Low serum adrenic acid levels in infants and subsequent food-induced anaphylaxis.

Background: The dietary fat hypothesis links increases in allergic diseases to reduced consumption of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from fish, for example, eicosapentaenoic acid, and increased intake of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids from vegetable oils, for example, arachidonic acid.

Objective: Building upon the "fat hypothesis," we sought to investigate the association between 24 types of serum fatty acid levels in infants and the risk of subsequent food-induced anaphylaxis (FIA) by age 2 years as the primary outcome.

Methods: This study was conducted as a prespecified supplemental analysis within the ABC randomized clinical trial.

Impact of Maternal Fish Consumption on Serum Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Levels in Breastfed Infants: A Cross-Sectional Study of a Randomized Clinical Trial in Japan.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an essential n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) abundant in fish, is crucial for infant brain development. We investigated the associations between maternal dietary habits, infant feeding patterns, and serum levels of DHA and other LCPUFAs in infants aged 5-6 months in Japan, where fish consumption is high. This cross-sectional study used serum samples from 268 infants enrolled in a randomized clinical trial.

Primary Prevention of Cow's Milk Sensitization and Food Allergy by Avoiding Supplementation With Cow's Milk Formula at Birth: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Cow's milk formula (CMF) is used to supplement breastfeeding (BF) at birth without clear clinical evidence to support the practice.

Objective: To determine whether avoiding supplementation with CMF at birth can decrease risks of sensitization to cow's milk protein and/or clinical food allergy, including cow's milk allergy (CMA), overall and in subgroups stratified by 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The Atopy Induced by Breastfeeding or Cow's Milk Formula (ABC) trial, a randomized, nonblinded clinical trial, began enrollment October 1, 2013, and completed follow-up May 31, 2018, at a single university hospital in Japan.

Efficacy of Brazilian Propolis Supplementation for Japanese Lactating Women for Atopic Sensitization and Nonspecific Symptoms in Their Offspring: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Propolis is a natural product collected from several plants by honeybees and mixed with beeswax and salivary enzymes. In animal models, propolis suppressed IgE-mediated allergies. However, there is no clinical evidence that propolis prevents human atopic sensitization, to the best of our knowledge.

Improved control of childhood asthma with low-dose, short-term vitamin D supplementation: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: In our prior randomized trial on preventing influenza, asthma attacks as a secondary outcome occurred less often in the vitamin D group than in the placebo group. We aimed to clarify whether low-dose, short-term vitamin D supplementation, in addition to standard treatments, improves control of childhood asthma.

Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing vitamin D3 supplements (800 IU/day) with placebo for 2 months in schoolchildren with asthma.

Increased food allergy and vitamin D: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: To elucidate whether maternal vitamin D supplementation during lactation improves infantile eczema and other subsequent allergic disorders, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed.

Methods: Mothers (n = 164) of infants with facial eczema at 1 month check-up were randomly assigned to receive vitamin D3 supplements (n = 82; 800 IU/day) or placebo (n = 82) for 6 weeks from May 2009 to January 2011. The primary outcome was infantile eczema quantified on Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index at 3 month check-up, and the secondary outcomes were atopic dermatitis, food allergy, and wheeze diagnosed by doctors up to 2 years of age.

Utility of the peripheral blood basophil histamine release test in the diagnosis of hen's egg, cow's milk, and wheat allergy in children.

Background: The diagnosis of food allergy (FA) is made by oral food challenge tests (OFCs) that occasionally produce serious symptoms in patients; therefore, whether to perform OFCs should be carefully considered. The utility of the histamine release test (HRT) in the diagnosis of childhood FA has not been fully examined.

Methods: Sixty-four subjects with suspected hen's egg allergy, cow's milk allergy (CMA), and wheat allergy (WA) were enrolled.

[Usefulness of skin prick test using bifurcated needle for the diagnosis of food allergy among infantile atopic dermatitis--second report. In the case of cow's milk allergy].

Objective: We investigated the usefulness of skin prick test (SPT) using bifurcated needle (BN) for the diagnosis of cow's milk allergy (CMA) in early infancy.

Subjects And Methods: Among atopic dermatitis infants with suspicion of food allergy who visited Sagamihara National hospital from January 2001 to April in 2005, 168 cases had received both SPT and IgE ImmunoCAP of CM (CM-IgE) at first visit. We analyzed results of SPT and CM-IgE, focused on infants with negative CM-IgE to examine the usefulness of SPT, and checked positive conversion of CM-IgE with aging.

Preparation of (13)C-labeled ceramide by acetic acid bacteria and its incorporation in mice.

We prepared 2-hydroxypalmitoyl-sphinganine (dihydroceramide) labeled with a stable isotope by culturing acetic acid bacteria with (13)C-labeled acetic acid. The GC/MS spectrum of the trimethylsilyl derivative of (13)C-labeled dihydroceramide gave molecular ions with an increased mass of 12-17 Da over that of nonlabeled dihydroceramide. The fragment ions derived from both sphinganine base and 2-hydroxypalmitate were confirmed to be labeled with the stable isotope in the spectrum.

