Orientador: Nilton Carlos Machado / Resumo: Introdução. A alergia alimentar (AA) é um problema crescente de saúde pública, com estimativa de prevalência atual na faixa de 4% a 8%. O tratamento essencialmente nutricional, com a exclusão dos alérgenos alimentares implicados. Assim, para as crianças afetadas e seus pais ou cuidadores, tanto a morbidade que precede o diagnóstico e tratamento, quanto às restrições alimentares indicadas após o diagnóstico podem resultar em sobrecarga emocional, acrescentando ansiedade e estresse às tarefas diárias e afetar a Qualidade de Vida (QV). O WHOQOL-BREF, validado para a língua portuguesa, é um instrumento genérico para aplicação em adultos. Considerando ser importante avaliar a QV em mães de crianças com alergia alimentar, os objetivos deste estudo são: avaliar a QV de mães de crianças com alergia alimentar em dois momentos: ao diagnóstico da alergia alimentar da criança (alergia alimentar não tratada), e em segundo momento quando a criança estiver com o tratamento estável e assintomática e correlacionar os escores dos diferentes domínios do WHOQOL-BREF com o escore total do CoMiSS. Métodos. Estudo observacional, transversal, em uma amostra de mães de crianças com AA diagnosticadas antes dos três anos de idade. Critérios de inclusão: As mães respondedoras do instrumento de avaliação de Qualidade de Vida deveriam ser adultas (idade acima de 18 anos); serem capazes de compreender as instruções e de responder as questões formuladas no WHOQOL-BREF; ter conhecimento da condição clínica d... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Mestre

Submitted by PRISCILA NALIN SAURETTI (prisauretti@gmail.com) on 2018-08-22T01:38:33Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Repositório Pri Sauretti.pdf: 1445051 bytes, checksum: f1bde153c1940092fcb76cfc65bc8890 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Sulamita Selma C Colnago null (sulamita@btu.unesp.br) on 2018-08-22T18:37:52Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 sauretti_pn_me_bot.pdf: 1445051 bytes, checksum: f1bde153c1940092fcb76cfc65bc8890 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T18:37:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 sauretti_pn_me_bot.pdf: 1445051 bytes, checksum: f1bde153c1940092fcb76cfc65bc8890 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-07-25 / Introdução. A alergia alimentar (AA) é um problema crescente de saúde pública, com estimativa de prevalência atual na faixa de 4% a 8%. O tratamento essencialmente nutricional, com a exclusão dos alérgenos alimentares implicados. Assim, para as crianças afetadas e seus pais ou cuidadores, tanto a morbidade que precede o diagnóstico e tratamento, quanto às restrições alimentares indicadas após o diagnóstico podem resultar em sobrecarga emocional, acrescentando ansiedade e estresse às tarefas diárias e afetar a Qualidade de Vida (QV). O WHOQOL-BREF, validado para a língua portuguesa, é um instrumento genérico para aplicação em adultos. Considerando ser importante avaliar a QV em mães de crianças com alergia alimentar, os objetivos deste estudo são: avaliar a QV de mães de crianças com alergia alimentar em dois momentos: ao diagnóstico da alergia alimentar da criança (alergia alimentar não tratada), e em segundo momento quando a criança estiver com o tratamento estável e assintomática e correlacionar os escores dos diferentes domínios do WHOQOL-BREF com o escore total do CoMiSS. Métodos. Estudo observacional, transversal, em uma amostra de mães de crianças com AA diagnosticadas antes dos três anos de idade. Critérios de inclusão: As mães respondedoras do instrumento de avaliação de Qualidade de Vida deveriam ser adultas (idade acima de 18 anos); serem capazes de compreender as instruções e de responder as questões formuladas no WHOQOL-BREF; ter conhecimento da condição clínica do paciente e residir no mesmo domicílio do paciente. Critérios de inclusão para as crianças: idade menor que 36 meses ao diagnóstico da AA; diagnóstico da AA baseado em dados clínicos, laboratoriais, provocação oral aberta e prick teste; seguimento clínico para acompanhamento por pelo menos seis meses. Critérios de exclusão para as crianças: crianças com diagnóstico duvidoso de alergia alimentar; crianças com co-morbidades crônicas, tais como doenças genéticas, neurológicas, cardiológicas, endocrinológicas e nefrológicas. Foram colhidos dados clínicos mediante entrevista com as mães segundo protocolo desenvolvido para o estudo. O instrumento genérico impresso, auto administrado, foi aplicado a mães de crianças com alergia alimentar. O escore CoMiSS foi aplicado no