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Barnacle hypersensitivity.

BACKGROUND: the aim of the present study is to investigate the responsible mechanism of different adverse reactions suffered by five patients, aged between six and thirty years-old, after consumption of barnacle. The symptoms were angioedema, dyspnea, generalized urticaria, conjunctivitis and one of them suffered from anaphylactic reaction. Four patients had personal atopic history. METHODS: the allergic study included prick by prick test with raw and boiled barnacle and prick-test with a standardized battery of shellfish and neumoallergens, specific-IgE determination to barnacle, crustacean and house-dust-mite and SDS-PAGE immunoblotting to barnacle. Even though an oral challenge was proposed to three of the patients, they were reluctant to do the test and eventually the challenges were not carried out. RESULTS: prick to prick tests were positive to barnacle for all of them. Specific-IgE was found in four patients. The western blotting results showed an IgE-binding band whose apparent molecular mass ranged between 58 and 68 kDa. CONCLUSIONS: barnacle could induce IgE-mediated adverse reaction. Our study has demonstrated the presence of an IgE-binding protein in barnacle extracts ranged between 58 and 68 kDa of molecular mass. It has not been previously described a crustacean allergen with the same molecular mass, so it could be a specific allergen from barnacle. We believe that further study will confirm this is the case.

Adult↗

Clinical infections of Vibrio vulnificus: a case report and review of the literature.

Vibrio vulnificus is a marine Gram-negative bacillus that is recognized as a cause of fulminant primary septicemia and wound infections. One of the most common bacteria in seawater, V. vulnificus is concentrated in ocean filter feeders (e.g., oysters and clams). Primary septicemia can occur in patients, typically with underlying liver disease, who have acquired the organism through the gastrointestinal tract after recent consumption of raw shellfish. Characterized by fevers, chills, and bullous skin lesions, V. vulnificus septicemia is associated with a mortality greater than 50%. With septic shock, mortality approaches 100%. Wound infections are seen after injury to the skin in a marine environment or from exposure of preexisting wounds to seawater. Because of the high morbidity and mortality associated with V. vulnificus infections, effective treatment includes preventive measures to educate high-risk individuals, early search for and recognition of the disease, aggressive antibiotic therapy, supportive care, and, in the case of wound infections, aggressive debridement. Review of this subject was prompted by a case of V. vulnificus primary septicemia and fulminant septic shock in a patient with the unusual presentation of pain in the lower extremities.

Animals↗

Food poisoning due to the consumption of red whelks (Neptunea antiqua).

Two incidents of toxin-type food poisoning in N.E. Scotland associated with the consumption of red whelks (Neptunea antiqua) are described. Four patients developed symptoms within 1 h of consuming whole whelks. These included visual disturbances--double vision and difficulty in focusing--tingling of the fingers, prostration and in one subject nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and ataxia. In all cases recovery was complete in 24 h. Using a newly developed analytical technique the concentration of the causative toxin, tetramine, in the salivary glands of the whelks consumed was estimated at 0.07%, equivalent to a content of 3.75 mg/100 g of the shellfish.

Adult↗

Epidemic cholera in Ecuador: multidrug-resistance and transmission by water and seafood.

To determine risk factors for cholera in an epidemic-disease area in South America, a case-control investigation was performed in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in July 1991. Residents > 5 years old who were hospitalized for treatment of acute, watery diarrhoea and two matched controls for each were interviewed regarding sources of water and food, and eating, drinking, and hygienic habits. Interviewers inspected homes of case-patients and controls to document water treatment, food-handling, and hygienic practices. Faecal specimens and shellfish were cultured for Vibrio cholerae O 1. Isolates were tested for susceptibility to a variety of antimicrobial agents. Drinking unboiled water (odds ratio [OR] = 4.0, confidence interval [CI] = 1.8-7.5), drinking a beverage from a street vendor (OR = 2.8, CI = 1.3-5.9), eating raw seafood (OR = 3.4, CI = 1.4-11.5), and eating cooked crab (OR = 5.1, CI = 1.4-19.2) were associated with illness. Always boiling drinking water at home (OR = 0.5, CI = 0.2-0.9) was protective against illness. The presence of soap in either the kitchen (OR = 0.3, CI = 0.2-0.8) or bathroom (OR = 0.4, CI = 0.2-0.9) at home was also protective. V. cholerae O 1 was recovered from a pooled sample of a bivalve mollusc and from 68% of stool samples from case-patients. Thirty-six percent of the isolates from stool specimens were resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents. Specific prevention measures may prevent transmission through these vehicles in the future. The appearance of antimicrobial resistance suggests the need for changes in current methods of prevention and treatment.

