Viability of periodontal ligament cells in selected transport media for avulsed teeth: an in vitro study

To compare the viability of periodontal ligament (PDL) cells stored in Hanks Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) with those in readily available transport media over a variable period of time. Methods: Periodontal ligament cells harvested from premolars freshly extracted for orthodontic reasons were cultured for exponential growth. The cells were exposed to egg white, evaporated milk, water and Hanks Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) at room temperature. Their viability was evaluated after 30 minutes, 1 hour and 3 hours with the tetrazolium salt-based colorimetric assay (MTT assay). Statistical analysis was done using the IBM® SPSS version 23.0 software. Comparison between the Mean Optical Densities (MODs) of the cells stored in HBSS and other media at each time interval was done using the independent t test. Repeated measure ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc test were also carried out to compare the MOD of cells within each medium over time. The level of significance was set at p <0.05. Result: The PDL cells stored in egg white had higher MODs than those in HBSS at 30 minutes and 1 hour. Conversely, the MODs of the cells stored in milk and water were lower than those in HBSS at all the studied points. There was a significant difference in the viability of the cells stored in HBSS and water at all the time points (p<0.05). Conclusion: For up to an hour, egg white was found to perform better than HBSS in supporting the viability of PDL cell

Biocompatible silver nanoparticles:An investigation into their protein binding efficacies,anti-bacterial effects and cell cytotoxicity studies / 药物分析学报

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has garnered tremendous interest as conventional methods include the use and production of toxic chemicals,products,by-products and reagents.In this regard,the synthesis of AgNPs using green tea (GT) extract and two of its components,(-)-epi-gallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and (+)-catechin (Ct) as capping/stabilizing agents,is reported.The syn-thesized AgNPs showed antibacterial activity against the bacterial strains Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli,along with anticancer activity against HeLa cells.After administering nanoparticles to the body,they come in contact with proteins and results in the formation of a protein corona;hence we studied the interactions of these biocompatible AgNPs with hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) as a carrier protein.Static quenching mechanism was accountable for the quenching of HEWL fluorescence by the AgNPs.The binding constant (Kb) was found to be higher for EGCG-AgNPs ((2.309 ± 0.018) × 104 M-1)than for GT-AgNPs and Ct-AgNPs towards HEWL.EGCG-AgNPs increased the polarity near the binding site while Ct-AgNPs caused the opposite effect,but GT-AgNPs had no such observable effects.Circular dichroism studies indicated that the AgNPs had no such appreciable impact on the secondary structure of HEWL.The key findings of this research included the synthesis of AgNPs using GT extract and its con-stituent polyphenols,and showed significant antibacterial,anticancer and protein-binding properties.The-OH groups of the polyphenols drive the in situ capping/stabilization of the AgNPs during synthesis,which might offer new opportunities having implications for nanomedicine and nanodiagnostics.

Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome: a clinical analysis of 5 cases and literature review / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To summarize and analyze the clinical features of food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES).Methods:The medical history and follow-up data of 5 children with FPIES diagnosed in Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Children′s Hospital of Capital Medical University from July 2018 to September 2019 were collected, and their clinical characteristics were summarized and analyzed.Results:Five children with FPIES were all infants, including 3 females and 2 males.Before the onset of the disease, the cases visited multiple departments and the average number of visits before diagnosis was 3.There were 4 cases of milk protein allergy and 1 case of egg white allergy.The patients had acute vomiting [5 cases (100%)], diarrhea [4 cases (80%)], early shock symptoms [5 cases (100%)], transient fever [2 cases (40%)]. Hematogenous leukocytes were increased in 3 cases (60%), C-reactive protein was increased in 1 case (20%), faecal leukocytes(+ )[2 cases (40%)], occult blood (+ ) [1 case (20%)]. Four cases were tested for food allergen specific IgE, of which 2 cases (40%) were positive for milk protein.After avoiding allergens, 3 patients (60%) needed intravenous rehydration treatment and 2 cases (40%) received oral rehydration treatment.The above 5 cases recovered quickly.Three patients (60%) used antibiotics.Four cases (80%) of the first-degree relatives of FPIES had a clear history of allergy.Families of children with FPIES had low awareness of the disease before the diagnosis was made, and the allergens were strictly avoided according to the doctor′s instructions after the diagnosis was made.Similar allergic reactions did not occur again, and complementary foods were gradua-lly added under the guidance of the doctor.Two patients had multiple food allergies.The body weight and length of 2 children with growth retardation were catching up with each other.Conclusions:FPIES is a serious food allergy related gastrointestinal disease which is easy to be misdiagnosed clinically.The diagnosis requires a combination of the family and personal allergy history, diet records, the characteristic performance of disease onset, the effect of diet avoi-dance and the necessary differential diagnosis.The long-term management and monitoring after diagnosis is also very important.

