Israel Medical Association Journal

The prevalence of food allergy is increasing in both the pediatric and adult populations. While symptom onset is mostly during childhood, there are a considerable number of patients whose symptoms first begin to appear after the age of 18 years. The majority of patients with adult‑onset food allergy have the pollen-plant allergy syndromes. Many of them manifest their allergy after exercise and consuming food to which they are allergic. Eosinophilic esophagitis, an eosinophilic inflammation of the esophagus affecting individuals of all ages, recently emerged as another allergic manifestation, with both immediate and late response to the ingested food. This review provides a condensed update of the current data in the literature on adult-onset allergy.

Background: In the last decade the diagnosis of celiac disease has increasingly been made in adults.

Objectives: To determine disease prevalence (including silent and potential disease) in this population group.

Methods: We performed serologic screening of celiac disease in a representative and homogenous sample of a young adult general population in Israel, namely, 18 year old military conscripts, in 2003. Serologic screening was performed on serum samples randomly obtained from 850 healthy recruits (male/female = 1.1). Immunoglobulin A anti-tissue transglutaminase was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In cases of IgA[1] deficiency, IgG anti-endomysial antibodies were determined. A small intestinal biopsy was offered to all patients with positive serology.

Results: The prevalence of overt CD[2] diagnosed prior to recruitment was 0.12% (0.1% in men and 0.14% in women). The overall prevalence based on positive serology was 1.1%. Six of nine subjects with positive serology agreed to undergo endoscopy and intestinal biopsies. In all cases, biopsies were compatible with celiac disease (five biopsies were graded as Marsh 3a and one as Marsh 3b). One subject previously reporting irritable bowel-like symptoms was diagnosed with overt atypical CD. The prevalence of overt CD diagnosed by screening was 0.12%. The ratio of overt to silent CD was 1:8. No cases of potential disease were encountered.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that CD is highly prevalent in the young adult population in Israel. Serologic screening for CD is a reliable and simple method for diagnosing this disease before symptoms or complications develop. 

[1] Ig = immunoglobulin

[2] CD = celiac disease

Background: Stem cell-based therapy is a promising approach for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease. In our laboratory, a novel protocol has been developed to induce bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells into neurotrophic factor-secreting cells. These cells produce and secrete factors such as BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and GDNF (glial-derived neurotrophic factor).

Objectives: To evaluate the migratory capacity and efficacy of NTF-SC[1] in animal models of Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease.

Methods: MSCs[2] underwent two-phase medium-based induction. An efficacy study was conducted on the 6-hydroxydopamine-induced lesion, a rat model for Parkinson's disease. Cells were transplanted on the day of 6-OHDA[3] administration, and amphetamine-induced rotations were measured as a primary behavioral index. In a second experiment, migratory behavior was examined by transplanting cells a distance from a quinolinic acid-induced striatal lesion, a rat model for Huntington's disease. Migration, in vivo, was monitored using longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging scans followed by histology.

Results: NTF-SCs attenuated amphetamine-induced rotations by 45%. HPLC analysis demonstrated a marked decrease in dopamine depletion, post-cellular treatment. Moreover, histological assessments revealed that the engrafted cells migrated and acted to regenerate the damaged striatal dopaminergic nerve terminal network. In a preliminary work on an animal model for Huntington's disease, we demonstrated by high resolution MR images and correlating histology that induced cells migrated along the internal capsule towards the QA[4]-induced lesion.

Conclusions: The induced MSCs are a potential therapy for neurodegenerative diseases, due both to their NTF secretion and their ability to migrate towards the diseased tissue.

Background: High levels of plasma homocysteine constitute a risk for cardiovascular disease. Physical activity, known to reduce CVD[1] risk, has been related to levels of Hcy[2]. Recently, higher Hcy was shown to be associated with lower cardiovascular fitness in women but not in men.

Objectives: To further explore the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and plasma total homocysteine levels in a large cohort of adult males and females.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 2576 fitness and Hcy examinations in adults (62% males) aged 30–59 years, randomly drawn from a population undergoing a periodic health examination in the Sheba Medical Center's Executive Screening Survey. Blood tests were collected for tHcy[3] and a sub-maximal exercise test was performed to estimate cardiorespiratory fitness. Information on CVD/CVD risk factors (coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular accident, diabetes, hypertension or dyslipidemia) was self-reported.