Adolescent↗

The uptake of iron-55 by marine sediment, macroalgae, and biota following discharge from a nuclear power station.

Significant quantities of 55Fe, an activation product of stable iron, have been released into the environment following the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons (mainly in the 1950s and 1960s) as well as through authorized discharges of radioactivity from nuclear power and reprocessing sites. Although some studies have been performed on the behavior of weapons' fallout-derived 55Fe in the environment and subsequent impact on humans, little has been published on the behavior of 55Fe released as a point source discharge from nuclear sites. This study presents data on the concentration and temporal variation of 55Fe in fucoid seaweeds, shellfish, crab, and lobster collected from Weymouth Bay and adjacent coastal areas, southern England. These areas have received authorized discharges of radionuclides originating from the operation of a now-decommissioned steam-generating, heavy water-type reactor at AEE Winfrith. The highest activities of 55Fe are found associated with marine sediments collected near the discharge pipeline and a rapid decline occurs away from the pipeline. This is consistent with rapid sorption of 55Fe by the sediment, and the data show there is only limited reworking and remobilization. Activities of 55Fe in biota generally decreased over time, due to a reduction in the amount of 55Fe discharged. The variation of 55Fe activity, revealed from the monthly sampling of seaweed, does not reflect the short-term fluctuations seen in the patterns of discharged 55Fe activity. Although discharges of 55Fe from AEE Winfrith exceeded other radionuclides, the radiological impact on local seafood consumers is considerably less than for other key radionuclides such as 60Co and 65Zn but of comparable magnitude to the global average population dose arising from fallout-derived 55Fe.

Animals↗

NMR-based metabolomics: a powerful approach for characterizing the effects of environmental stressors on organism health.

It is important to assess the chronic effects of chemical, physical, and biological stressors on organisms in the environment. Appropriate methods must enable rapid, inexpensive, and multibiomarker analyses of organism health. Here we investigate withering syndrome in red abalone (Haliotis rufescens), an important wild and farmed shellfish species along the Pacific coast, using a metabolomic approach that combines the metabolic profiling capabilities of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) with pattern recognition methods. Foot muscle, digestive gland, and hemolymph samples were collected from healthy, stunted, and diseased abalone, and the extracts were analyzed by NMR. Following spectral preprocessing, principal components analyses of the metabolite profiles were conducted. Our results confirm that NMR-based metabolomics can successfully distinguish the biochemical profiles of the three groups of animals, in every type of tissue or biofluid studied. Furthermore, this discovery-based approach successfully identified novel metabolic biomarker profiles associated with withering syndrome. The application of these methods for investigating other environmental stressors is discussed, as are the advantages of NMR-based metabolomics for biomonitoring, particularly in conjunction with gene and protein expression profiling.

Animals↗

Lipid [corrected] classes, fatty acids, and sterols in seafood from Gilbert Bay, southern labrador.

Seafood from Gilbert Bay, southern Labrador, was sampled for lipid classes, fatty acid, and sterol composition. Gilbert Bay is a proposed Marine Protected Area, and the composition of seafood from this region is interesting from both human health and ecological perspectives. Analyses included four species of bivalves and flesh and liver samples from four fish species. Lipids from a locally isolated population of northern cod (Gadus morhua) were also compared to lipids from other cod populations. Lipid classes were analyzed by Chromarod/Iatroscan TLC-FID, fatty acids by GC, and sterols by GC-MS. Three cod populations had similar levels of total lipid per wet weight (0.6%) with triacylglycerols (TAG), sterols, and phospholipids comprising on average 13, 11, and 51%, respectively, of their total lipids. Fatty fish such as capelin and herring contained on average 8.4% lipid with 86% present as TAG. Fish livers from cod and herring showed opposite trends, with cod having elevated lipid (27%) and TAG (63%) and herring containing only 3.8% lipid and 20% TAG. Shellfish averaged 0.6% lipid; however, significant lipid class differences existed among species. Fatty acid analysis showed few significant differences in cod populations with on average 57% polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), 18% monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and 24% saturated fatty acids (SFA). Cod livers had lower PUFA (34%) and elevated MUFA (44%) relative to flesh. Bivalves averaged 25% SFA, 18% MUFA, and 57% PUFA, whereas scallop adductor muscle had the highest PUFA levels (63%). Bivalves contained 20 different sterols with cholesterol present as the major sterol (19-39%). trans-22-Dehydrocholesterol, brassicasterol, 24-methylenecholesterol, and campesterol individually accounted for >10% in at least one species. High levels of PUFA and non-cholesterol sterols observed in Gilbert Bay seafood demonstrate their positive attributes for human nutrition.