Efecto del consumo de alimentos con elevado contenido lipídico sobre el perfil lipídico de ratones sanos / Effect of the consumption of foods with high lipid content on lipid profile of healthy mice

La alteración de los lípidos en sangre o dislipidemias sobre todo el colesterol y triglicéridos, son un factor de riesgo de ateroesclerosis y enfermedades cardiovasculares. En este trabajo se analizó el efecto del consumo de huevo, clara, yema de huevo, mantequilla y maní sobre el perfil lipídico de ratones sanos. Se utilizaron seis grupos de ratones hembras sanas, el grupo control (GC) recibió balanceado comercial, mientras que en los demás grupos, 15% de su alimentación diaria consistió en huevo entero (GHE), yema (GY), clara de huevo (GCH), manteca o mantequilla (GMT) o maní (GMN), durante 28 días. Al final de este periodo, se obtuvo la muestra de suero para la determinación de los niveles de colesterol total (CT), triglicéridos (TG), colesterol HDL, colesterol LDL y colesterol VLDL, y se calcularon los índices de riesgo aterogénico y de riesgo cardiaco. Se observó un aumento estadísticamente significativo en los niveles de CT y LDL en relación al GC en los grupos GHE (p<0,0001), GY (p<0,0001), GCH (p<0,005) y GMT (p<0,001), mientras que en niveles de TG presentan un aumento los grupos GHE (p<0,0001) y GY (p<0,0001). El nivel de HDL aumentó significativamente en los grupos GHE (p<0,005) y GMT (p<0,001), y en cuanto al índice de riesgo cardiaco y aterogénico el grupo GY fue el único que reveló aumento significativo (p<0,0001). En el grupo que recibió maní (GMN), no se alteraron los niveles de lípidos, y por lo tanto tampoco el riesgo cardiaco ni aterogénico, lo que se traduce en un menor riesgo de enfermedades cardiovasculares de este grupo(AU)

The alteration of blood lipids or dyslipidemias, especially cholesterol and triglycerides, are a risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. In this work, the effect of consumption of egg, egg white, egg yolk, butter and peanut on the lipid profile of healthy mice was analyzed. Six groups of healthy female mice were used, the control group (GC) received commercial pellets, while for the other groups, 15% of their daily food consisted of whole egg (GHE), egg yolk (GY), egg white (GCH) ), butter (GMT) or peanut (GMN), for 28 days. At the end of this period, a serum sample was obtained for the determination of the levels of total cholesterol (CT), triglycerides (TG), HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and VLDL cholesterol, and cardiac and atherogenic risk index were calculated. A statistically significant increase in TC and LDL levels was observed in relation to GC in the GHE (p <0,0001), GY (p <0,0001), GCH (p <0,005) and GMT (p <0,001) groups; whereas TG levels showed an increase in the GHE (p <0,0001) and GY (p <0,0001) groups. The HDL level increased significantly in the groups GHE (p <0,005) and GMT (p <0,001), and in terms of the cardiac and atherogenic risk index, the GY group was the only group that revealed a significant increase (p <0,0001). In the group that received peanuts (GMN), the lipid levels were not altered, and therefore neither the cardiac nor the atherogenic risk, which indicates the risk of cardiovascular diseases in this group, were affected(AU)

Hyperresponsiveness to Boiled Egg Yolk in Early Life Leads to Prolonged Egg Allergy

