Exploring novel systemic biomarker approaches in grass-pollen sublingual immunotherapy using omics.

Background: Sublingual allergen-specific immunotherapy (SLIT) intervention improves the control of grass pollen allergy by maintaining allergen tolerance after cessation. Despite its widespread use, little is known about systemic effects and kinetics associated to SLIT, as well as the influence of the patient sensitization phenotype (Mono- or Poly-sensitized). In this quest, omics sciences could help to gain new insights to understand SLIT effects.

Emerging roles of novel small non-coding regulatory RNAs in immunity and cancer.

The term small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) refers to all those RNAs that even without encoding for a protein, can play important functional roles. Transfer RNA and ribosomal RNA-derived fragments (tRFs and rRFs, respectively) are an emerging class of ncRNAs originally considered as simple degradation products, which though play important roles in stress responses, signalling, or gene expression. They control all levels of gene expression regulating transcription and translation and affecting RNA processing and maturation.

Is hybrid-PBL advancing teaching in biomedicine? A systematic review.

Background: The impact of instructional guidance on learning outcomes in higher biomedical education is subject of intense debate. There is the teacher-centered or traditional way of teaching (TT) and, on the other side, the notion that students learn best under minimal guidance such as problem-based learning (PBL). Although the benefits of PBL are well-known, there are aspects susceptible to improvement.

Multi-omics analysis points to altered platelet functions in severe food-associated respiratory allergy.

Background: Prevalence and severity of allergic diseases have increased worldwide. To date, respiratory allergy phenotypes are not fully characterized and, along with inflammation progression, treatment is increasingly complex and expensive. Profilin sensitization constitutes a good model to study the progression of allergic inflammation.

IgG1 B-cell immunity predates IgE responses in epicutaneous sensitization to foods.

Background: The generation of IgE-mediated food allergy in humans is silent and only diagnosed upon manifestation of clinical symptoms. While experimental models have been used to investigate some mechanisms of allergic sensitization, the generation of humoral immunity and memory remains to be elucidated. Here, we defined the evolution of allergen-specific B-cell responses during epicutaneous sensitization to foods.

Profilin-mediated food-induced allergic reactions are associated with oral epithelial remodeling.

Background: In areas of high exposure to grass pollen, allergic patients are frequently sensitized to profilin, and some experience severe profilin-mediated food-induced reactions. This specific population of patients is ideal to study the relationship between respiratory and food allergies.

Objective: We sought to determine the role of oral mucosal epithelial barrier integrity in profilin-mediated allergic reactions.

Alternative Anaphylactic Routes: The Potential Role of Macrophages.

Anaphylaxis is an acute, life-threatening, multisystem syndrome resulting from the sudden release of mediators from effector cells. There are two potential pathways for anaphylaxis. The first one, IgE-dependent anaphylaxis, is induced by antigen (Ag) cross-linking of Ag-specific IgE bound to the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) on mast cells and basophils.

Allergic asthma: an overview of metabolomic strategies leading to the identification of biomarkers in the field.

Allergic asthma is a prominent disease especially during childhood. Indoor allergens, in general, and particularly house dust mites (HDM) are the most prevalent sensitizers associated with allergic asthma. Available data show that 65-130 million people are mite-sensitized world-wide and as many as 50% of these are asthmatic.

Zinc Finger 259 Gene Polymorphism rs964184 is Associated with Serum Triglyceride Levels and Metabolic Syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors that include: abdominal obesity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance. Recent genome wide association studies have identified several susceptibility regions involved in lipid metabolism that are also associated with MetS. We have explored the association of 9 genetic polymorphisms involved in lipid metabolism and hypertension, including: MTHFR C677T, SELE L554F, FGB - 455G>A, GNB3 C825T, ZNF259 C>G, PSRC-1 A>G, CETP I405V, LPL S447X and LPA C>T in 97 subjects with MetS and 96 individuals without MetS who were recruited randomly from Mashhad stroke and heart atherosclerotic disorder (MASHAD) study using a stratified cluster random sampling technique.