Food Allergy

Chlorogenic acid improves food allergy through the AMPK/ACC/CPT-1 pathway

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a polyphenol prevalent in daily food and plants. Food allergy (FA) can lead to metabolic disorders of the immune system. The objective of this study was to investigate CGA therapeutic effect on FA and regulatory mechanism through shrimp food allergy in mice models. Here, 24 female BALB/C mice were randomly allocated into the (I) Control group, (II) Food allergy group, (III) Chlorogenic acid low (50 mg/kg), and (IV) high group (200 mg/kg). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that CGA decreased levels of IgE and IgG induced by food allergy significantly. Real-time PCR demonstrated that high-dose chlorogenic acid significantly reduced Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) mRNA expression and increased Carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1) mRNA expression. Western blot indicated that CGA promoted a noticeable increase at the levels of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and ACC phosphorylation, resulting in a significant activation in AMPK and inhibition in ACC, and increased CPT-1 expression. Consequently, CGA improves FA by the regulation of the AMPK/ACC/CPT-1 signaling pathway in the spleen. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Chlorogenic acid is a water-soluble polyphenolic substance that is widely distributed in natural plants that show a variety of pharmacological effects. At present, CGA has been developed as a weigh-reducing tonic in western countries. As one of the most widely found and most easily obtained phenolic acids from food, the diverse physiological effects of CGA (such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, metabolic regulation, intestinal microbial regulation, etc.) imply its potential for application in functional foods, food additives, and clinical medicine. However, the basic molecular mechanisms of its effects have not been elucidated. In this study, CGA reduced allergy in a mouse model, likely by interacting with the AMPK/ACC/CPT-1 pathway.

Integration of in vitro allergy test results and ratio analysis for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic patients (INTEGRA)

The introduction of molecular diagnosis into routine clinical practice has substantially improved the diagnosis and management of allergic patients by allowing clinicians to precisely identify the allergenic molecule responsible for immunoglobulin E (IgE)‐mediated allergies. However, it can be challenging to accurately interpret the results of molecular assays, partly due to the limited evidence base. In this context, a panel of experts with extensive experience in interpreting in vitro measures of total and serum specific IgE reviewed the available scientific evidence. After this review, the panel selected a series of representative case studies to demonstrate how determination of specific and total IgE values and the relationship between them (ratio analysis) can add value to the diagnostic process by more precisely defining the patient’s sensitization profile. Finally, the experts developed a series of recommendations on the clinical application of ratio analysis to optimize and complement the classical approach to allergy diagnosis.