Skepticism Regarding Vaccine and Gluten-Free Food Safety Among Patients with Celiac Disease and Non-celiac Gluten Sensitivity

Abstract

Background

There has been a marked increase in the adoption of the gluten-free (GF) diet.

Aims

To query individuals with celiac disease (CD) and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) on their beliefs toward the health effects of gluten, and safety of vaccines and GF food products.

Methods

We distributed a Web-based survey to individuals with CD and NCGS on a CD center e-mail list. We used univariate and multivariate analysis to compare responses of respondents with CD and NCGS.

Results

The overall response rate was 27% (NCGS n = 217, CD n = 1291). Subjects with NCGS were more likely than those with CD to disagree with the statement that "vaccines are safe for people with celiac disease" (NCGS 41.3% vs. CD 26.4% (p < 0.0001), and were more likely to decline vaccination when offered (30.9 vs. 24.2%, p = 0.007). After adjusting for age and gender, NCGS subjects were more likely than CD subjects to avoid genetically modified (GMO) foods (aOR 2.30; 95% CI 1.71–3.10), eat only organic products (aOR 2.87; 95% CI 2.04–4.03), believe that the FDA is an unreliable source of information (aOR 1.82, 95% CI 1.26–2.64), and believe a GF diet improves energy and concentration (aOR 2.52; 95% CI 1.86–3.43).

Conclusions

Subjects with NCGS were more likely than those with CD to have doubts about vaccine safety and believe in the value of non-GMO and organic foods. Our findings suggest that the lack of reliable information on gluten and its content in food and medications may reinforce beliefs that result in a detriment to public health.

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Endoscopic Treatment of Biliary Leaks After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: Cut or Plug?

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Tissue specific expression and in-silico characterization of a putative Cysteine synthase gene from Lathyrus sativus L.

Publication date: Available online 13 December 2017
Source:Gene Expression Patterns
Author(s): Saikat Chakraborty, Joy Mitra, Milan Kumar Samanta, Narattam Sikdar, Jagannath Bhattacharyya, Anulina Manna, Subrata Pradhan, Anirban Chakraborty, Bikas Ranjan Pati
Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a worldwide popular pulse crop especially for its protein rich seeds with least production cost. However, the use of the crop became controversial due to the presence of non-protein amino acid, β-N-oxalyl-L-α, β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP) in its seed and leaf, which is known as the principle neurotoxin to cause neurolathyrism (a motor neurodegenerative disease of humans and animals) during prolonged consumption as regular diet. Till date, the knowledge on β-ODAP biosynthesis in Lathyrus sp. is limited only to a small part of the complex bio-chemical steps involved including a few known sulfur-containing enzymes (viz. cysteine synthase, ODAP synthase etc.). In Lathyrus sativus, biosynthesis of β-ODAP varies differentially in a tissue-specific manner as well as in response to several environmental stresses viz. zinc deficiency, iron over-exposure, moisture stress etc. In the present study, a novel cysteine synthase gene (LsCSase) from Lathyrus sativus L was identified and characterized through bioinformatics approaches. The bioinformatic analysis revealed that LsCSase showed maximum similarity with the O-acetyl serine (thiol) lyase of Medicago truncatula with respect to several significant sequence-specific conserved motifs (cysK, CBS like, ADH_zinc_N, PALP), sub-cellular localization (chloroplast or cytoplasm) etc., similar to other members of cysteine synthase protein family. Moreover, the tissue-specific regulation of the LsCSase as well as its transcriptional activation under certain previously reported stressed conditions (low Zn⁺²-high Fe⁺², PEG induced osmotic stress) were also documented through quantitative real-time PCR analyses, suggesting a possible link between the LsCSase gene activation and β-ODAP biosynthesis to manage external stresses in grass pea. This preliminary study offers a probable way towards the development of less toxic consumer-safe grass pea by down-regulation or deactivation of such gene/s (cysteine synthase) through genetic manipulations.



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Does prophylactic ondansetron reduce norepinephrine consumption in patients undergoing cesarean section with spinal anesthesia?

Abstract

Purpose

Spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension (SAIH) during cesarean delivery is not rare and frequently leads to materno-fetal discrepancy and collapse. More recently, norepinephrine has been proposed for the prevention and treatment of SAIH with fewer tendencies to decrease heart rate and cardiac output. Ondansetron has been reported to reduce the incidence of SAIH in patients undergoing cesarean section. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of prophylactic ondansetron on the incidence of SAIH, norepinephrine consumption, and adverse effects.

Methods

We recruited 108 parturients with uncomplicated pregnancies undergoing elective cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia. The parturients were divided into two groups randomly. The first group (n = 54) received 8 mg ondansetron IV (group O) and the second group (n = 54) received the same volume (4 ml) of saline (group S), 5 min before spinal anesthesia. The incidence of hypotension, cumulative episodes of hypotension, total norepinephrine consumption, and adverse effects were recorded.

Results

There was no significant difference between the two groups in demographic data, parturient characteristics, and duration of surgery. No significant difference was found in the incidence of hypotension in the saline and ondansetron groups (p = 0.767). However, the cumulative episodes of hypotension and norepinephrine consumptions were significantly greater in group S than in group O (p = 0.009) (p = 0.009). There was also no significant difference in the incidence of adverse effects between the two groups.

Conclusion

Eight milligrams of intravenous ondansetron given 5 min before spinal anesthesia attenuated but did not prevent spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension in parturients undergoing elective cesarean delivery.

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Genetic Diversity of KPC-Producing Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, Serratia marcescens, and Citrobacter freundii Isolates from Argentina

Microbial Drug Resistance , Vol. 0, No. 0.


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The Development of the External Granular Layer of the Cerebellum and Neurobehavioral Correlates in Neonatal Rats Following Intrauterine and Postnatal Exposure to Caffeine

Journal of Caffeine Research , Vol. 0, No. 0.


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Kinetic and Dynamic Description of Caffeine

Journal of Caffeine Research , Vol. 0, No. 0.


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