mesmo dia da avaliação da QV. Resultados. O WHOQOL-BREF foi administrado a 86 mães, sendo grande proporção com ensino médio e superior completos. No estudo, o questionário foi auto administrado em 91% e a mediana do tempo de preenchimento do questionário foi de 5 minutos. Entretanto, 48% estavam desempregadas. O índice de aglomeração denotou que as famílias são pequenas e vivem em moradias com poucos cômodos. A maioria das crianças nasceu de cesariana, sendo primogênitas em metade dos casos. As crianças apresentaram o início dos sintomas e a primeira consulta antes dos seis meses de vida, com introdução precoce do leite de vaca e predomínio de manifestações gastrointestinais e pouco comprometimento do estado nutricional tanto ao nascimento quanto no momento do diagnóstico. Observou-se antecedente alérgico positivo em pais ou irmãos em 45,3% e maior ocorrência de antecedente positivo na mãe, em alergia respiratória. Observou-se que não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os quatro Domínios avaliados e Correlação positiva, de moderada a forte intensidade, e altamente significativa entre os valores obtidos nos Domínios. As quatro facetas com piores avaliações foram: recreação e lazer; recursos financeiros; sono e repouso; sentimentos negativos em ordem crescente de valores. Observou-se Correlação negativa, ou seja, quanto maiores os valores do CoMiSS, menores os valores dos Domínios Psicológico, Relações Sociais e Meio Ambiente. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa para os quatro Domínios na comparação entre antes e após o tratamento. Para as 34 mães que responderam os dois questionários (mediana e o intervalo interquartil) do tempo em meses entre os dois questionários foi de 9 (6-15), as quatro facetas com piores avaliações no momento do diagnóstico foram: recreação-lazer; recursos financeiros; sono-repouso; sentimentos negativos em ordem crescente de valores. A evolução destas facetas mostrou: nenhuma melhoria para recursos financeiros; pequena melhora para recreação-lazer e sono-repouso e moderada melhora para sentimentos negativos. Conclusões. Este estudo de pesquisa transversal observou alto índice de participação no estudo, facilidade da auto-aplicação do questionário, baixo número de perdas de respostas às facetas, o que apóia a aplicabilidade clínica da escala WHOQOL-BREF como medida de qualidade de vida de mães de crianças com alergia alimentar. A aplicação do questionário em mães de crianças com alergia alimentar na faixa etária das crianças avaliadas, denota a mãe como o principal membro da família com maior preocupação com a saúde da criança. Isto implica em melhor definição em quem educar para o problema. As mães identificaram a necessidade de sono e repouso associado à recreação e lazer como facetas comprometidas durante todo o processo de diagnóstico e tratamento da alergia alimentar de seus filhos. As preocupações com o tratamento da alergia alimentar se perpetuam mesmo após o diagnóstico inicial. A escala genérica de QV não foi capaz de detectar mudanças após o tratamento. Este achado denota duas situações: que realmente não há mudança na QV das mães após o diagnóstico ou a necessidade do uso de questionários específicos para estudos de alergia alimentar, que necessitam a avaliação de desfechos. Este estudo contribui para a literatura de alergia alimentar e chama a atenção para a necessidade de considerar a avaliação continua da mãe, mesmo após o diagnóstico inicial. O aumento no número de crianças diagnosticadas com alergias alimentares ressalta a importância de intervenções para abordar preocupações psicossociais, como estresse e ansiedade nos pais. / Introduction. Food allergy (FA) is a problem with an estimate of current prevalence in the range of 4% to 8%. The treatment essentially nutritional, excluding the food involved. Thus, for affected children and their parents or caregivers, both the morbidity preceding diagnosis and treatment and dietary restrictions indicated after diagnosis can result in emotional overload, adding anxiety and stress to daily tasks, and affecting Quality of Life (QV). The WHOQOL-BREF, validated for the Portuguese language, is a generic instrument for application in adults. Considering that it is essential to evaluate the QoL in mothers of children with food allergy, the objectives of this study are: to evaluate the QoL of mothers of children with food allergy in two moments: the diagnosis of food allergy of the child (untreated food allergy) and second time when the child has stable and asymptomatic treatment and correlate the scores of the different WHOQOL-BREF domains