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Can we predict from a blood test when someone may outgrow peanut allergy?

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On January 14, 2025

In lymphatic and immune system

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. immune system chapter – characteristics of IgG and IgE antibodies
  2. immune system chapter – there are different types of white blood cells in the immune system
  3. immune system chapter – some T lymphocytes secrete stimulatory chemicals called cytokines

The news item:  Recently a new report appeared online:

How antibody levels can predict which children will outgrow their peanut allergy

Australian researchers have discovered how changes in antibody levels over time can predict which children are likely to outgrow their peanut allergy.

The article reported research findings from an Australian research group, and stated that some children outgrow peanut allergies by age 6, and that following changes of two antibody biomarkers sIgG4 and sIgE in children revealed who will outgrow their peanut allergy.

So, Why Do I Care??  Allergic reaction to peanut is the most frequent allergy to food components. In the US it is estimated that between ages 6 and 10 there are over 400,000 children with peanut allergy.  As the article describes, an allergic reaction in children may set off panicking of the parents, and can endanger the life of the children. Predicting when a child may outgrow peanut allergy can mean the return to normal dietary habits of those children.

Plain English, Please!!!   First, let’s talk about what an allergy is.  Some chemicals, the allergens, have the ability to activate the T lymphocytes (T cells). Those activated T cells secrete cytokines that  stimulate mast cells to make a protein called immunoglobulin E (IgE). The cytokines act through receptors on the mast cells; so, imagine the mast cell as a soda fountain, and when you push a button on the fountain (your finger is a cytokine molecule binding to its receptor the button), a liquid comes out, the mast cell secrete IgE.  After such sensitization, when the allergen enters the body through digestion and absorption, those allergens will stick to IgE molecules and those IgE molecules bind to their receptors in the cell membrane of mast cells. The receptors, in turn, instruct the mast cells to make a chemical called histamine. Here the allergen-IgE combo is your finger, the IgE receptor is the button on the soda fountain, and histamine is flowing out of the mast cell.  Histamine spreads throughout the body, and causes coughing, tear production, sneezing, and itchy skin.

Second, let’s talk about how peanuts cause allergy. The seed of the peanut plant is rich in proteins, and some of those proteins, such as vicillins and prolamines, can bind to the IgE in the tissues of the small

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Why the test to predict preeclampsia is hailed as a great news?

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On November 22, 2023

In cardiovascular system, reproductive system, urinary system

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. blood vessel chapter – layers of the wall of arteries
  2. blood vessel chapter — blood pressure regulation through vasoconstriction and vasodilation
  3. urinary system chapter – filtering membrane of the glomerulus in the renal corpuscle
  4. development chapter – blood vessels in the placenta

The news item:  Recently the following news item appeared online:

FDA approves groundbreaking blood test for early preeclampsia detection in pregnant women

The FDA has approved a new blood test that can detect whether a mother will potentially get preeclampsia within 30 minutes.

The report describes preeclampsia as high blood pressure in pregnant women, and that in the state of Georgia hypertensive disorders are the leading cause of maternal death. The article describes the name of the test: BRAHMS sFlt1/PlGF KRYPTOR.

So, Why Do I Care??  The death of pregnant mothers is a tragic event that could cause the death of their unborn child as well.  When pregnancy-related high blood pressure appears, the medical response depends on how high the blood pressure is. Once a test predicts that preeclampsia will appear in a pregnant woman, the obstetrician can make preparations for monitoring and further possible actions. When the medical professionals are ready to make treatment choices, it is more  likely that the intervention will be successful, and both mother and baby will survive.

