Allergy and Immunology Commons^™

Investigating The Potential Role Of Akkermansia Muciniphila Supplementation In Neuroinflammation: A Progress Report, Geetika Verma

Biomedical Sciences Posters and Presentations

Gut bacteria are important for proper development and function of the host immune system (1). Recent studies have provided association of altered microbiome in both food allergy and neuropsychiatric disorders (2, 3) indicating potential role of microbiome in regulating Gut-Brain-Axis. Akkermansia muciniphila belongs to the phylum Verrucomicrobia, is a commensal mucin degrading bacterial species (4). A. muciniphila protects the gut barrier by facilitating host mucus production. Since patients with food allergy have increased gut permeability, protection of intestinal barrier by increased mucus production may be beneficial in preventing allergen and pathogen infiltrations, hence, minimizing inflammation. A. muciniphila is well known …

Cortical Demyelination And Depression-Like Behavior Are Associated With Histaminergic Dysregulation In A Mouse Model Of Peripheral Inflammation, Danielle Germundson-Hermanson

Biomedical Sciences Posters and Presentations

▪ Demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system are increasing in prevalence world-wide1,2 and manifest as motor, behavioral, and/or cognitive defects3 . The etiology and pathophysiology of demyelinating diseases remain unclear.

▪ We have previously observed cortical demyelination in our mouse model of non-anaphylactic cow’s milk allergy4 . The demyelination was associated with depression-like behaviors and region-specific increases in brain histamine and H3 receptor (H3R) levels4,5 .

❖ The brain’s central histaminergic system is tightly controlled and regulates many behaviors. Additionally, signaling through H3R plays a crucial role in oligodendrocyte differentiation, and thus, demyelination and remyelination6 .

▪ We hypothesized …

Repeated Allergen Exposure Induces Histaminergic Dysregulation And Depression-Like Behaviors In A Non-Anaphylactic Food Allergy Mouse Model, Danielle Germundson-Hermanson

Biomedical Sciences Posters and Presentations

▪ Food allergy is often comorbid with neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety1,2, depression1,2, OCD3, ADD/ADHD4, and autism5. ➢ The mechanism of how food allergy may impact brain function and behavior in certain allergic individuals has yet to be elucidated.

▪ Mast cells (MCs) are not only the effector cell of the hypersensitivity response but are also important in maintaining brain homeostasis6. ➢ MCs have been implicated in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders such as multiple sclerosis7,8.

▪ We have previously found in a mouse model of cow’s milk allergy (CMA) that intracranial MC numbers9 and histamine 3 receptor (H3R)10 increased after …

Continuous Consumption Of Whey Protein Affects Motor And Cognitive Functions In A Mouse Model Of Cow’S Milk Hypersensitivity, Geetika Verma

Biomedical Sciences Posters and Presentations

Hypersensitization to a food allergen can occur in the absence of immediate allergic reactions, a condition referred to as asymptomatic sensitization. Using mice asymptomatically sensitized to a bovine whey allergen, β-lactoglobulin (BLG, Bos d 5), we have previously shown that chronic exposure to the allergen results in behavior changes with increased neuroinflammation and cortical demyelination. However, whether allergen avoidance can resolve these pathologies is unknown. Thus, we aimed to compare immunological and behavioral changes in sham- or BLG-sensitized mice with or without the removal of dietary whey after the mice had consumed either a control diet (CTL) or a whey-protein-containing …

Continued Food-Allergen Consumption Exacerbates Beta-Amyloid Accumulation In Allergen-Sensitized Appnl-G-Fmice., Afrina Brishti

Biomedical Sciences Posters and Presentations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, with β-amyloid(Aβ) plaque deposition being one of the hallmark pathologies. However, the etiology of AD remains elusive. While chronic inflammation from recurrent infections or injury seems to contribute to AD development, it is unclear whether atopic diseases, such as allergies, are associated with AD. We previously reported that continuous consumption of a whey protein(WP) -containing diet led to lasting neuro inflammation in C57BL/6J mice that were sensitized but tolerant to a bovine milk allergen, β-lactoglobulin (BLG;Bosd5). Thus, we hypothesized that the persisting neuroinflammation due to repeated allergen consumption would exacerbate AD …

Does The Cdc Covid-19 Exposure Assessment Criteria For Healthcare Personnel Work In A Healthcare Setting In Pakistan?, Imran Hassan, Unab Khan, Shehreen Ali, Asif Hakim, Asad Ali

Department of Family Medicine

Objective: To evaluate the real-world performance of the CDC's "Interim US guidance for risk assessment and work restriction for healthcare personnel with exposure to COVID-19" at a private healthcare system in Pakistan.
Study design: Retrospective observational study.
Place and duration of study: The Aga khan University Hospital, Karachi, and its associated healthcare facilities in all four provinces of Pakistan, from February to September 2020.
Methodology: Healthcare personnel (HCPs) assessed and tested for exposures to COVID-19 were included in the study. An exposure category was assigned to each HCP presenting with exposure to COVID-19 based on the CDC criteria. Percentage positivity …

