Margot Hall

A rapid dipstick test for histamine in tuna

Abstract This study describes the production of a solid phase assay (dipstick test) for histamine in tuna based on the coupling of diamine oxidase to a peroxidase/dye system. The optimized dipstick preparation consisted of a diamine oxidase/peroxidase/Stabilcoat mixture layered onto a tetramethylbenzidine color strip. The assay was linear to 1.0 mM histamine (RSQ = 0.994) and the minimum detectable concentration was 0.07 mM corresponding to 2.3 mg% in tuna extracts. Quality control samples gave intra and interassay precisions of 9.14–9.84 %CV and 7.08–13.86 %CV respectively. Similarly, the assay was accurate (p> 0.05) for both low and high controls. Histidine and cadaverine did not interfere with the assay whereas putrescine reacted slightly with the dipstick. Histamine determinations of fresh and spoiled tuna gave good agreement between the dipstick method and both the official reference and modified AOAC flurometric methods.

Case Study and Review of Autoimmune Hepatitis

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a rare autoimmune disorder causing chronic liver inflammation. The disorder, sometimes called lupoid hepatitis, is not well understood because its clinical presentation is highly variable. The liver becomes inflamed due to T-cell-mediated activation of B cells that produce autoantibodies directed against liver antigens. This article details the case of a 28-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with AIH type I almost a decade ago; her therapeutic regimen may serve as a useful model for the disorder. An extensive interview was conducted with the patient. Herein, a timeline of her diagnosis is discussed, and her laboratory results are presented. Currently, she is living a fairly healthy life despite her liver disease. Her most recent liver function test results were completely normal, which is unusual with AIH. The patient was prescribed the immunosuppressive drug azathioprine to treat her AIH shortly after diagnosis. She also began following a vegan diet with unrefined sugar along with regular sleep and exercise. Currently, the patient is taking no azathioprine due to consecutively normal liver function test results over the past few years. Her continued health improvement could be credited to her strict vegan diet. * ANA : antinuclear antibody SMA : smooth muscle antibody LKM1 : liver/kidney microsome 1; kidney microsome 1 LC1 : liver cytosol 1(LC1) SLA : soluble-liver antigen AIH : autoimmune hepatitis

A Mystery Diagnosis: Immune Dysregulation, Polyendocrinopathy, Enteropathy, X-Linked Recessive

Immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked syndrome (IPEX), a rare disease, has recently been shown to occur more frequently than previously suspected. The clinical phenotype of IPEX is a direct result of an overactive immune system caused by the proliferation of autoaggressive T cells and