Biomedical subjects

Edward G Brooks

Publications and source records attributed to Edward G Brooks.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Effect of sodium sulfite on mast cell degranulation and oxidant stress.

BACKGROUND: Sulfur dioxide is 1 of 6 environmental pollutants monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency. Its ability to induce bronchoconstriction is well documented. It is highly soluble, initially forming sulfite ions in solution. Sulfur oxides are important constituents of other pollutants, such as diesel exhaust and fine particulates. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cellular responses of sulfite on cultured mast cells (rat basophilic leukemia [RBL-2H3] cells) and human peripheral blood basophils. METHODS: Sulfite-induced mast cell degranulation and intracellular production of reactive oxygen species were evaluated in the presence and absence of antioxidants and inhibitors of redox metabolism. Degranulation was determined using beta-hexosaminidase, serotonin, and histamine release assays. Induction of intracellular reactive oxygen species generation was determined using the redox-sensitive dye 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate. RESULTS: Sodium sulfite induced degranulation and the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species in RBL-2H3 cells. These responses were inhibited by the free radical scavenger tetramethylthiourea and the flavoenzyme inhibitor diphenyliodinium but not by depletion of extracellular calcium. Peripheral blood basophils also showed histamine release after exposure to sodium sulfite CONCLUSIONS: Sulfite, the aqueous ion of sulfur dioxide, induces cellular activation, leading to degranulation in mast cells through a non-IgE-dependent pathway. The response also differs from IgE-mediated degranulation in that it is insensitive to the influx of extracellular calcium. The putative pathway seems to rely on activation of the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase complex, leading to intracellular oxidative stress.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Addressing asthma in Texas: development of a school-based asthma surveillance program for Texas elementary schools.

To address asthma in the state, in October 2000, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and the American Lung Association of Texas held a joint meeting of asthma professionals from across the state, with a primary purpose of identifying major issues and potential strategies and actions to be taken. These discussions became the basis of the 2001 Texas State Asthma Plan, which has since been adopted to guide state efforts in asthma surveillance, management, education, and advocacy. The primary purpose of this project, which was conducted with and funded by the DSHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has been to develop and implement an asthma surveillance program for Texas school-aged children. The program has been implemented with a sample (n = 42,409) of students from the Texas Education Agency's region IV. An important goal has been to determine the feasibility of conducting school-based statewide asthma surveillance and assist with establishing a network for ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of asthma data. This project is expected to become part of a wider asthma surveillance network that will include mortality, hospital discharge, and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. It will also provide information not typically captured by surveillance programs, including the BRFSS, which rely heavily upon a previous diagnosis of asthma to determine both lifetime and current prevalence of asthma. Results from this project indicate that such reliance on a previous diagnosis may considerably underestimate the prevalence of disease-particularly in the Latino population

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Clearing the air: a model for investigating indoor air quality in Texas schools.

This pilot project focused on the assessment of indoor air quality at a local high school in Galveston, Texas, using methods based on guidelines for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program. Tools for Schools, developed for evaluating and ensuring acceptable air quality for schools, takes a low-cost, minimal-involvement, primarily educational approach. The authors also compared the findings from this approach with the results of an air-sampling program. The overall goal was to determine if use of Tools for Schools was sufficient to identify conditions with the potential to cause adverse health effects. The primary objectives were to 1) establish an indoor air quality committee for the school to implement Tools for Schools assessments and management strategies, 2) collect air quality data in high-risk areas identified within the school by the indoor air quality committee, 3) collect outdoor air quality data at or in close proximity to the school, and 4) develop methods and instruments for assessing environmental risks associated with daily school attendance. Data were gathered on levels of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ozone, particulate matter (PM10), mold, relative humidity, and temperature. Data values for each sampled pollutant were compared with federal standards, recommended values established by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists for non-industrial populations, and effects screening levels developed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Levels of all VOCs except formaldehyde were found to be well within guidelines, as were ozone and particulate-matter levels. Mold, however, was widespread, including both common species and species associated with allergy and asthma, such as Aspergillus and Alternaria. In general, Tools for Schools provides an excellent foundation for a school indoor air quality program, although the authors did find it necessary to streamline data collection and did find that mold with the potential for adverse health effects was present, albeit not visible in some areas.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMed2004

Crystal structure of Jun a 1, the major cedar pollen allergen from Juniperus ashei, reveals a parallel beta-helical core.