Agricultural Dust Derived Bacterial Extracellular Vesicle Mediated Inflammation Is Attenuated By Dha, Art J. Heires, Derrick R. Samuelson, Daniel Villageliu, Tara M. Nordgren, Debra J. Romberger

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

Dietary long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) and their pro-resolving metabolites are protective against atherosclerotic disease, and ameliorate systemic inflammatory conditions including lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, and bronchial asthma. Organic bioaerosol inhalation is a common and injurious hazard associated with agricultural occupations such as work in swine concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and is known to increase the risk for developing respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD. Nearly all cells secrete membrane-bound vesicles (extracellular vesicles, EVs) that have the capacity to transmit protein, nucleic acid, and lipid signaling mediators between cells. Using a polymer-based isolation technique (ExoQuick, PEG) followed …

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Different Cut-Off Values Of Adenosine Deaminase Levels In Tuberculous Pleural Effusion, Kiran Iqbal Masood, Shayan Shahid, Kauser Jabeen, Joveria Farooqi, Sabeika Raza Kerawala, Muhammad Irfan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of different cut-off values of pleural fluid adenosine deaminase levels as a diagnostic method for tuberculous pleural effusion.
Method: The prospective study was conducted from 2014 to 2016 at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised pleural fluid samples of adult patients with and without tuberculosis which were tested for adenosine deaminase levels, and divided into tuberculosis group A and non-tuberculosis group B. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value were calculated using different cut-offs. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 21.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, …

Histamine H3 Receptor Antagonism Mitigates Food-Hypersensitivity-Associated Depressive Behavior And Neuropathology In A Mouse Model Of Cow’S Milk Allergy, Danielle Germundson-Hermanson

Biomedical Sciences Posters and Presentations

Background Histamine is best known for causing allergy symptoms, but it also regulates blood-brain barrier permeability1 and oligodendrocyte differentiation2. Thus, brain histamine levels are tightly controlled.

Previous Findings We demonstrated that histamine and histamine H3 receptor (H3R) levels were elevated in a mouse model of cow’s milk allergy (CMA) in association with intracranial mast cell activation, depression-like behaviors, and cortical demyelination3,4.

Gaps in Knowledge In humans, food allergies are often associated with neuropsychiatric disorders5-7, but the involvement of allergy induced histamine in triggering behavioral changes is unclear.

Hypothesis Repeated allergen consumption can lead to central histaminergic dysfunction through H3R, ultimately …

Dietary Whey Protein Increases Brain Leukocytes In Mice Regardless Of Their Hypersensitivity Status, Dilini Ekanayake

Biomedical Sciences Posters and Presentations

Cow’s milk allergy (CMA) often manifests as milder reactions and may be linked to neurological problems. Previously, we demonstrated that C57BL/6J mice sensitized to a bovine whey allergen, β-lactoglobulin (BLG, Bos d 5), moderately increased BLG-specific IgE levels and exhibited behavioral changes without severe allergic reactions. When these non-anaphylactic CMA mice were placed on a whey-protein (WP)-containing diet for 2 weeks to simulate continuous dairy consumption, we found neuropathology indicative of neuroinflammation and cortical demyelination. Since immune cells migrate to the central nervous system (CNS) and promote neuroinflammation in demyelinating conditions such as multiple sclerosis, we hypothesized that the number …

Continuous Consumption Of Whey Protein Maintains Neuroinflammation In A Mouse Model Of Asymptomatic Cow’S Milk Allergy, Geetika Verma

Biomedical Sciences Posters and Presentations

Using a mouse model of cow’s milk allergy (CMA), we previously showed that C57BL/6J mice sensitized to a bovine whey allergen, β-lactoglobulin (BLG), exhibited anxiety/depression-like behavior and neuroinflammation in the absence of overt anaphylaxis upon allergen exposure

Milk Allergen Increases Intestinal Immune Cells In Association With Neuroinflammation And Behavioral Changes, Dilini Ekanayake

Biomedical Sciences Posters and Presentations

Cow’s milk allergy (CMA)

 CMA h as been associated with neurological disorders.

 How allergic inflammatory signals from the gut reach the brain is unclear.

Isoprenylation Inhibition Significantly Reduces Ige Mediated Mast Cell Function And Allergic Disease, Jordan Dailey

Theses and Dissertations

Allergic disease is the 6^th leading cause of chronic illness in the US and accounts for billions of dollars in healthcare annually. Mast cells are tissue resident innate immune cells linked to allergic disease and activated by IgE and other ligands. Upon activation, they release histamine, cytokines, chemokines, proteases, and lipid mediators evoking allergic symptoms. New ways of targeting mast cells could greatly benefit allergic disease therapy. Previous findings supported repurposing statin drugs, such as Fluvastatin, as a therapeutic treatment of allergic disease reduced allergic symptoms in vitro and in vivo. We found that Fluvastatin suppressed IgE-mediated mast cell …

Suspected Anaphylactic Reaction Following Second Dose Of The Pfizer-Biontech (Bnt162b2) Coronavirus Vaccine In A Geriatric Female, Angelina Hong, Giezy Sardinas

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Anaphylaxis is a rare but serious adverse reaction that can occur following mRNA-based vaccination against coronavirus (COVID-19). This is a case of a geriatric patient presenting with hypotension and an urticarial rash with bullous lesions following a syncopal episode with incontinence. She received the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) COVID-19 vaccine three days prior, and first developed the skin abnormalities the morning after receiving the vaccine. She had no past history of anaphylaxis or allergies to vaccinations.