with the total CoMiSS score. Methods. Observational, cross-sectional study in a sample of mothers of children with FA diagnosed before the age of three years. Inclusion criteria: mothers responding instrument should be adults (age above 18 years); be able to understand the instructions and to answer the questions in the WHOQOL-BREF; be aware of the patient's clinical condition and reside in the same household as the patient. Inclusion criteria for children: age less than 36 months at diagnosis of FA; diagnosis of FA based on clinical data, laboratory, open oral challenge and prick test; follow-up for at least six months. Exclusion criteria for children: chronic comorbidities, such as genetic, neurological, cardiologic, endocrinological and nephrological diseases. Clinical data were collected through interviews with the mothers according to the protocol developed for the study. The printed, selfadministered generic instrument was applied to mothers. The CoMiSS score was applied on the same day as the QOL. Results. The WHOQOLBREF was administered to 86 mothers, being large proportion with complete high school and higher education. In the study, the questionnaire was self-administered in 91% and the median time for completing the questionnaire was 5 minutes. However, 48% were unemployed. The agglomeration index denoted that the families are small and live in houses with few rooms. Most of the children were born cesarean, being first born in half of the cases. The children presented the onset of symptoms and the first consultation before six months of life, with early introduction of cow's milk and a predominance of gastrointestinal manifestations and little impairment of nutritional status both at birth and at the time of diagnosis. A positive allergic history in parents or siblings was observed in 45.3% and a higher occurrence of a real antecedent in the mother, in respiratory allergy. It was observed that there was no statistically significant difference between the four domains evaluated and positive correlation, highly significant among the values obtained in the Domains. The four facets with the worst evaluations were: recreation and leisure; financial resources; sleep and rest; negative feelings in increasing order of values. A negative correlation was observed, that is, the higher the CoMiSS values, the lower the values of the Psychological, Social Relations and the Environment Domains. There was no statistically significant difference for the four domains in the comparison between before and after treatment. For the 34 mothers who answered the two questionnaires (median and the interquartile range of time in months between the two questionnaires was 9 (6-15), the four facets with the worst evaluations at the time of diagnosis were recreation-leisure, financial resources , sleep-rest, negative feelings in ascending order of values The evolution of these facets showed: no improvement for financial resources, small improvement for recreationleisure and sleep-rest and moderate improvement for negative feelings. Conclusions. This cross-sectional research study found that the high index of participation in the study and the ease of self-application of the questionnaire, the low number of facet response losses, support the clinical applicability of the WHOQOL-BREF scale as a measure of the quality of life of mothers of children with food allergy. The application of the questionnaire in mothers of children with food allergy in the age range of the children evaluated denotes the mother as the principal member of the family with greater concern about the health of the child. This implies a better definition of who educate for the problem. The mothers identified the need for sleep and rest associated with recreation and leisure as facets compromised throughout the process of diagnosis and treatment of food allergy of their children. Concerns about the treatment of food allergy continue even after the initial diagnosis. The generic scale of QOL was not able to detect changes after treatment. This finding denotes two situations: that there is no change in the QoL of the mothers after diagnosis or the need to use specific questionnaires for food allergy studies, which require the evaluation of outcomes. This study contributes to the literature on food allergy and draws attention to the need to consider a continuous assessment of the mother, even after the initial diagnosis. The increase in the number of children diagnosed with food allergies underscores the importance of interventions to address psychosocial concerns such as stress and anxiety in parents.