Effect of continuous ingestion of acetic Acid bacteria on memory retention and the synaptic function in aged rats.

We administered Acetobacter malorum NCI1683 (S24), containing a high concentration of dihydroceramide (7.2 mg/g of dry cell weight), consecutively to aged rats (male Crlj:Wistar rats, 22 months old). The ingestion of Acetobacter malorum for 89 d significantly extended the memory retention in passive avoidance tests, increased the release of acetylcholine with depolarization of brain synaptosomes and decreased the causative agents of neurodegenerative diseases in the cerebral cortices.

Basophil activation marker CD203c is useful in the diagnosis of hen's egg and cow's milk allergies in children.

Background: The diagnosis of food allergy (FA) is usually based on oral food challenge tests (OFC). However, OFCs occasionally induce severe adverse reactions. CD203c expression on basophils is emerging as a potential diagnostic index.

Acetic acid bacterial lipids improve cognitive function in dementia model rats.

Acetic acid bacteria, fermentative microorganisms of traditional foods, have unique alkali-stable lipids (ASL), such as dihydroceramide which is a precursor of sphingolipids. Sphingolipids are important components of the brain tissue. We examined the effect of oral administration of ASL in a rat model of dementia (7-week-old, male) with a basal forebrain lesion.

Elevation of ceramide in Acetobacter malorum S24 by low pH stress and high temperature stress.

Acetic acid bacteria have unique and highly pure membrane lipid components, such as 2-hydroxypalmitoyl-sphinganine (dihydroceramide) and can grow and produce acetic acid at around pH 3.0, suggesting that ceramide in cell membranes may be involved in the tolerance to acidic pH. Acetobacter malorum S24 was selected for the production of ceramide and grown in YPG medium containing 0.

Usefulness of wheat and soybean specific IgE antibody titers for the diagnosis of food allergy.

Background: Since the first suggestion of threshold values for food specific IgE antibody levels in relation to clinical reactivity, several authors have proposed different threshold values for different allergens. We investigated the relationship between wheat/soybean specific IgE antibody levels and the outcome of wheat/soybean allergy diagnosis in children of different ages.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 536 children admitted consecutively to our clinic with the suspicion of wheat and/or soybean allergy.

[Single blind food challenge using dried food powder --2nd Report. milk].

Aim: We analyzed data obtained from cow's milk challenge with single-blind manner in our department.

Subjects And Methods: We have performed 83 cow's milk challenges in the hospital from 1995 to 2005, and patient profiles and results of the challenges were analyzed.

Results: Positive rate of cow's milk challenges were 44.

[Single blind food challenge using dried food powder--1st report. Raw whole egg and egg yolk].

Aim: We have analyzed data of raw whole egg and egg yolk challenges performed in single-blinded manner.

Subjects And Methods: We have performed 92 whole egg challenges and 109 egg yolk challenges in admission from 1995 to 2005.

Results: The positive rate of whole egg challenges was 76.

[Usefulness of skin prick test using bifurcated needle for the diagnosis of food allergy in infantile atopic dermatitis--1st report. Case of egg allergy].

Objective: We investigated the usefulness of skin prick test (SPT) for the diagnosis of egg white (EW) allergy in infants with atopic dermatitis who showed negative to EW CAPRAST, and followed up the EW-CAPRAST in this study.

Subjects And Methods: Data of negative SPT using Bifurcated needle (BN) were analyzed from the data of 202 atopic dermatitis infants, who had received SPT from January in 2001 to April in 2005. From the negative SPT value (average and standard deviation) positive SPT value was obtained.

[Prolonged type of food allergy].

Object: Prevalence of food allergy is the most frequent during infancy, and it is gradually decreasing with age. We can not distinguish patients developing tolerance from those with persistent food allergy, therefore we are unable to advice patients accelerating the development of tolerance. To clarify the factors developing tolerance or intolerance, we conducted the following study.

Effect of interleukin-13 or tumor necrosis factor-alpha on eosinophil adhesion to endothelial cells under physiological flow conditions.

Rationale: We examined the mechanisms used by eosinophils to accumulate on IL-13- or TNF-alpha-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) under flow conditions.

Methods: HUVECs were treated for 1, 3, 6, 18 and 24 h with IL-13 or TNF-alpha (1-100 ng/ml). Human eosinophils were infused at physiologic flow rates (0.

[Association between childhood oral allergy syndrome and sensitization against four major pollens (Japanese cedar, orchard grass, short ragweed, alder)].

Background/aim: Although OAS (oral allergy syndrome) during childhood is believed to be rare, it seems to be increasing these days. METHODS, SUBJECTS: We here report 16 cases of childhood OAS, which were diagnosed, in our division. In addition to these reports, we investigated the rate of sensitization against four major pollens (Japanese cedar, orchard grass, short ragweed, alder) among 1067 pediatric patients with allergic diseases (median age: 4 years old) in our division.