Her presentation met the diagnostic criteria for anaphylaxis, according to the World Allergy Organization: she had acute onset illness involving the skin …

Tissue Resident Macrophages Drive Fibrosis During Pancreas Inflammatory Injury And Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, John Baer

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The immune system, and especially macrophages, are central in responding to infections, as well as providing a wide array of functions in other pathologies, especially in responding to inflammation. It is established that macrophages will accumulate within tissues during inflammation, many times secreting cytokines and chemokines central to the inflammatory response. This is particularly true during pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, where it has been shown that macrophages and monocytes accumulate in the pancreas to have various roles in further promoting inflammation. It is not well established, however, whether there are divergent roles for the distinct macrophage subsets that …

A Rare Cause Of Urticaria In An Nsaid Tolerant Patient, Thao Le, Mary K. Mcleod, Laurianne Wild

Posters

Introduction: Acetaminophen is one of the most used anti-pyretics to mitigate fever. Few cases have been reported of hypersensitivity reactions to acetaminophen without non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) intolerance. It is recommended that if there is suspected drug hypersensitivity then the patient should undergo an oral drug challenge. Case Description: A 49-year-old male presented for evaluation of urticaria that occurred with acetaminophen ingestion. He reported several episodes where he developed diffuse urticaria within 15 minutes of ingestion, but no other symptoms concerning for anaphylaxis. He was unsure of the dose. He also noted urticaria with Excedrin migraine, which contains acetaminophen, aspirin, …

Malignancy Masquerading As Steroid Resistant Hypereosinophilic Syndrome, Sonya Parashar, Aarti Pandya

Posters

Introduction: Hypereosinophilia syndrome (HES) is defined as 1500 eosinophils/mL or above with evidence of end-organ damage due to the eosinophils at least 4 weeks apart. Case description: A 3-year-old male was admitted for newly found anterior mediastinal mass and left pleural effusion. About 6 weeks prior to admission, he was seen in his primary care office for difficulty breathing. Despite the appropriate treatment for his symptoms, the patient continued to have significant respiratory symptoms and a chest x-ray showed a large left pleural effusion. He was immediately transferred to a tertiary care center and a CT chest showed large left …

Innovative Therapeutic Approach To Chemical Burns Produced By Vesicants; An Experimental Study, Cristina Anca Secara, Otilia Liudmila Cinteza, Diana Popescu, Claudia Valentina Popa, Camelia Andreea Hirjeu, Oana Cristina Voinea, Luiza Georgia Serbanescu, Andreea Marilena Pauna, Mihail Tudosie

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Vesicants are compounds that cause severe toxic effects on various tissues. Such chemical action causes tissue necrosis, with clinical expression of skin lesions with a burning character and characteristic blisters. Clinical toxic effects of cutaneous vesicles are correlated with the absorbed dose and exposure time. The goals of the study are to evaluate in vitro the skin toxicity produced by the vesicant chemical compound 2-chloroethyl-ethyl sulfide (CEES), to develop a complex antidote formula, and to optimize the therapeutic efficacy by inclusion in controlled release systems. The experimental protocol aims at the in vitro evaluation of the cytotoxicity of the vesicant …

Defining The Cooperation Between Mhc-I And Mhc-Ii Neoantigen-Driven T Cell Responses To Develop Effective Personalized Immunotherapies, Charmelle Williams

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) (e.g. anti-CTLA-4 (α-CTLA-4), anti-PD-1 (α-PD-1)) enables durable T cell-dependent anti-tumor immunity in certain cancer patients. Since a subset of patients respond to ICT, this work aims at developing a more in-depth understanding of T-cell responses to MHC class I (MHC-I) and MHC class II (MHC-II) tumor antigens that are derived from aberrant expression of non-mutant antigens or driver and passenger somatic alterations that can function as tumor neoantigens. We used a poorly immunogenic Braf^v600e Pten^-/- Cdkn2a^-/- YUMM1.7 (Y1.7) murine melanoma line with a paucity of endogenous neoantigens that is unresponsive to ICT, and …

Community-Based Asthma Assessment In Young Children: Adaptations For A Multicentre Longitudinal Study In South Asia, Mohammad Shahidul Islam, Samin Huq, Steven Cunningham, Jurgen Schwarze, Asmd Ashraful Islam, Mashal Amin, Farrukh Raza, Benazir Baloch, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Sajid Bashir Soofi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Systematic assessment of childhood asthma is challenging in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings due to the lack of standardised and validated methodologies. We describe the contextual challenges and adaptation strategies in the implementation of a community-based asthma assessment in four resource-constrained settings in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.
Method: We followed a group of children of age 6-8 years for 12 months to record their respiratory health outcomes. The study participants were enrolled at four study sites of the 'Aetiology of Neonatal Infection in South Asia (ANISA)' study. We standardised the research methods for the sites, trained field staff …