Doctor of Philosophy / Hospitality Management and Dietetics / Junehee Kwon / Food allergies affect nearly 15 million Americans, and accommodating customers with food allergies has become a challenge for the restaurant industry. One third of the fatal food allergy reactions occurred in restaurants, and it is important for the restaurant industry to properly communicate and manage the food allergy risks. This study explored perceived risks and risk communication related behaviors of restaurant staff when serving customers with food allergies by using both qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (online survey) approaches. Telephone interviews with 16 restaurant managers were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and organized to identify themes. Most participants were aware of the severity of food allergy reactions but perceived that it was the customers’ responsibilities communicating their food allergies with restaurant staff before placing their orders. Training for service staff on food allergies and risk communication topics were limited, and some managers perceived such training unnecessary for restaurant business. Findings from interviews were used to develop an online survey instrument. The survey instrument was pilot-tested and distributed to restaurant employee panels by an online survey research firm. Of 1,328 accessed the survey, 316 usable survey responses (23.8%) were collected from full-service restaurant service staff. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, ANOVA, and regression analyses. Results indicated that limited information about food allergies was provided on printed (35.1%) or online menus (28.2%), and very few restaurants had separate menus (8.5%) or complete ingredient lists (14.6%) for customers with food allergies. Meanwhile, restaurant servers lacked knowledge about common food allergens (12.7% correct), differences between food allergies and intolerances (34.2% correct), and government regulations related to food allergies (15.5% correct). Most restaurant servers (82.0%) agreed or strongly agreed that initiating communication and preventing food allergy reactions were responsibilities of customers with food allergies. Perceived severity of food allergy reactions, previous communication training, sources of media exposure, and perceived responsibilities of preventing food allergy reactions were found to influence restaurant servers’ risk reduction and communication behaviors (R²=0.367, p<0.001). Restaurateurs, foodservice educators, food allergy advocates, and policy makers may use these findings when developing food allergy training and strategies to prevent food allergy reactions in restaurants.

The problem of this study was the ingestion of certain foods and their observed effects on behavior. The purpose of the study was to investigate the possible relationships between specific foods and (1) weight loss and gain; (2) hunger urges; (3) depression scores; (4) hand-eye coordination; (5) short-term auditory memory; and (6) heart rate. The subject in this study had previously been diagnosed as having sensitivities to certain foods. To determine the effects of certain foods on the subject a repeated measure design was employed. Specifically, an A-B-B-A-B-A design was used where A phases represented a 6-day period in which the subject ate foods to which she was sensitive. During earlier testing, the subject was found to be sensitive to corn, citrus fruit, pork, lamb, carrots, nuts, watermelon, and pineapple. These foods were found to induce irregular psycho-behavioral and physiological characteristics upon repeated and systematic testing procedures. Her nonreactive foods include fish, chicken, most green and yellow vegetables, bananas, cantaloupe, pears, apples, strawberries, and blueberries.

"A preschool for all", as often referred to by politicians, means that preschool should be an activity that is inclusive and adapted to each child's individual needs, prerequisites and abilities. But how does it actually work with inclusion in practice? Our study aims at gaining insight into how caregivers of children with food allergies experience the treatment and inclusion of preschools in children with food allergy. It also aims at gaining into if educators think they have sufficient knowledge in the subject and how to best respond and include children with these special needs. The study was conducted through a total of eight qualitative interviews with both caregivers and educators around the Stockholm area. For the theoretical part of this study we have chosen the developmental egological model, which in its entirety is based on the individual´s interaction with the environment. The result shows that the perceptions look a bit different, but most caregivers still think that cooperation with preschool works well, although knowledge about food allergy is not always there. Educators also find themselves having similar views. Everybody believes that it is the ultimate responsibility of the chef to ensure that all children are included in meal situations. Most educators also say that the knowledge they received came primarily from the caregivers of children with food allergies. None of the educators have gained knowledge through the workplace.