Animals↗

Human exposure to polychlorinated diphenyl ethers through the diet in Catalonia, Spain.

Although polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PCDEs) are recognized environmental pollutants, information concerning human exposure to these organic substances is very scarce. For the present study the concentrations of PCDEs in a number of foodstuffs acquired in Catalonia, Spain, were determined. The dietary intake of PCDEs was estimated for various age groups of the general population living in this Spanish region. With the exception of fish and shellfish, PCDE concentrations were under the limit of detection in the 10 remaining food groups analyzed. For an adult (20-65 years old) male of 70 kg average body weight, the estimated total dietary intake of PCDEs was 41 ng/day. It was assumed that if a PCDE congener was below the detection limit, the concentration was equal to half of the limit of detection. The highest exposure to PCDEs through the diet corresponded to the group aged 51-65 years, whereas the lowest intake corresponded to the youngest group (4-9 years). With the exception of the group aged >65 years, PCDE intake was always higher in males than in females. The results of this study should be of interest for future assessments of time trends in human exposure to PCDEs through the diet.

Adult↗

Effect of maillard reaction on allergenicity of scallop tropomyosin.

Scallop tropomyosin (TM), the major allergen of shellfish, was prepared from adductor muscles and reacted with four reducing sugars to investigate the effect of the Maillard reaction on the allergenicity of TM. The IgE-binding ability of TM increased significantly with the progress of the reaction with glucose, ribose, and maltose, but not with maltotriose. The allergenicity was enhanced at the early stage of the Maillard reaction, and the trend of the effect depended on the type of reducing sugar used. 2,4,6-Trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid treatment of the lysine residues in TM showed that the protein surface charge resulting from the Maillard reaction had no effect on the enhancement of the allergenicity. Thus, the change in the allergenicity would be closely related to the structural change caused by the Maillard reaction.

Allergens↗

Carotenoids in three species of Corbicula Clams, Corbicula japonica, Corbicula sandai, and Corbicula sp. (Chinese Freshwater Corbicula Clam).

Carotenoids were investigated in three species of corbicula clams, Corbicula japonica, Corbicula sandai, and Corbicula sp. (Chinese freshwater corbicula clam). Forty-three carotenoids were isolated. Among them, 7,8-didehydro-beta-cryptoxanthin (12), peridininol 5,8-furanoxide (38), pyrrhoxanthin 5,8-furanoxide (40), and pyrrhoxanthinol 5,8-furanoxide (43) are newly reported as naturally occurring carotenoids. Their structures were characterized on the basis of UV-vis, FAB-MS including MS/MS experiments, and 1H NMR spectroscopic data. The total carotenoid contents in C. japonica, C. sandai, and Chinese freshwater corbicula clam were found to be 5.3, 2.6, and 0.3 mg/100 g in the edible part (wet weight), respectively. Peridinin (34) and its derivatives were found to be major carotenoids in C. japonica, which inhabits brackish water. On the other hand, lutein (13) was found to be the major carotenoid in C. sandai and Chinese corbicula clams, which inhabit freshwater. These patterns well reflected the carotenoids in their dietary algae. 7',8'-Didehydrodeepoxyneoxanthin (19), corbiculaxanthin (21), corbiculaxanthin 3'-acetate (22), and 6-epiheteroxanthin (24) were found in all three species of corbicula clams and have not previously been found in other shellfishes. They were assumed to be peculiar carotenoids in corbicula clams.

Animals↗

Structural elucidation of a new cytotoxin isolated from mussels of the Adriatic sea.

A detailed analysis of the toxic composition in the hepatopancreas of mussels from northern Adriatic sea has been performed. Along with some polyether toxins of DSP (diarrhetic shellfish poisoning) type, such as yessotoxin and its analogues, which are responsible for a variety of human seafood poisonings throughout the world, we have now isolated a new type of toxin, the chlorosulfolipid 1, which is completely different in structure from the polyether DSP-toxins isolated so far. The structural determination of the new toxin, including its absolute stereochemistry, has been performed by extensive NMR analysis and molecular mechanics and dynamics calculations.