Hen's egg is the most common allergen in IgE-mediated food allergy among children in Japan. Although the majority of patients with egg allergy can eat heated egg yolk safely because of its low allergenicity, severely allergic patients show an immediate-type reaction to heated egg yolk. We hypothesized that patients with hyperresponsiveness to boiled egg yolk may have difficulty in acquiring tolerance to egg. The purpose of this study was to examine the prognosis of patients with hyperresponsiveness to boiled egg yolk. Data from 121 patients with egg allergy who underwent oral food challenge (OFC) with boiled egg yolk between January 2012 and December 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. The proportion of patients who could consume heated whole egg 3 years after OFC was 15.4% in the OFC-positive group and 75.8% in the OFC-negative group. Hyperresponsiveness to boiled egg yolk in early life might lead to prolonged egg allergy in children. This finding might aid in the selection of an appropriate population requiring practical immunotherapy.

Reduction Rate of Specific IgE Level as a Predictor of Persistent Egg Allergy in Children

PURPOSE: Egg is the most common food allergen in infants. However, the natural course of egg allergy has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to describe clinical characteristics and to identify prognostic factors associated with tolerance acquisition of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated egg allergy in children.

Influence of Prolonged Salting on the Physicochemical Properties of Duck Egg White

ABSTRACT Salted duck eggs are unique among the important authentic foods of Thailand. They are mainly produced in Chaiya district, Surat Thani province, in the southern part of Thailand. The egg whites of salted duck eggs are normally unusable due to heavily salty taste upon prolonged storage. The present study was aimed to examine the foaming characteristics of egg white after being cured for a prolonged period (30 days). At 5-day intervals the egg whites were measured for salt, moisture, water activity, hydrophobicity, pH, zeta potential, particle size, SH groups, surface tension and foaming properties (index of whipping, foam durability, specific density, overrun, air phase and yield stress). The results showed that prolonged curing significantly affected egg white and its foam. Salt content, hydrophobicity, particle size, and exposed SH groups gradually increased with storage period. On the other hand, moisture, water activity, pH, zeta potential, surface tension and total SH groups decreased continuously throughout the storage. In addition, foaming properties slightly declined due to accumulation of salt content with extended storage. Conversely, the yield stress - an important indicator of foam quality - increased from 32.33 to 70.55 % during storage. Overall, the egg whites could possibly serve as a key and/or a substitute ingredient in foam-based food products.

Dose-effect relationships of bipolar radio frequency heating / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To study the effect of the preset temperature,heating time and the spacing of radio frequency electrodes.Methods Fresh egg white was used to study the effects of heater spacing,temperature and heating time.Two electrodes were fixed to keep the needles perpendicular to the center of egg white confined on a square plate.Temperatures from 50 to 90℃ were tested with heating times of 60 and 120 seconds and electrode spac ings of 2.0,1.0,0.5 and 0.25 centimetres.The real-time temperature and the time to the appearance of a spindleshaped bridge between the electrodes was observed.The egg white's impedance and resistance,the lowest temperature of denaturation,and the mass (or volume) denatured at different time points were also observed.Results With an electrode spacing of 2 cm and the thermostat set at 63℃,the true electrode temperatures were 63.7 and 52.6℃,with the secondary electrode the cooler.Significant differences between the secondary electrode temperature and the preset temperature as well as the temperature between the primary and the secondary electrodes were observed.It was also found that different electrode spacing caused significant differences between the preset temperature and the primary as well as the secondary electrode temperature.Denaturation began at 56℃ with a spacing of 0.25 cm.At spacings of 0.25 and 0.50 cm,a spindle-shaped connection between the two electrodes was observed at temperatures above 70℃,but higher temperature was required at 1.00 and 2.00 cm.When the spacing was 0.25 cm and the preset temperature was 75℃,the denatured volume after 60 s of heating was 90.21+0.64 mm3.Heating for 120 s denatured 95.08+ 0.53 mm3 and two 60.s heatings 92.88+0.74 mm3,all significant differences.There were no significant differences in the resistance of the egg white before and after a single heating for 60 s,but after a single heating lasting 120 s it had increased significantly from 128.41+8.04 to 121.29±8.04 Ω.Conclusion Bipolar radio frequency heating can denature egg white.Higher temperature,longer heating and smaller electrode spacing heat more effectively.