Thesis (MTech (Biomedical Technology))--Cape Technikon, 2003 / Allergic conditions among workers processing seafood are most often related to inhalation of the seafood antigens or via direct unprotected handling of the seafood and its products. This can cause sensitised individuals to suffer from asthma, rhino-conjunctivitis, urticaria and protein contact dermatitis, which are IgE mediated. Food intolerance may also occur which is a non-IgE mediated reaction, however the exact mechanism is yet to be determined. There is therefore a need to develop reliable tests to identify sensitised workers processing seafood. The objective of this study was to prepare specific seafood extracts from raw and cooked lobster; raw and cooked saltwater bony fish species (mackerel, red eye, maasbanker, pilchard and anchovy) and fishmeal dust obtained from a fish-processing factory. These extracts were tested by SDS-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis to characterise the seafood proteins, and the allergenicity was confirmed by the Western blot technique. Polyclonal IgG antibodies were also successfully generated in rabbits, using the specific seafood extracts isolated from the various species. The second objective was to optimise and standardize an Enzyme Allergosorbent Test (EAST) method to quantify specific IgE antibodies in the sera of factory workers. This EAST was optimised and validated to detect allergen-specific IgE to each of the different fish species and also one crustacean species (rock lobster). Sera from a group of workers were selected and analysed for specific IgE antibodies by the optimised EAST (S) (South African laboratory), and commercial RAST techniques. Analysis was performed for the three most important extracts, pilchard (canned), anchovy, and lobster. The same samples were analysed by EAST (R) in the reference laboratory (Dr Gerald Reese; Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, Germany). The different techniques, and the EAST (R) and the EAST (S) results were compared by using a statistical software package. An EAST method was successfully developed, however, compared to the results obtained by the reference laboratory the sensitivity and specificity was below 80%. The main reason for the low agreement between the two laboratories was the fact that the South African laboratory used a modified EAST method, and different data calculation methods, for categorising positive results. The South African laboratory did not use a kit-based assay and a serum dilution of 1:4 and not 1:2 were used when compared to the reference laboratory. When the EAST results were compared to the RAST results, poor agreement was found due to the fact that canned pilchard was used in the EAST while raw pilchard in the commercial RAST assay. For pilchard, anchovy and lobster EAST, different species were utilized compared to the RAST, and this can also explain the poor level of agreement. Future directions would be to further standardise the EAST method and to introduce reference sera and a standard curve to determine positive results, thereby ensuring more reproducible results between laboratories.

O ovo é o alimento naturalmente mais completo, uma vez que possui todos os nutrientes necessários, como vitaminas, aminoácidos e minerais essenciais para manter uma vida. Porém, em contra partida, possui várias proteínas promotoras de alergias em considerável parcela da população mundial. Para determinar as proteínas dos alimentos alergênicos, um dos testes mais utilizados é o imunoensaios tais como ELISA (ensaio imunoenzimático - enzyme linked immunosorbent assay), onde o anticorpo reconhece o antígeno e essa conexão é mostrada por um sistema enzimático, em outras palavras, a densidade óptica. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a eficiência do anticorpo policlonal, produzido em laboratório, para identificar a presença do antígeno ovomucóide em ovos tratados por irradiação gama para a sua desativação. Para avaliar os tratamentos, o anticorpo policlonal foi produzido em quatro (04) coelhos da raça Nova Zelândia, do sexo feminino, com 45 dias de vida, imunizadas com ovomucóide bioconjugado. Foi utilizado o adjuvante de Freund completo na primeira imunização e a solução tampão PBS, foram realizadas, posteriormente, quatro imunizações a cada quinze dias, mais um reforço 48 horas antes da retirada do plasma sanguíneo. O soro sangüíneo foi titulado por PTA-ELISA (Plate trapped antigen). Todos os procedimentos foram aprovados pelo Comitê de Ética e Experimentação Animal do Instituto de Ciência Animal e Pastagens (IZ) e precedida de acordo com as normas europeias para o bem-estar