Animals↗

Detection of sodium channel activators by a rapid fluorimetric microplate assay.

Marine toxins such as brevetoxins and ciguatoxins are produced by dinoflagellates and can accumulate in seafood. These toxins affect humans through seafood consumption. Intoxication is mainly characterized by gastrointestinal and neurological disorders and, in most severe cases, by cardiovascular problems. To prevent the consumption of food contaminated with these toxins, shellfish have been tested by mouse bioassay. However, this method is expensive, time-consuming, and ethically questionable. The objective of this study was to use a recently developed fluorimetric microplate assay to rapidly detect brevetoxins and ciguatoxins. The method is based on the pharmacological effect of brevetoxins and ciguatoxins known to activate sodium channels and involves (i). the incubation of excitable cells in 96 well microtiter plates with the fluorescent dye bis-oxonol, whose distribution across the membrane is potential-dependent, and (ii). dose-dependent cell depolarization by the toxins. Our findings demonstrate that measuring changes in membrane potential induced by brevetoxins and ciguatoxins allowed their quantitation. Active toxins could be reliably detected at concentrations in the nanomolar range. The simplicity, sensitivity, and possibility of being automated provide the basis for development of a practical alternative to conventional testing for brevetoxins and ciguatoxins.

Animals↗

Outbreaks of food borne diseases in the Lazio region, Italy: the results of epidemiological field investigations.

BACKGROUND: More thorough information about risks, exposures and vehicles of food borne diseases can be obtained from epidemiological field investigations than from infectious disease reports or laboratory data. METHODS: We analysed the results of 410 field investigations of food borne disease outbreaks reported from 1996 to 2000 and conducted as cohort studies. RESULTS: The incidence of food borne outbreaks increased from 0.8/100,000 in 1996 to 2.0 in 1999, as did the incidence of salmonellosis (from 16/100,000 to 21 in the same period) and diarrhoea episodes reported by laboratories (from 12/100,000 in 1997 to 29 in 1999). Of the food borne disease outbreaks, 264 (64.4%) occurred in private homes; 5 (1.2%) in hospitals; 31 (7.6%) in canteens and refectories, 84 (20.5%) in restaurants, 41 of which occurred during special functions. The home outbreaks exposed few people (average of 7), had high attack rates (61.7% average) and a high proportion of known aetiology (66%), while food borne disease outbreaks in canteens and restaurants (during special functions) exposed many people (300 and 81, respectively), had medium attack rates (19.7 and 34.5%, respectively) and a higher proportion of confirmed vehicles (50 and 49%, respectively), compared to those occurring at home (21%). Salmonella spp. was the most frequent agent detected in each setting (67% of confirmed cases). The most frequent vehicles at home were mushrooms and sweets containing eggs and cream; in canteens, meat and vegetables and in restaurants, shellfish. CONCLUSIONS: Outbreak characteristics varied according to the setting. This implies the need for a different approach of field investigations, and different preventive measures.

Agaricales↗

Dental fluorosis and caries prevalence in the fluorosis endemic area of Asembagus, Indonesia.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis and caries in a fluorosis endemic area, with fluoride content in drinking water ranging from 0.51 to 3.15 ppm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Children (n = 474), aged 6-12 years, were randomly selected from one primary school in each of ten villages in the subdistrict of Asembagus. The villages were grouped into four according to the fluoride content in the drinking water: Group A: 0.41-0.50; Group B: 0.73-0.90; Group C: 2.01-2.41 and Group D: 3.07-3.25. Fluorosis examination used Bischoff's modification (1976), which was based on Dean's classifications, and caries was scored according to WHO standard 1997. RESULTS: D(T) from Group A to D increased from 0.46, 0.55, 0.66 to 1.03; while d(T) decreased from 0.89, 0.87, 0.86 to 0.32. CFI increased from 1.36, 1.67, 2.03 to 1.80. Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA was significant for the relationship between fluoride water content and CFI, D(T), and d(T). There was no significant linear relationship between fluoride water content and D(T) or d(T), but there was a positive correlation with CFI. Caries prevalence in the subdistrict was 62% for permanent teeth and 68% for primary teeth. Fluorosis prevalence was 96% with a mean CFI of 1.71. CONCLUSIONS: The high CFI values of 1.36 and 1.67 in villages A and B may relate to the main side-dishes eaten in the two villages. Of these, 88% contained fish, 68% dried salted fish and 61% a type of shellfish gathered locally.

