Maize Prolamins Resistant to Peptic-tryptic Digestion Maintain Immune-recognition by IgA from Some Celiac Disease Patients

Maize is used as an alternative to wheat to elaborate foodstuffs for celiac patients in a gluten-free diet. However, some maize prolamins (zeins) contain amino acid sequences that resemble the wheat gluten immunodominant peptides and their integrity after gastrointestinal proteolysis is unknown. In this study, the celiac IgA-immunoreactivity to zeins from raw or nixtamalized grains, before and after peptic/tryptic digestion was evaluated and their possible immunogenicity was investigated by in silico methods. IgA from some celiac patients with HLA-DQ2 or DQ8 haplotypes recognized two alpha-zeins even after peptic/tryptic proteolysis. However, digestion affected zeins after denaturation, reduction, and alkylation, used for identification of prolamins as alpha-zein A20 and A30 by MS/MS sequencing. An in silico analysis indicated that other zeins contain similar sequences, or sequences that may bind even better to the HLA-DQ2/DQ8 molecules compared to the already identified ones. Results concur to indicate that relative abundance of these zeins, along with factors affecting their resistance to proteolysis, may be of paramount clinical relevance, and the use of maize in the formulation and preparation of gluten-free foods must be reevaluated in some cases of celiac disease.     

Adaptation to iron deficiency and high pH in evergreen azaleas (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhododendron</Emphasis> spp.): potential resources for breeding

The growth of evergreen azaleas (Rhododendron spp.) can be altered by iron (Fe) chlorosis when plants are cultivated in a neutral-alkaline substrate. In this study, morphological and physiological responses to alkalinity and Fe deficiency were evaluated in five diploid Japanese azaleas to assess their potential as resources for breeding. R. obtusum ‘Kirin’, R. indicum ‘Shinsen’, R. × pulchrum ‘Sen-e-oomurasaki’, R. indicum ‘Osakazuki’, and R. ripense were pot cultivated in a peat-based substrate for 10 weeks, in acid and alkaline growing media with both adequate and inadequate Fe nutrition. Plant performance was generally affected by high pH of the substrate, while Fe deficiency by itself influenced few of the evaluated parameters, possibly due to the complex adaptive response mechanisms of these slow growing ornamental shrubs. According to the biochemical and physiological variations recorded on a long period of cultivation, R. indicum ‘Osakazuki’ reported the best performance. This azalea could be a valuable resource for breeders.     

Urinary cortisol‐creatinine ratio in dogs with hypoadrenocorticism

BackgroundBasal serum cortisol (BSC) ≥2 μg/dL (>55 nmol/L) has high sensitivity but low specificity for hypoadrenocorticism (HA).ObjectiveTo determine whether the urinary corticoid:creatinine ratio (UCCR) can be used to differentiate dogs with HA from healthy dogs and those with diseases mimicking HA (DMHA).AnimalsNineteen healthy dogs, 18 dogs with DMHA, and 10 dogs with HA.MethodsRetrospective study. The UCCR was determined on urine samples from healthy dogs, dogs with DMHA, and dogs with HA. The diagnostic performance of the UCCR was assessed based on receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves, calculating the area under the ROC curve.ResultsThe UCCR was significantly lower in dogs with HA (0.65 × 10⁻⁶; range, 0.33‐1.22 × 10⁻⁶) as compared to healthy dogs (3.38 × 10⁻⁶; range, 1.11‐17.32 × 10⁻⁶) and those with DMHA (10.28 × 10⁻⁶; range, 2.46‐78.65 × 10⁻⁶) (P < .0001). There was no overlap between dogs with HA and dogs with DMHA. In contrast, 1 healthy dog had a UCCR value in the range of dogs with HA. The area under the ROC curve was 0.99. A UCCR cut‐off value of <1.4 yielded 100% sensitivity and 97.3% specificity in diagnosing HA.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceThe UCCR seems to be a valuable and reliable screening test for HA in dogs. The greatest advantage of this test is the need for only a single urine sample.