e ética animal. Foram utilizados ovos comerciais in natura, fornecidos pelo Departamento de Genética da Universidade de Agricultura \"Luiz de Queiroz\" - ESALQ / USP. As amostras foram submetidas à radiação gama proveniente de uma fonte de Co60, do tipo Multipropósito no Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN), sob uma taxa de dose de 19,4 e 31.8Gy/hora, nas doses: 0 (controle); 10kGy; 20KGy e 30KGy, em todas as taxas. Pelo teste de ELISA, foi encontrado o alérgeno ovomucóide das amostras ovo e, pelo resultado apresentados, constatou-se que o tratamento da radiação não mostrou alterações significativas, quando avaliado por anticorpos policlonais. Assim, podemos concluir que o anticorpo produzido é capaz de identificar a proteína alergênica ovomucóide e, a irradiação gama em tais taxas não apresenta mudanças na estrutura da proteína, por esta forma de avaliação. Porém, apresentou algumas alterações na cor e viscosidade visual das amostras de ovos / The egg is the most complete natural food; it has all the necessary nutrients such as vitamins, aminoacids and essential minerals to maintain a life. However, although, has several proteins that promote allergies in considerable part of the world population. To determine allergenic food proteins, one of the most used tests is the immunoassays such as ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay), where the antibody recognizes the antigen and this connection is showed by an enzymatic system, in other words, optical density. The aim of this study was to determine the polyclonal antibody efficiency, produced in laboratory, to identify the presence the ovomucoid antigen in treated eggs by gamma irradiation for its inactivation. To evaluate the treatments, polyclonal antibody was produced in four New Zealand female rabbits, at 45 days old, immunized with bioconjugated ovomucoid. Was used Freund Complete Adjuvant at first immunization and PBS Buffer at four subsequently immunizations every fifteen days, plus a booster 48 hours before the blood retreated. The blood serum was tittered by PTAELISA (Plate trapped antigen). All procedures were approved by Institute of Animal Science and Pastures (IZ)´s Committee of Ethical and Animal Experimentation and preceded according to European Norms for ethical and animal welfare. It was used, in nature, commercial laying eggs, from the Genetic Department of Agricultural University Luiz de Queiroz ESALQ/USP. So the samples were submitted to the gamma radiation coming from a source of Co60, type Multipurpose at the Energetically Researches and Nuclear Institute (IPEN), under a dose rate of 19.4 and 31.8Gy/hour, in the doses: 0 (control); 10KGy; 20KGy and 30KGy, in all rates. By the ELISAs test we can find the egg allergen ovomucoid and the radiation treatment do not showed considerable changes. So we can concluded that the antibody produced is capable of identify the ovomucoid allergenic protein and the gamma irradiation in such rates does not shows changes in that protein, therefore showed some changes in the color and visual viscosity of the egg samples

Orientador: Flavia Maria Netto / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-16T11:33:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sabadin_IsabeleSerimarco_M.pdf: 18689391 bytes, checksum: fc0347d65995a6512c7579ac02277fea (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: O resumo poderá ser visualizado no texto completo da tese digital / Abstract: The abstract is available with the full electronic document / Mestrado / Nutrição Experimental e Aplicada à Tecnologia de Alimentos / Mestre em Alimentos e Nutrição

Födoämnesallergi är en dold sjukdom som inte blir synlig förrän individen utvecklar en allergisk reaktion. Därifrån kan det snabbt handla om liv och död. Kroppens fysiska reaktion är väl utforskad och trots det, är hur sjukdomen påverkar patientens livssituation relativt outforskat. Omvårdnadslitteratur inom risker och åtgärder vid allergi nämner ytterst lite om födoämnesallergi. Studiens syfte var att beskriva patienters erfarenheter och uppfattningar av att leva med IgE-medierad födoämnesallergi. Genom en litteraturstudie framstod fyra teman: Rädsla och förlust av säkerhet, Att hantera vardagen, Betydelsen av information vad gäller märkning av livsmedel och Vikten av stöd från omgivningen. Upplevelsen av att inte ha kontroll, en ständig risk för oanade reaktioner, att inte alltid ha förståelse och behöva försvara sina behov, gav en negativ emotionell respons. Påverkan på livssituationen jämfört mellan lätt födoämnesallergi och svår födoämnesallergi var markant. Vägen tillbaka till en fungerande vardag bestod av