In Vitro Periodontal Ligament Cell Viability in Different Storage Media

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the viability of periodontal ligament cells of avulsed teeth in three different storage media. Forty-five mature premolars extracted for orthodontic therapeutic purposes were randomly and equally divided into three groups according to the storage medium: milk (control), rice water and egg white. After placing extracted teeth for 30 min in storage media, the scrapings of the periodontal ligament (PDL) were collected in Falcon tubes containing collagenase in 2.5 mL of phosphate buffer saline and were incubated for 30 min and centrifuged for 5 min at 800 rpm. Cell viability was analyzed by Trypan blue exclusion. Rice water had a significantly higher number of viable cells compared to egg white and milk. There was no statistically significant difference between egg white and milk. Rice water may be able to maintain PDL cell viability of avulsed teeth better than egg white or milk.

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a viabilidade das células do ligamento periodontal de dentes avulsionados armazenados em três diferentes meios. Quarenta e cinco pré-molares com formação radicular completa extraídos por razões terapêuticas foram aleatoriamente distribuídos em três grupos, de acordo com o meio de armazenagem: leite (controle), água de arroz e clara de ovo). Após armazenar os dentes avulsionados por 30 min no meio, raspas do ligamento periodontal (LPD) foram coletadas em tubos Falcon contendo 2,5 mL de solução tamponada de soro fosfatado, incubadas por 30 min e a seguir centrifugadas por 5 min a 800 rpm. A viabilidade celular foi analisada pelo método de exclusão do Azul de Trypan. A água de arroz teve um número significativamente maior de células viáveis em comparação com o leite e a clara de ovo. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre o leite e a clara de ovo. A água de arroz pode ser capaz de manter a viabilidade das células do PDL de dentes avulsionados, melhor que o leite ou a clara de ovo.

Anti-inflammatory effect of egg white-chalcanthite and purple bamboo salts mixture on arthritis induced by monosodium iodoacetate in Sprague-Dawley rats / 한국실험동물학회지

The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of anti-osteoarthritis effects on egg white-chalcanthite (EC), purple bamboo salts (PBS), and a mixture of EC and PBS (EC+PBS). EC is a mixture of egg white and pulverized chalcanthite. PBS has been widely used as one of functional foods in Korea and shows unique features compared with common salt. Osteoarthritis was induced by intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA, 4mg/kg bw) in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Test substances were administered once daily for 6 weeks at doses of 10 mg EC, EC+100 mg PBS, EC+200 mg PBS before and after MIA injection. Each substance was assessed by blood chemistry parameters, and by serum cytokines including IL-1β and IL-6, and nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2). Structural changes of articular cartilage were also evaluated by histopathological examination. As a result, body weight and blood chemistry parameter were not different in all experimental groups. EC+PBS mixture reduced the production of PGE2, NO, IL-1β, and IL-6. In histological grade of osteoarthritis, EC+PBS mixture had a tendency to ameliorate damage of articular cartilage induced by MIA in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, EC+PBS mixture was demonstrated to have a potential for anti-inflammatory effect against osteoarthritis induced by MIA in a dose-dependent manner.

Current research in the genes and proteins related with Usher syndrome / 中华眼底病杂志

Usher syndrome (USH) is an autosomal recessive hereditary disease,characterized as retinitis pigmentosa and deafness.According to the severity of hearing loss,presence or absence of vestibular dysfunction,Usher syndrome is divided into 3 clinical subtypes..USH1,USH2 and USH3.Due to the genetically heterogeneous,it is important and valuable to find out the gene mutations in USH patients,which will be helpful to prenatal diagnosis,early intervention and gene therapy.Till now,the following 13 USH-related chromosomal loci were reported in the literature:USH1B,USH1C,USH1D (CDH23 gene),USH1F (PCDH15 gene),USH1G (SANS gene),USH1E,USH1H,USH1J and USH1K,USH2A,USH2C,USH2D and USH3 (CLRN1 gene).Ten out of all 13 loci have been located and identified.But more mechanisms should be further investigated,such as the relationship between the locus of gene mutations and clinical symptoms,how the modified protein structures and functions trigger clinical symptoms.

