Asian flushing presents opportunities for disease prevention

Abstract

The aldehyde dehydrogenases are a family of detoxifying enzymes that oxidize aldehydes to carboxylic acids. ALDH1 and ALDH2 are the most important enzymes for aldehyde oxidation, and both are tetrameric enzymes composed of 54 kD subunits. These enzymes are found in many tissues of the body but are at the highest concentration in the liver. The overall reaction catalyzed by the aldehyde dehydrogenases is the following: R-CHO + NAD + + H 2 O → R-COOH + NADH + H + . The reaction is NAD(P) + -dependent. The aldehyde enters the enzyme's active site through a channel located outside of the enzyme. A sulfur atom from a cysteine in the active site attacks the carbonyl carbon of the aldehyde. The hydrogen is kicked off as a hydride and in turn attacks NAD(P) + to make NAD(P)H. The enzyme's active site then undergoes an isomorphic change whereby the NAD(P)H is moved, allowing a water molecule to access the substrate. A glutamate primes the water in the active site and the water conducts a nucleophilic attack on the carbonyl carbon, kicking off the sulfur.

<p>Clinical Characteristics and Proposed Wheat-Cofactor Challenge Protocol with a High Diagnostic Yield in Adult-Onset IgE-Mediated Wheat Allergy</p>

“…We did not use diluted 95% alcohol as a cofactor because a proportion of the Asian population might elicit alcohol-related syndrome, including flushing symptoms 39 , 40 mimicking the immediate-type hypersensitivity reaction and misleading the interpretation. Therefore, taking 300 mg of ASA and wheat only once before exercise made the protocol practical and concise, and it can be easily followed by in the appropriate population in a time- and resource-limited setting.…”

Enfoque diagnóstico del paciente con rubor facial transitorio en atención primaria

“…De forma general, se puede disminuir la frecuencia y la severidad de los episodios de rubor facial transitorio, recomendando modificaciones en los estilos de vida relacionados con factores emocionales, consumo de ciertos alimentos o exposiciones ambientales que desencadenen la sintomatología (5). Por último, cuando un paciente consulta por rubor facial transitorio, existe la oportunidad de realizar actividades de prevención primaria y secundaria para disminuir la carga de enfermedad de condiciones cardiovasculares y metabólicas asociadas concomitantemente con este problema (6).…”