strategier, förståelse, samt försoning. Ändå fanns hinder i omgivningen kvar. Kunskapen som genererades från studien är viktig för att sjuksköterskan ska kunna vårda en födoämnesallergisk patient utan att hindra läkande och känsla av säkerhet. Samhället behöver möta patientgruppens behov genom anpassning för att livskvalitet ska kunna uppnås. / Food allergy is a hidden disability that does not become visible until the individual develops an allergic reaction. From there on it can quickly become a matter of life or death. The physical response has been well researched and yet how the disease affects the patient’s life situation is relatively unexploded. Nursing literature regarding allergy risks and interventions mention little about food allergy. The aim of the study was therefore to highlight patients’ experiences and perceptions of living with IgE-mediated food allergy. Through a literature study four themes emerged: Fear and loss of security, Managing everyday life, Importance of information regarding labeling of food and The importance of support from others. The experience of not having control, a constant risk of unsuspected reactions, not always having an understanding from others and having to defend their needs gave a negative emotional response. The way back to an ordinary living consisted of strategies, understanding and reconciliation, yet there were still obstacles left in the environment. The knowledge of this study can be used in caring for a food allergic patient without jeopardizing healing process and feeling of security. The society needs to meet the patient group’s needs through adaptation, to achieve quality of life.

In this research, beta-lactoglobulin was chemically modified by attaching different levels of stearic acid to the protein. The effect of this modification on hydrophobic!ty, emulsifying and foam properties, digestibility and allergenicity of the protein was investigated. It was found that the effect of fatty acid attachment or lipophilization depended on the amount of fatty acids attached to the protein. Incorporation of the hydrophobic ligands led to increased hydrophobic interactions, resulting in a decreasing solubility with extent of incorporation. Furthermore, the surface hydrophobicity measurements showed that the two fluorescence probes 8-anilinonaphthalene-l-sulfonate (ANS) and cis-parinaric acid (CPA) used for the surface hydrophobicity measurements were not equivalent This may support the. observation by earlier workers that ANS measures aromatic hydrophobicity and CPA aliphatic hydrophobicity. The studies on surface functional properties i.e. emulsifying and foaming properties, indicated that there was some improvement in these functional properties at low and medium levels of incorporation which decreased as the extent of fatty acid attachment further increased. The improvement, of these functional properties could be attributed to improved amphiphilicity of the proteins at these levels of incorporation. This research also showed that both high solubility and high ANS surface hydrophobicity is needed for the best emulsifying properties. In vitro digestibility studies showed a decrease in digestibility of the modified proteins with increased lipophilization. From the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis experiments, it was found that the level of fatty acid attachment to the protein had a significant effect on its ability to elicit IgE antibodies. Increased ability to elicit IgE antibodies was observed at a low level of fatty acid. When a medium level of fatty acid was attached the ability to elicit antibodies was reduced and almost completely destroyed when a higher level of fatty acid was incorporated. The above observations could be explained by the fact that the low level incorporation of fatty acid led to changes in the protein structure which exposed more allergenic sites. The almost complete destruction of the allergenicity could be attributed to denaturation of the protein which reduced or destroyed available allergenic sites. The antigenicity or binding of the modified proteins to the IgG antibodies raised against the native protein was studied by both direct and competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. It was found that at low and medium levels of incorporation, the proteins demonstrated increased binding ability compared to the native protein. This was attributed to the increased exposure of antigenic sites on the protein with fatty acid incorporation. However, the protein with high level of incorporated fatty acid showed decreased binding ability. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate