(Press-News.org) Spit. Drool. Dribble. Saliva is not normally a topic of polite conversation, but it may be the key to explaining the age and sex bias exhibited by influenza and other diseases, according to a new study. Published in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research, it provides new insights into why older people were better able to fight off the new strains of "bird" flu and "swine" flu than younger people.
Zheng Li and colleagues explain that saliva does more than start the process of digesting certain foods. Saliva also contains germ-fighting proteins that are a first-line defense against infections. Scientists already knew that levels of certain glycoproteins — proteins with a sugar coating that combat disease-causing microbes — differ with age. Li's team took a closer look at how those differences affected vulnerability to influenza.
Their tests of 180 saliva samples from men and women of various ages suggested that seniors, who fought off the bird flu better than the younger groups, might thank their saliva. Glycoproteins in saliva of people age 65 and over were more efficient in binding to influenza than those in children and young adults. The research "may provide useful information to help understand some age-related diseases and physiological phenomenon specific to women or men, and inspire new ideas for prevention and diagnosis of the diseases by considering the individual conditions based primarily on the salivary analysis," the scientists state.
###
The authors acknowledge funding from the National Science and Technology Major Project and the Foundation of Shaanxi Educational Committee.
The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.
Follow us: Twitter Facebook END
Saliva proteins may protect older people from influenza
2013-06-12
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Filmmaking magic with polymers
2013-06-12
Think about windows coated with transparent film that absorbs harmful ultraviolet sunrays and uses them to generate electricity. Consider a water filtration membrane that blocks viruses and other microorganisms from water, or an electric car battery that incorporates a coating to give it extra long life between charges.
The self-assembled copolymer block film that makes it all possible is now being fabricated with intricately organized nanostructures, giving them multiple functions and flexibility on a macroscale level never before seen. Gupreet Singh, a Ph.D. candidate ...
Lab experiments question effectiveness of green coffee bean weight-loss supplements
2013-06-12
A major ingredient in those green coffee bean dietary supplements — often touted as "miracle" weight-loss products — doesn't prevent weight gain in obese laboratory mice fed a high-fat diet when given at higher doses. That's the conclusion of a first-of-its-kind study published in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. It also linked the ingredient to an unhealthy build-up of fat in the liver.
Vance Matthews, Kevin Croft and their team note that coffee is rich in healthful, natural, plant-based polyphenol substances. They cite evidence from past studies that ...
Differences in outcomes of cervical spine surgery at teaching versus non-teaching hospitals
2013-06-12
Philadelphia, Pa. (June 12, 2013) - For patients undergoing surgery on the cervical (upper) spine, overall rates of complications and death are higher at teaching hospitals than at non-teaching hospitals, reports a study in the June 1 issue of Spine. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
But the differences are small and are likely explained by the more-complex surgeries performed and higher-risk patients treated at teaching hospitals, according to the report by Dr Kern Singh of Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, ...
Papaya-clay combo could cut cost of water purification in developing countries
2013-06-12
An inexpensive new material made of clay and papaya seeds removes harmful metals from water and could lower the cost of providing clean water to millions of people in the developing world, scientists are reporting. Their study on this "hybrid clay" appears in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.
Emmanuel Unuabonah and colleagues explain that almost 1 billion people in developing countries lack access to reliable supplies of clean water for drinking, cooking and other key uses. One health problem resulting from that shortage involves exposure to heavy metals ...
The secrets of another Japanese success story
2013-06-12
Japanese manufacturers have practically cornered the world market on components for lithium-ion batteries, films for LCDs and other advanced materials — with almost no competition from abroad. The secrets to their success are the topic of the cover story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN). C&EN is the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
C&EN Senior Correspondent Jean-François Tremblay explains in the article that the success of advanced materials manufacturers stands in sharp contrast ...
Geographic Information Systems aid health research in developed and developing countries
2013-06-12
TAMPA, Fla. (June 12, 2013) – The current special issue of Technology and Innovation - Proceedings of the National Academy of Inventors®, is devoted to public health research using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to help provide beneficial data for public health researchers focusing on health risks and food access in rural Alaska; racial disparities in health care and resources in Fort Worth, Texas; and pathways for health care development in remote areas of Nepal.
GIS describes a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage and present geographical ...
Obstructive sleep apnea raises risk of sudden cardiac death, Mayo Clinic finds
2013-06-12
ROCHESTER, Minn. -- People who have obstructive sleep apnea -- when a person stops breathing for periods during sleep -- have a greater risk of sudden cardiac death, according to a study published online today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. An estimated 12 million American adults have obstructive sleep apnea, and many of them are undiagnosed, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
In the study, funded by the NHLBI, 10,701 people who participated in sleep studies were followed for an average of 5.3 years for incidence ...
Cultural products have evolutionary roots
2013-06-12
This news release is available in French. Montreal, June 12, 2013 – From Brad Pitt fighting zombies to Superman falling for Lois Lane, summer blockbuster season is upon us. But while Hollywood keeps trotting out new movies for the masses, plotlines barely change.
Epic battles, whirlwind romances, family feuds, heroic attempts to save the lives of strangers: these are stories guaranteed to grace the silver screen. According to new research from Concordia University, that's not lazy scriptwriting, that's evolutionary consumerism.
Marketing professor Gad Saad says ...
Researchers identify a new mechanism of TB drug resistance
2013-06-12
Pyrazinamide (PZA)—a frontline tuberculosis (TB) drug—kills dormant persister bacteria and plays a critical role in shortening TB therapy. PZA is used for treating both drug susceptible and multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) but resistance to PZA occurs frequently and can compromise treatment.
A recent study, led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, has identified a new mechanism for PZA-resistance, which provides new insight into the how this mysterious drug works. The study is available online June ...
Public health's role in health care reform -- Lessons from Massachusetts
2013-06-12
Philadelphia, Pa. (June 12, 2013) – How will full implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affect the work and goals of state and local public health departments—and how can public health personnel contribute to the success of health care reform? The experience in Massachusetts has some important lessons, according to an article published online by the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. The journal is published by LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
Just as Massachusetts was implementing its ground-breaking health care reform legislation, John ...