Evaluation of antibacterial and therapeutic effects of egg-white lysozyme against Salmonella Typhimurium in ICR mice infected with Salmonella Typhimurium

Salmonellosis is a major bacterial zoonosis that causes self-limited enteritis in animals and foodborne disease and typhoid fever in humans. Recently, multi-drug-resistant strains of Salmonella spp. have increased and caused more serious problems in public health. The present study investigated the antibacterial effects of egg-white lysozyme (EWL) against Salmonella (S.) Typhimurium and the therapeutic effects of EWL for murine salmonellosis. Evaluation of the antibacterial effects of EWL against S. Typhimurium revealed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of EWL of 6.25 and 300 µg/mL, respectively. In the bacterial growth inhibition test, EWL at 300 (p < 0.05) and 600 µg/mL (p < 0.01) significantly inhibited the growth of S. Typhimurium at 4 h postincubation. EWL administration at MIC (LYS-1), MBC (LYS-2) and 2× MBC (LYS-3) for 14 days resulted in mortality of mice infected with S. Typhimurium of 70, 40 and 10%, respectively, while that of control mice (CON) was 90%. Counts of S. Typhimurium in murine spleens were significantly lower in LYS-2 and LYS-3 than CON (p < 0.05). The results of this study indicate that EWL has the potential for treatment of ICR mice infected with S. Typhimurium.

Stem cells protein microarray analysis after chicken egg-white extract induced cells / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:To analyze the chicken egg-white extracts were co-cultured with cells whether elevated stem cells protein,whether the cells transformation into stem cell.Methods:Four kinds of cells,making a common culture,a 50% chicken egg-white extract co-cultured for 3 days,cells were collected and frozen at -80 degrees,sending the company to do stem cell protein microarray.Results:C57-BMSC has three proteins occurred statistically significant change , TS-UC-MSC has one proteins occurred a statistically significant change ,293T has one protein occurred a statistically significant change ,and 293T-GFP has one protein occurred a statistically significant change.Conclusion:50% chicken egg-white extract co-cultured cells,the cells occurred the phenomenon of transformation into stem cells.

Partial Purification of Cellulase Enzyme from Fusarioum oxysporium by Using Egg White Matrix.

Aim: Protein matrix possesses a capacity to bind organic and inorganic matter. Egg white matrix as an adsorbent was utilized for partial purification of cellulase enzyme in detailed batch study. Methodology: Effect of pH, matrix size, enzyme concentration, contact time and temperature on the binding of cellulase on egg white matrix was studied. Desorption studies was carried with variable pH, sodium chloride and ammonium sulphate system to desorbs the cellulase for the egg white matrix. Results: Equilibrium isotherms for the adsorption of the cellulase enzyme on egg white matrix were well fitted to Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models. The adsorption process has been found endothermic in nature and thermodynamic parameters, Gibb’s free energy (ΔGº), change in enthalpy (ΔHº) and change in entropy (ΔSº) have been calculated as -13276.21, 2025.47 and 698.64 (KJ mol-1) respectively. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the adsorption process is spontaneous and endothermic in nature. In desorption studies it was concluded that maximum elution (66.8% was obtained for cellulase enzyme with 0.3M (NH4)2SO4 with respect to different pH and sodium chloride solution. Cellulase enzyme obtained after desorption process has maximum purification fold of 4.25 with 60% recovery. Conclusion: The results from the current research suggest that egg white can be used for partial purification of cellulase enzyme with less cost.

