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Allergic reaction following fish consumption can trigger life-threatening reactions in predisposed individuals. Parvalbumins from different species have been identified as the major fish allergens. There are two distinct phylogenetic lineages of parvalbumins, alpha and beta. Most allergic reactions are caused by beta-parvalbumins. We cloned and expressed cDNAs encoding cod (Gadus morhua) and carp (Cyprinus carpio) beta-parvalbumins and purified natural cod beta-parvalbumin. CD spectra of the purified proteins showed that their overall secondary structure contents were very similar. No differences in thermal stability were monitored in the calcium-bound or calcium-depleted form of natural cod parvalbumin. IgE reactivity was assessed using 26 sera of fish allergic patients from Spain, The Netherlands, and Greece in immunoblot and ELISA experiments. Twenty-five of the 26 patients with IgE reactivity to native and recombinant cod parvalbumin also reacted to the recombinant carp parvalbumin. IgE inhibition assays were performed using cod and carp extracts and purified recombinant parvalbumin of cod and carp. High crossreactivity among cod and carp parvalbumins was observed in immunoblots as well as in fluid phase assays. Natural and recombinant parvalbumins gave comparable results when performing various in vitro diagnostic assays.

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Infant feeding and allergy prevention: a review of current knowledge and recommendations. A EuroPrevall state of the art paperThe relationship between infant feeding patterns and the later development of food allergies has been the focus of much debate and research over the last decade. National recommendations have been made by many countries on how to feed infants to reduce the risk of food allergy but due to the lack of firm evidence the recommendations differ widely. This review has been developed as part of EuroPrevall, a European multicentre research project funded by the European Union, to document the differing feeding recommendations made across Europe, to investigate the current evidence base for any allergy prevention feeding recommendations and to identify areas where further research is needed. This review will also provide information which, when combined with the infant feeding data collected as part of EuroPrevall, will give an indication of compliance to national feeding guidelines which can be utilised to assess the effectiveness of current dissemination and implementation strategies.

Background/Objectives: Comparable international data on food and nutrient intake is often hindered by the lack of a common instrument to assess food intake. The objective of this study was within the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network of Excellence (GA 2 LEN), we developed and piloted a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to assess its validity in Europe. Subjects/Methods: Five countries participating in GA 2 LEN took part in the pilot study. A total of 200 adults aged 31-75 years were invited to complete a FFQ in two occasions and to give a blood sample. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess repeatability of the FFQ. Plasma phospholipid fatty acids (FAs) were analysed by gas chromatography. Pearson correlation was used to analyse the correlation between estimated dietary FA intake and plasma phospholipid FA levels. Results: A total of 177 participants (89%) had complete data on FFQ 1 and plasma phospholipid FAs. In all, 152 participants (76%) completed both FFQs. ICCs between macronutrients ranged from 0.70 (saturated FAs) to 0.78 (proteins) and between 0.70 (retinol) and 0.81 (vitamin D) for micronutrients. Dietary n-3 FAs showed a good correlation with total plasma phospholipid n-3 FAs and with docosahexaenoic acid in the whole sample (0.40) and in individual countries. Poor correlations were observed for other FAs. Conclusions: The GA 2 LEN FFQ is an appropriate tool to estimate dietary intake for a range of nutrients across Europe regardless of cultural and linguistic differences. The FFQ seems to be useful to estimate the intake of n-3 FAs but not other FAs.

Breastfeeding not only provides the optimum source of nutrients for the neonate and its first strong shield against infection but also lays the foundation for somatic and psychological bonding between the mother and child. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, although the guidelines of the relevant international and national agencies recommend breastfeeding by SARS-CoV-2–infected mothers, considerable insecurity persists in daily clinical practice regarding the safety of the infants and the perceived advantages and disadvantages of discontinuation of breastfeeding. This is a systematic review of the currently available information regarding the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 through or while breastfeeding and the protection against infection that breast milk might provide. The accumulated body of knowledge regarding the role of breast milk in the development of the neonatal immune system and protection against infection by other respiratory viruses is discussed, with a focus on the anti-inflammatory role of the antibodies, microbes, and viruses provided to the infant in breast milk and its relevance to the case of SARS-CoV-2.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare but devastating complication of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). The development of prognostic biomarkers and more importantly the implementation of new treatment modalities would have a significant impact in clinical practice regarding the outcome of MIS-C. Vitamin D could be a potential candidate. In this mini review we analyze the immunomodulatory role of vitamin D in viral infections and specifically in COVID-19. We also examine the current literature regarding the association of vitamin D with MIS-C and Kawasaki disease. The vitamin D was evaluated not only as a biomarker but also as a nutritional supplement. We concluded that vitamin D levels could be valuable in predicting severe forms of MIS-C and correction of abnormal levels in severe MIS-C may influences its evolution. 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] supplementation raising serum [25(OH)D] concentrations potentially have a favorable effect in reducing the severity of MIS-C in certain circumstances. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.