses.
  • A study was done to see if taking supplements like bovine lactoferrin (bLF), galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), and vitamin D could help improve the immune response in older women.
  • The results showed that after taking bLF, their immune cells worked better and there was less inflammation, which might help older women fight off viruses more effectively.
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Innate immune memory, also termed "trained immunity" in vertebrates, has been recently described in a large variety of plants and animals. In most cases, trained innate immunity is induced by pathogens or pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and is associated with long-term epigenetic, metabolic, and functional reprogramming. Interestingly, recent findings indicate that food components can mimic PAMPs effects and induce trained immunity.

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During the last decades, the world has witnessed a dramatic increase in allergy prevalence. Epidemiological evidence shows that growing up on a farm is a protective factor, which is partly explained by the consumption of raw cow's milk. Indeed, recent studies show inverse associations between raw cow's milk consumption in early life and asthma, hay fever, and rhinitis.

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Article Synopsis
  • Scientists are making great progress in understanding how the immune system works in different conditions like allergies, asthma, and infections.
  • New findings show how different immune cells and their signals (called cytokines) interact with each other, especially a special group of T cells.
  • T(H)17 and T(H)22 are two important types of T cells that help control inflammation and protect the body, each with their own special signals that help or hurt tissue.
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