Nutrition
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Case Reports
Anaphylaxis after consumption of pumpkin seeds in a 2-y-old child tolerant to its pulp: A case study.
Pumpkin and its seeds are increasingly consumed by children for their potential health benefits. Each day, approximately 30% of teenagers consume nuts and seeds, including pumpkin seeds. However, there is some evidence that pumpkin seeds may exert allergenic effects and induce severe life-threatening anaphylaxis. Allergy to melon, cucumber, and zucchini, which belong to the same Cucurbitaceae family as pumpkin, are well known, opposite to pumpkin allergy. Few descriptions of allergic reactions associated with pumpkin have been published, especially in children. To date, three cases of pumpkin pulp and two seed cases have been reported among children. Our case report describes a case of pumpkin seed anaphylaxis in a child with good tolerance of pulp. ⋯ Pumpkin seed anaphylaxis can develop in a child with a tolerance to pumpkin pulp. Pumpkin seed allergens have not been well characterized. Homology between amino-acid sequences in storage proteins may indicate cross reactivity between different edible seeds and nuts.
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Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, which are depleted in obese individuals, play important roles in preventing diet-induced obesity and associated disorders. Probiotic supplementation can alter the gut microbiota and immunomodulation in obesity. However, it remains unclear whether probiotics can affect visceral adipose iNKT cells. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of probiotics on adipose iNKT cells in mice with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and to assess the immunomodulatory function of probiotics and their role in obesity, glucose tolerance, lipid metabolism, insulin resistance, and adipose inflammation. ⋯ Probiotic intervention alleviated weight gain, improved metabolic parameters, and reduced adipose inflammation in HFD-induced obesity. These effects seem to depend on the restoration of visceral adipose iNKT cells. These findings have potential implications for the management of obesity-related diseases.