Plain English, Please!!!  First, let’s talk about why high blood pressure appears in pregnant women who had normal blood pressure before the pregnancy. By the end of the first month of pregnancy the fetus builds a placenta, an organ that incorporates a layer of the mother’s uterus as well. The purpose of the placenta to provide a place for exchange of oxygen and nutrients from the blood of the mother to the blood of the fetus, and for the exchange of carbon dioxide and other waste products from the blood of the fetus to the blood of the mother. This can be achieved only if a large number of fetal blood vessels and maternal blood vessels are part of the placenta. In the fetuses where the number of blood vessels is low in the placenta, the fetus will be deficient in oxygen, and the blood vessels release stress factors such as placenta growth factor (PlGF), and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt1). Those stress factors reprogram the blood vessels of the mother to contract, and the contracting blood vessels increase blood pressure. Imagine a balloon filled with water. If you squeeze the balloon the force will increase water pressure to the point that balloon may burst. Smooth muscle cells in the wall of arteries do the squeezing (vasoconstriction) that increases blood pressure.

Second, let’s talk about why is preeclampsia harmful. High blood pressure in the mother can cause strokes by dislodging clots from large blood vessels and moving them to the brain where the clots block

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Can we really diagnose concussion from a blood test?

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On May 29, 2023

In cardiovascular system, cellular basis of life, nervous system

TeachableMedicalNews article 05292023

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. cellular basis of life chapter – intermediate filaments are part of the cytoskeleton
  2. nervous system chapter – neurons and astrocytes are cells of the nervous system
  3. brain chapter – meninges are protective coverings of the central nervous system
  4. cardiovascular system chapter – reabsorption during capillary exchange brings degraded proteins into blood circulation
  5. brain chapter – cerebrospinal fluid is absorbed into venous sinus

The news item:  Recently the following report appeared online:

https://www.nbc12.com/prnewswire/2023/03/07/abbott-receives-fda-clearance-first-commercially-available-lab-based-blood-test-help-evaluate-concussion/?outputType=amp

The article states that a new blood test is available for patients who are suspected to have suffered concussion because of an impact injury, and that this test may help to find the patients who might need a CT scan for further evaluation. The test works by analyzing two biomarkers.

So, Why Do I Care??  Concussion happens frequently with over 2 million concussions occurring yearly in the USA. Whether it is from a car accident, from a fall, or from a collision at a sporting event, the consequence is impaired brain function. That comes with a price tag of over $40 billion per year medical cost and lost income in the USA.

Plain English, Please!!! First, let’s talk about what concussion is. An injury to the brain from a physical impact is called concussion. The symptoms can be a brief loss of consciousness followed by headache, memory impairment, loss of orientation, loss of cognitive functions, depression. The most dangerous aspects of concussion are the long-lasting effects.

Second, let’s talk about how the brain is injured by mechanical forces. While it is true that the meninges, the membrane-like covering of the brain, provide a moderate level of protection against sudden

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Can Alzheimer’s disease be detected early from a blood test?

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On May 31, 2021

In nervous system

TeachableMedicalNews article 05312021

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. brain chapter – locations of storing short and long term memory in the brain
  2. nervous system chapter – functioning of neurons
  3. introduction to the human body chapter – basics of PET scan technology

The news item:  Recently the availability of a blood test for Alzheimer’s disease was reported:

First blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s goes on sale

How is Alzheimer’s diagnosed? New blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s is not approved by the FDA.

 

 

The article states that this test is the first commercially available blood test for Alzheimer’s disease, and that it is a more practical alternative to the PET scan, but the test is not officially approved by the FDA, and the accuracy is still under study. The article also states that the test, developed by the company C2N,  measures amyloid and other protein.

So, Why Do I Care??  There are more than 6 million people afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease in the US. This number will increase as the proportion of older people increases in the US. Early detection of this disease could allow the implementation of preventative strategies such as changes in lifestyle, or even new medications.  Therefore the development of a blood test for early diagnosis is an exciting development, despite the fact that the accuracy of this test needs to be fully proven.

Plain English, Please!!! First, let’s talk about what Alzheimer’s disease is. Dementia type disorders result in the loss of memory, the ability of the patient to recall names or past events. Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia disorders; most people with dementia suffer from Alzheimer’s. Because the storage

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