Results: Mean tHcy plasma levels were 14.4 ± 7.7 and 10.2 ± 3.0 µmol/ml, and mean maximal oxygen uptake 36.5 ± 11.7 and 29 2 ± 9.5 ml/kg/min for males and females, respectively. A multiple regression analysis, adjusting for age, body mass index and CVD/CVD risk factors, showed no association between cardiorespiratory fitness and level of tHcy in males (P = 0.09) or in females (P = 0.62).

Conclusions: In this sample no relationship was found between level of cardiorespiratory fitness and plasma tHcy in men or women. The inconsistency of findings and the small number of studies warrant further research of the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and tHcy, an association that may have clinical implications for the modifications of cardiovascular risk factors.

Background: Locally delivered steroids by inhalers or nebulizers have been shown in small trials to be effective in acute asthma attack, but evidence-based data are insufficient to establish their place as routine management of adult asthma attacks.

Objectives: To determine the efficacy of nebulized compared to systemic steroids in adult asthmatics admitted to the emergency department following an acute attack.

Methods: Adult asthmatics admitted to the ED[1] were assigned in random consecutive case fashion to one of three protocol groups: group 1 – nebulized steroid fluticasone (Flixotide Nebules®), group 2 – intravenous methylprednisolone, group 3 – combined treatment by both routes. Objective and subjective parameters, such as peak expiratory flow, oxygen saturation, heart rate, and dyspnea score, were registered before and 2 hours after ED treatment was initiated. Steroids were continued for 1 week following the ED visit according to the protocol arm. Data on hospital admission/discharge rate, ED readmissions in the week after enrollment and other major events related to asthma were registered.

Results: Altogether, 73 adult asthmatics were assigned to receive treatment: 24 patients in group 1, 23 in group 2 and 26 in group 3. Mean age was 44.4 ± 16.8 years (range 17–75 years). Peak expiratory flow and dyspnea score significantly improved in group 1 patients compared with patients in the other groups after 2 hours of ED treatment (P = 0.021 and 0.009, respectively). The discharge rate after ED treatment was significantly higher in groups 1 and 3 than in group 2 (P = 0.05). All 73 patients were alive a week after enrollment. Five patients (20.8%) in the Flixotide treatment arm were hospitalized and required additional systemic steroids. Multivariate analysis of factors affecting hospitalization rate demonstrated that severity of asthma (odds ratio 8.11) and group 2 (OD[2] 4.17) had a negative effect, whereas adherence to chronic anti-asthma therapy (OD 0.49) reduced the hospitalization rate.

Conclusions: Our study cohort showed the advantage of nebulized steroid fluticasone versus systemic corticosteroids in adult asthmatics managed in the ED following an acute attack. Both these and previous results suggest that nebulized steroids should be used, either alone or in combination with systemic steroids, to treat adults with an acute asthma attack.

Background: In view of the rising prevalence of obesity, the identification of young adult populations at risk is important for the formulation of intervention and prevention programs.

Objectives: To assess demographic and behavioral factors associated with an increase in body mass index in young healthy adults and to identify the incidence of overweight/obesity in this population.

Methods: Data on anthropometric measures, demographic characteristics, and health behaviors were collected retrospectively for a representative sample of young Israeli adults (11,391 men, 11,280 women) on their release from military service (age 20–22 years) between 1989 and 2003. The incidence of overweight (BMI[1] < 25-< 30 kg/m²), incidence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²), and increase in BMI during military service were calculated.

Results: The average increase in BMI during military service was 1.11 kg/m² in males and 1.08 kg/m² in females. A greater increase was positively associated with low paternal education and smoking cessation, and negatively associated with high physical activity. Twelve percent of subjects with a normal BMI on recruitment became overweight, and 21.7% of overweight subjects became obese. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, a higher incidence of overweight was associated with low education level (in both the subject and his or her father) in both genders, and non-use of oral contraceptives and low level of physical activity in females.

Conclusions: BMI appears to increase significantly during early adulthood. Intervention programs should be targeted specifically at subjects with low education or who started smoking before age 18, and physical activity (especially among females) should be encouraged.

Background: Asthma control and treatment compliance are widely investigated issues around the world. Studies have demonstrated relatively low asthma compliance and control in 40–90% of asthma patients in different countries. There are no available data on the Israeli adult asthmatic population

Objectives: To investigate the level of asthma control and compliance in adult asthmatic patients.

Methods: This cross-sectional study of consecutive adult asthmatic patients visiting the pulmonary clinic used a combined questionnaire that included demographics, data on asthma severity and management, and asthma control and compliance scores. Each patient was interviewed and questionnaires were filled out during a routine visit.

