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Metagenomic Characterisation of the Gut Microbiome and Effect of Complementary Feeding on Bifidobacterium spp. in Australian InfantsComplementary feeding induces dramatic ecological shifts in the infant gut microbiota toward more diverse compositions and functional metabolic capacities, with potential implications for immune and metabolic health. The aim of this study was to examine whether the age at which solid foods are introduced differentially affects the microbiota in predominantly breastfed infants compared with predominantly formula-fed infants.
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Lower Cord Blood IL-17 and IL-25, but Not Other Epithelial Cell-Derived Cytokines Are Associated with Atopic Dermatitis in InfancyThere is a growing need for early biomarkers that may predict the development of atopic dermatitis (AD). As alterations in skin barrier may be a primary event in disease pathogenesis, epithelial cell (EC) cytokines expression patterns may be a potential biomarker in early life to target allergy preventive strategies towards "at-risk" infants. The aim of this longitudinal investigation was to examine from birth over the course of infancy levels of the EC cytokines: thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), interleukin (IL)-33, IL-25, and IL-17 in infants at high-risk of AD due to maternal atopy.
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Pediatric Burn Survivors Have Long-Term Immune Dysfunction With Diminished Vaccine ResponseEpidemiological studies have demonstrated that survivors of acute burn trauma are at long-term increased risk of developing a range of morbidities. The mechanisms underlying this increased risk remain unknown. This study aimed to determine whether burn injury leads to sustained immune dysfunction that may underpin long-term morbidity. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected from 36 pediatric burn survivors >3 years after a non-severe burn injury (<10% total body surface area) and from age/sex-matched non-injured controls.
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Analytical bias in the measurement of plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in infantsTo our knowledge, this is the first study to show that the reported 25(OH)D concentration may be influenced by both age and assay type
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A novel role for interleukin-1 receptor signaling in the developmental regulation of immune responses to endotoxinSuggests that IL-1R1 expression provides an additional level of Myd88-dependent signaling during this period of heighted susceptibility to infection.
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T-cell activation genes differentially expressed at birth in CD4+ T-cells from children who develop IgE food allergyTo show underlying mechanisms, we examined differences in T-cell gene expression in samples at birth and at 1 year in children with and without IgE allergy.
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The relationship between maternal folate status in pregnancy, cord blood folate levels, and allergic outcomes in early childhoodThis study examined whether maternal and/or fetal folate status in pregnancy is associated with infant allergic outcomes.
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Circulating Epithelial Cell Cytokines Are Associated With Early-Onset Atopic DermatitisDebbie Susan Palmer Prescott D SL BSc BND PhD MBBS BMedSci PhD FRACP Head, Early Life & Life-Course Health Program; Team Lead, Nutrition in Early
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Fecal sample collection methods and time of day impact microbiome composition and short chain fatty acid concentrationsAssociations between the human gut microbiome and health outcomes continues to be of great interest, although fecal sample collection methods which impact microbiome studies are sometimes neglected. Here, we expand on previous work in sample optimization, to promote high quality microbiome data. To compare fecal sample collection methods, amplicons from the bacterial 16S rRNA gene (V4) and fungal (ITS2) region, as well as short chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations were determined in fecal material over three timepoints.
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Ovalbumin in breast milk is associated with a decreased risk of IgE-mediated egg allergy in childrenShowed for the first time that the presence of an egg-derived allergen in breast milk is associated with a reduced risk of egg allergy in children at 2.5 years of age