Biological properties, degradation and absorption of collagen spongesin vivo / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Colagen sponges are applied for hemostatic use, wound healing, and residual cavity filing, which have great values in clinical application and scientific research. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the biological properties, biocompatibility and biodegradability of colagen spongesin vivo. METHODS: The spatial structure, pore diameter and porosity of colagen sponges were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the conformation of colagen sponges. The secondary structure and thermal denaturation temperature of colagen sponges were analyzed by circular dichroism spectrum. Colagen sponges were implanted intramuscularly into the spinal cord of New Zealand rabbits to observe the degradation and absorption and histological changesin vivo. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Colagen sponges had porous structure with varying pore sizes ranging 40-150 μm, the mean pore size of 100 μm, the thickness wal of 1 μm, and a porosity of approximately 95.8%. Colagen sponges had a typical porous structure and periodic light and dark zones. The solution of colagen sponges had a weak positive band near 220 nm and an intense negative band near 206 nm, which indicated a classic triple helix. And the secondary structure and thermal stability of colagen sponges were similar to that of liquid colagen. Colagen sponges began to degrade at 4 weeks, and remained 20% at 12 weeks. These sponges had been associated with foreign body response and inflammation within 2 weeks after implantation. With wound healing, inflammatory reactions gradualy reduced and disappeared. During the implantation and degradation of sponges, no significant fibrous capsule formed and no tissue necrosis occurred at implantation site, indicating that colagen sponges have good performance in bioactivity, biocompatibility and degradation.

The Influence of the Time and Temperature of Heat Treatment on the Allergenicity of Egg White Proteins

PURPOSE: The present study was performed to determine the factor, either duration or the temperature of heat treatment, exerting maximal and significant influence on the composition and allergenicity of egg white (EW) proteins. METHODS: Raw EW and 4 kinds of heated EW (fried EW, boiled EW for 10 minutes, boiled EW for 30 minutes, and baked EW for 20 minutes at 170degrees C) were prepared, and subsequently protein extraction was carried out. The proteins were separated by SDS-PAGE, and then immunoglobulin E (IgE) immunoblots were performed with the sera of 7 egg-allergic patients. Furthermore, the antigenic activities of ovalbumin (OVA), ovomucoid (OM), and ovotransferrin (OT) in different EW samples were measured by inhibition enzyme-linked Immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: In SDS-PAGE analysis, the intensity of the protein band at 45 kD (corresponding to OVA) decreased significantly in boiled EW (30 minutes) and baked EW, but no change was observed in the case of boiled EW for 10 minutes. In IgE immunoblots, the IgE response to 34-50 kD (OM and OVA) in boiled EW for 30 minutes decreased significantly, when compared with raw EW and other heated EWs. In inhibition ELISA, a significant decrease in the OVA antigenic activity was observed in boiled EW for 30 minutes amongst other heated EW samples. However, OM antigenic activity in all kinds of heated EW including boiled EW for 30 minutes did not reduce after heat treatment. The OT antigenic activity nearly disappeared in heated EWs except in the case of boiled EW for 10 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: Amongst 4 kinds of heated EWs, the boiled EW for 30 minutes showed the most significant changes both in composition and reduction in allergenicity. Our results revealed that the duration of heat treatment had more influence on the composition and allergenicity of EW proteins than the temperature.

The Clinical Usefulness of IgE Antibodies Against Egg White and Its Components in Korean Children

PURPOSE: Egg (egg white) allergies are among the most common food allergies in infants and young children. Serum egg white-specific IgE (sIgE) levels have been shown to be correlated with clinical symptoms, and the predictive decision point of sIgE levels has been proposed and used widely in the clinical setting. However, some patients whose sIgE levels to egg white are higher than the predictive decision point value show no clinical symptoms, and vice versa. This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical usefulness of sIgE antibodies to egg white and its components in the diagnosis of egg allergies. METHODS: Forty-one patients younger than 2 years of age with no experience of egg intake due to concerns regarding allergies or a non-specific clinical response to eggs were enrolled. Total IgE levels and the levels of IgE antibodies specific for egg white and its components (ovomucoid, ovalbumin, and conalbumin) were measured by ImmunoCAP testing. The clinical response of the subjects was confirmed by an open oral food challenge (OFC). RESULTS: Fifteen (71.4%) out of 21 patients in the egg white-sIgE > or =2 kU/L group showed a positive response, while 10 (50.0%) out of 20 patients in the egg white-sIgE <2 kU/L group showed a negative response to the OFC. There were no statistically significant differences in the levels of sIgE antibodies against egg white and its components between the positive and negative open OFC groups. In addition, there were no statistically significant differences in the levels of sIgE antibodies against egg white and its components based on an intra-group analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the sensitivity and specificity of the predictive decision point values for egg white-sIgE antibodies by ImmunoCAP were relatively low in Korean children. In addition, no egg white component predicted the clinical reactivity of the subjects. We suggest that the predictive decision point value for a positive egg oral challenge test by ImmunoCAP should be re-evaluated. Moreover, we suggest that careful personal history recording and challenge tests are necessary for the correct diagnosis of an egg allergy.