Results: The study group comprised 142 males (35.4%) and 259 females (64.6%). Compliance was found optimal in 8 patients (2%), fair in 146 (36%), partial in 156 (39%) and poor in 92 (23%) of the participating asthmatic patients. Asthma control was found optimal in 26 (7%), fair in 124 (31%), partial in 122 (30%) and poor in 129 (32%) patients. Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish origin, higher level of education, and treatment protocol including either single fixed-dose inhalers or short-acting beta-agonist bronchodilators significantly improved compliance in our cohort. Socioeconomic status and compliance were found to positively affect asthma control, whereas active smoking negatively affected asthma control in the study patients.

Conclusions: The figures of optimal asthma control and compliance to treatment in Israeli adult asthmatics are low and worse than reported in other studies abroad.
 

Background: Healthcare behavior occurs within the context of the family unit. Little research has investigated the influences among adult family members regarding their use of medical care services.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of maternal attendance patterns and maternal self-assessed health status on those of adult children.

Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort, analyzing both patient records for physician visits and mailed self-administered questionnaires regarding subjective health assessment. We evaluated a unique study group of multi-generational families with free and equal access to medical services at a primary care kibbutz clinic in Israel. This enabled an exclusive focus on the association between the use of healthcare by mothers and their grown children.

Results: Controlling for the subjects' age, gender and number of chronic diagnoses, a significant association exists between the family physician visit rates of a mother and those of her grown offspring (P = 0.03). Low self-health assessment is associated with higher levels of physician utilization (P = 0.003). Maternal self-health evaluation is associated with her adult children's own self-health evaluation (odds ratio 5.9, P = 0.04) and their rates of physician utilization (one additional offspring visit per year for low maternal self-health, P = 0.02).

Conclusions: A mother’s behavior patterns measured via self-rated health status and physician visit rates serve as a proxy for maternal attitudes regarding healthcare, and these attitudes are possibly imparted to her children for life. This study provides unique evidence for a maternal health behavior effect on grown children, and enables a more complete understanding of families attending the primary care clinic.
 

Objectives: To determine whether there is an association between the presence and severity of adult calcific aortic stenosis and Chlamydia pneumoniae seropositivity

Methods: Forty adult patients (23 women, 17 men) were divided into three groups according to echocardiographic aortic valve area: Group A – 7 symptomatic subjects (age 67 ± 7 years) with normal aortic valve and normal coronary angiogram, Group B – 16 patients (age 73 ± 6) with moderate ACAS[1] (AVA[2]> 0.8 £ 1.5 cm²), and Group C – 17 patients (age 76 ± 7) with severe ACAS (AVA £ 0.8 cm²). We tested for immunoglobulins M, G and A as retrospective evidence of C. pneumoniae infection using the micro-immunofluorescence method. Past C. pneumoniae infection was defined by IgG titer > 16 £ 512.

Results: No patients in Group A showed positive Ig[3] for C. pneumoniae. IgM was not detected in any of the patients with ACAS (groups B and C) while 2 of 17 patients (12%) in group C showed IgA for the pathogen. High titers of IgG were found in 14 of 33 (42%) of the patients with moderate or severe ACAS: 5 of 16 (31%) in group B and 9 of 17 (53%) in group C (P = 0.2). Both groups had the same prevalence of coronary artery disease (66%). AVA was lower in IgG-seropositive patients than in the seronegative group (0.88 ± 0.3 cm² vs. 1.22 ± 0.4 cm², respectively, P = 0.02).

Conclusions: Past C. pneumoniae infection may be associated with a higher prevalence and greater severity of ACAS.

Ventricular remodeling and heart failure are the inevitable consequences of myocardial infarction. Current options to cure myocardial infarction and subsequent heart failure suffer from specific limitations. Thus, alternative, additional long-term therapeutic strategies are needed to cure this costly and deadly disease. Cardiac regeneration is a promising new therapeutic option. Through cellular and molecular therapies, the concept of in situ "growing" heart muscle, vascular tissue and manipulating the extracellular matrix environment promises to revolutionize the approach of treating heart disease. Recent studies have suggested that stem cells resident within the bone marrow or peripheral blood can be recruited to the injured heart. The regeneration of damaged heart tissue may include the mobilization of progenitor or stem cells to the damaged area or stimulation of a regenerative program within the organ. There is now evidence accumulating that the heart contains resident stem cells that can be induced to develop into cardiac muscle and vascular tissue. The present review aims to describe the potential, the current status and the future challenges of myocardial regeneration by adult stem cells.