Pollen from cedar and cypress trees is a major cause of seasonal hypersensitivity in humans in several regions of the Northern Hemisphere. We report the first crystal structure of a cedar allergen, Jun a 1, from the pollen of the mountain cedar Juniperus ashei (Cupressaceae). The core of the structure consists primarily of a parallel beta-helix, which is nearly identical to that found in the pectin/pectate lyases from several plant pathogenic microorganisms. Four IgE epitopes mapped to the surface of the protein are accessible to the solvent. The conserved vWiDH sequence is covered by the first 30 residues of the N terminus. The potential reactive arginine, analogous to the pectin/pectate lyase reaction site, is accessible to the solvent, but the substrate binding groove is blocked by a histidine-aspartate salt bridge, a glutamine, and an alpha-helix, all of which are unique to Jun a 1. These observations suggest that steric hindrance in Jun a 1 precludes enzyme activity. The overall results suggest that it is the structure of Jun a 1 that makes it a potent allergen.

Allergens↗

PubMed2004

[Juniper pollen monitoring by Burkard sampler in Galveston, Texas, USA and Japanese cedar pollen counting in Fukuoka, Japan -- introduction of Pan American Aerobiology Association protocol counting technique].

We have monitored Juniper pollen which caused winter allergy symptoms by Burkard sampler in Galveston, Texas. We identified and counted Juniper pollen grains by PAAA protocol which was a comprehensive guideline for the operation of Hirst-Type suction bioaerosol sampler, (original of Burkard sampler) in the USA. In Galveston we were able to detect the Mountain Cedar (Juniperus ashei) pollen from December to of January, and Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) which has cross reactivity to MC from almost middle of January to February. There is no MC vegetation in Galveston. We found the pollen grains were transported from west at Edward Plateau in West Texas where it was thickly wooded. Then, we tried to monitor Japanese Cedar (JC) pollen grains in Fukuoka, Japan according with the same method. We found the significant positive correlation between the pollen counts using one single longitudinal traverse counting technique in the PAAA protocol and the JC pollen counting on the whole of Melinex tape per 24 hours (R2=0.9212, p=0.0001), and the gravitational method that is Durham sampler's pollen counting in 2002 (R2=0.489, p=0.0001), and in 2003 (R2=0.948, p=0.0001) respectively. We suggested that we can use the PAAA protocol for airborne pollen investigation in Japan by Burkard sampler.

Air Pollution↗

PubMed2003

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of Jun a 1, the major allergen isolated from pollen of the mountain cedar Juniperus ashei.

Jun a 1, the major allergen of pollen from the mountain cedar Juniperus ashei, has been crystallized using the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method at 277 K. The crystals are monoclinic, space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 53.38, b = 113.48, c = 72.44 A, beta = 96.36 degrees and four molecules in the unit cell. A complete 2.5 A data set has been collected at 100 K with X-rays from a Cu Kalpha rotating-anode generator.

Allergens↗

PubMed2003

Exercise-induced asthma.

EIB is a common manifestation in diagnosed asthmatics and is a sensitive warning sign of worsening asthma. EIB may occur as an isolated entity in the absence of signs and symptoms of chronic asthma. Careful diagnosis is crucial in determining if this condition represents a preasthmatic state or simply a transient condition resulting from individual sensitivity to hyperventilation. The pathophysiology of EIB is hypothesized to result from rapid airway rewarming after hyperventilation. Effective treatment modalities include behavioral techniques and pharmacologic agents. Appropriate treatment regimens consisting of pharmacologic or behavioral modalities should prevent serious sequelae and should enable the patient to participate at all levels of athletics. The nurse is an essential member of the team identifying, preventing, and treating exercise-induced bronchospasm or asthma.

Asthma, Exercise-Induced↗

PubMed2003

Major linear IgE epitopes of mountain cedar pollen allergen Jun a 1 map to the pectate lyase catalytic site.

Resolution of the 3D structures and IgE epitopes of allergens may identify common or conserved features of allergens. Jun a 1, the predominant allergen in mountain cedar pollen, was chosen as a model for identifying common structural and functional features among a group of plant allergens. In this study, synthetic, overlapping peptides of Jun a 1 and sera from patients allergic to mountain cedar pollen were used to identify linear epitopes. A 3D model of Jun a 1 was produced using the Bacillus subtiles pectate lyase (PL) as a template and validated with biophysical measurements. This allowed mappings of four IgE binding sites on Jun a 1. Two of the epitopes mapped to turns or loops on the surface of the model structure. The other two epitopes mapped to the beta-sheet region, homologous to the catalytic site of PL. This region of Jun a 1 is highly conserved in the group 1 allergens from other cedar trees as well as microbial PLs. The finding that two out of three major IgE epitopes map to highly conserved catalytic regions of group 1 cedar allergens may help to explain the high degree of cross-reactivity between cedar pollen allergens and might represent a pattern of reactivity common to other allergens with catalytic activity.

Allergens↗