The Influence of the Presence of Wheat Flour on the Antigenic Activities of Egg White Proteins

PURPOSE: It is known that ovomucoid, an egg allergen, is heat resistant and remains soluble after heating. However, a recent study showed that the antigenic activity of ovomucoid could be reduced by heating when egg white (EW) was mixed with wheat flour. This study was performed to determine the influence of wheat flour on the antigenic activities of EW proteins when EW is heated, and the influence of the duration of heat treatment. METHODS: A mixture of EW and wheat flour was kneaded for 10 minutes and then baked at 180degrees C for 10 minutes and 30 minutes. The EW without wheat flour was also heated at 180degrees C for 10 minutes and 30 minutes. The proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and IgE immunoblotting was performed with the pooled sera of 5 egg-allergic patients. The antigenic activities of ovomucoid in different EW samples were measured by inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: 1) SDS-PAGE: the intensity of the 37-50 kD bands (overlapped bands of ovomucoid and ovalbumin) decreased significantly in the mixture of EW and wheat flour baked for 30 minutes, compared with the mixture baked for 10 minutes, heated EW and raw EW. 2) IgE immunoblot: in the mixture of EW and wheat, a remarkable decrease of IgE reactivity to 37-50 kD was observed when baked for 30 minutes. 3) Inhibition ELISA: the antigenic activity of ovomucoid decreased significantly in the mixture of EW and wheat baked for 30 minutes, but not in the heated pure EW. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the antigenic activity of ovomucoid can be reduced by baking EW with wheat flour. The decrease in ovomucoid antigenicity in the baked mixture of EW and wheat flour was dependent on the time of heat treatment, indicating that heating should be prolonged to achieve a reduction in ovomucoid antigenic activity.

Purification and characterization of riboflavin carrier protein from egg white of South Indian spotted owlet (athene brama).

Riboflavin carrier protein has been isolated and purified from the Indian spotted owlet. The protein was purified to its homogeneity. Purification was achieved successfully by DEAE_ Sepharose column chromatography and gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-100. The protein content was estimated with Lowry method. The purity of the proteins was judged by SDS-PAGE technique. The molecular weight of the protein was found to be 29 Kd. The protein was characterized using absorption, fluorescence and CD spectral analysis. Significance of the above results are discussed in the present communication.

Morphologic Analysis of Water-Cooled Bipolar Radiofrequency lesions on Egg White in Vitro

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to document the optimal spacing of two cannulae to form continuous strip lesions and maximal surface area by using water-cooled bipolar radiofrequency technology. METHODS: Two water-cooled needle probes (15 cm length, 18-gauge probe with 6 mm electrode tip) were placed in a parallel position 10, 20, 24, 26, and 28 mm apart and submerged in egg white. Temperatures of the probes were raised from 35degrees C to 90degrees C and the progress of lesion formation was photographed every 1 minute with the increase of the tip temperature. Approximately 30 photographs were taken. The resultant surface areas of the lesions were measured with the digital image program. RESULTS: Continuous strip lesions were formed when the cannulae were spaced 24 mm or less apart; monopolar lesions around each cannula resulted if they were spaced more than 26 mm apart. Maximal surface areas through the formation of continuous strip lesion were 221 mm2, 375 mm2, and 476 mm2 in 10, 20, and 24 mm, respectively. Summations of maximal surface area of each monopolar lesions were 394 mm2 and 103 mm2 in 26 and 28 mm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Water-cooled bipolar Radiofrequency technology creates continuous "strip" lesions proportional in size to the distance between the probes till the distance between cannulae is 24 mm or less. Spacing the cannulae 24 mm apart and treating about 80degrees C for 24 minutes maximizes the surface area of the lesion.