Analysis of Variance↗

Decimal reduction times of Pyrodinium bahamense var. compressum and Escherichia coli in chlorine- and ultraviolet-treated seawater.

AIMS: Decimal reduction times (D-values) of the vegetative cells of Pyrodinium bahamense var. compressum and Escherichia coli in ultraviolet- and chlorine-treated seawater were established. METHODS AND RESULTS: The cells of the test organisms were exposed to ultraviolet- and chlorine-treated seawater and maintained at 20-35 ppt salinity and 20 to 35 degrees C. The dinoflagellate cells which cause Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) were found to be more resilient than the bacterial cells. Ultraviolet treatment was found to be more effective than chlorine to both test organisms. Irreversible morphological changes in the treated dinoflagellate cells were noted, including protoplast discoloration, cellular membrane leakage and damage to the thecal armour. CONCLUSIONS: The vegetative cells of both test organisms in seawater were more sensitive to ultraviolet treatment than to chlorine exposure. Generally, the dinoflagellate cells were less susceptible than bacterial cells to both disinfection treatments. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Results of this study may have significant implications in depuration procedures for molluscs and cleaning protocols for ballast waters of ships.

Animals↗

[Acute hepatitis A despite regular vaccination against hepatitis A and B].

HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS: A 59-year-old woman, her 55-year-old husband, their daughter, son and the son's girlfriend were admitted with acute icterus 32-34 days after a dinner when they had eaten shellfish. The father had been immunised against hepatitis A and B with a combined vaccine (Twinrix(R)) and had completed the full vaccination schedule 47 days prior to this meal. His wife had been incompletely vaccinated with one injection 16 days prior and a second injection 13 days after the dinner. The other three participants of the dinner had not been immunised. The incubation time and clinical picture did not differ between the vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients. INVESTIGATIONS, TREATMENT AND COURSE: All 5 patients were anti-HAV IgM-positive, had high serum aminotransferases and serum bilirubin. All patients had an uneventful recovery. There was no difference in the clinical course between the vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients. CONCLUSION: Combined hepatitis A/B vaccination according to the recommended schedule does not guarantee protection in elderly persons. Before travelling in endemic areas, their antibody response after basic hepatitis A/B vaccination should be determined.

Acute Disease↗

Clinical implications of cross-reactive food allergens.

As a consequence of the general increase in allergic sensitization, the prevalence of hypersensitivity reactions to multiple foods that share homologous proteins has become a significant clinical problem. A variety of these allergens conserved among plants (eg, profilin and lipid transfer proteins) and animals (eg, tropomyosin and caseins) have been characterized. Although studies with molecular biologic techniques have elucidated the nature of these ubiquitous allergens, clinical studies have lagged behind. The physician is called on to determine the risk of reaction to related foods among legumes, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, cereal grains, mammalian and avian food products, and a variety of other plant-derived foods that may share proteins with pollens, latex, and each other. Clinical evaluations require a careful history, laboratory evaluation, and in some cases oral food challenges. The pitfalls in the evaluation of food allergy-unreliable histories and limitations in laboratory assessment primarily caused by false-positive skin prick test responses/RAST results are magnified when dealing with cross-reactive proteins. This review focuses on the clinical data regarding cross-reacting food allergens with the goal of providing a background for improved risk assessment and a framework on which to approach these difficult clinical questions.

Allergens↗

Prospective study of diet and female colorectal cancer: the New York University Women's Health Study.

The relation between diet and female colorectal cancer was analyzed in a prospective study of 14,727 women aged 34-65 years, who were enrolled at mammographic screening clinics in New York and Florida from 1985 to 1991. They were followed through the end of 1994 (average 7.1 yrs) by a combination of direct contact through mail and telephone and record linkages with regional tumor registries, resulting in 100 incident cases of colorectal cancer. There was no overall positive or inverse association of colorectal cancer risk with intakes of total calories, total or subclasses of fat, carbohydrate, or dietary fiber, whereas there was an inverse association with total protein. Among major food groups, there was a progressive decline in risk of colorectal cancer with increasing intake of fish and shellfish (relative risk for 4th vs. 1st quartile = 0.49, 95% confidence interval = 0.27-0.89). A similar inverse association was also observed for consumption of dairy products, and this association was explained mainly by calcium, not by other nutrients, such as fat or protein. The results of the present study indicated that certain dietary components of fish or dairy products may protect against colorectal cancer, whereas the relations with red meat or total fat remained unclear.

Adult↗