BACKGROUND: One common problem in various patient groups is excessive hair loss on the head. One such group is people struggling with hypothyroidism. The market for preparations for hair growth and hair loss prevention includes betulin.
OBJECTIVE: This pilot study investigated its effect on hair loss in hypothyroid patients.
METHODS: The study included a group of hypothyroid patients and a control group of people without hypothyroidism. Participants were randomly divided into a group taking placebo and betulin.
METHODS: Results were investigated using photographic assessment of hair, trichoscopy and subjective evaluation of participants.
CONCLUSIONS: The study did not conclusively prove that betulin would contribute to the inhibition of hair loss or regrowth.

Objective:To explore the allergen components of birch pollen in the Beijing area and interpret its clinical significance. Methods:A total of 58 patients with birch pollen allergy were included in the cross-sectional study and divided into allergic rhinitis（AR） and allergic asthma（AA） groups according to clinical manifestations. Concentration of birch pollen allergen sIgE, as well as Bet v 1, Bet v 2, Bet v 4 and Bet v 6 sIgE were detected by ImmunoCAP immunolinked immunoassay. Differences of sIgE concentration of birch pollen allergen component in AR and AA were analyzed. Results:There were 44（75.9%） cases of AR and 14（24.1%） cases of AA were enrolled. All the 18 patients with spring pollen allergy were AR patients without AA. There were 40 cases with both spring and autumn pollen allergy, of which 26 cases（65%） were AR and 14 cases（35%） were AA. The sIgE of birch pollen allergen was level 2 or above in all subjects. 94.8% were positive for any four allergen components. 77.6% were mono-sensitized to any allergen component while 17.2% were dual-sensitized. The positive rate of Bet v 1 and/or Bet v 2 was 93.1%. The positive rates of four protein components were: Bet v 1（82.8%）, Bet v 2（29.3%）, Bet v 6（1.7%）, Bet v 4（0%）. sIgE of birch pollen was positively correlated with sIgE level of Betv 1（r=0.898, P<0.001）. The sIgE concentration of Bet v2 in AA group was significantly higher than that in AR group（[4.34±14.35] kUA/L vs [1.56±3.26] kUA/L, P<0.05）. There was no significant difference in other components. Conclusion:Bet v 1 is the main allergen component of birch pollen in the Beijing area, and Bet v 1 plus Bet v 2 can diagnose more than 90% of birch pollen allergy.
目的：研究北京地区桦树花粉过敏的主要致敏蛋白组分及其临床意义。 方法：采用横断面研究的方法将58例桦树花粉过敏的患者纳入研究。根据临床表现分为变应性鼻炎（allergic rhinitis，AR）和过敏性哮喘（allergic asthma，AA）组。采用ImmunoCAP荧光酶联免疫法检测患者血清桦树花粉sIgE浓度，以及桦树花粉主要致敏蛋白组分Bet v 1，Bet v 2，Bet v 4，Bet v 6 sIgE浓度并分级。分析桦树花粉和各组分蛋白sIgE在AR和AA中的差异。 结果：入组患者中，AR为44例（75.9%），AA为14例（24.1%）。单独春季花粉过敏的18例患者全部为AR患者，无AA患者。春秋季花粉过敏的患者共计40例，其中AR为26例（65%）；AA为14例（35%）。58例纳入研究的患者均为桦树花粉sIgE 2级及以上阳性。4种桦树花粉的致敏蛋白组分中，对任意一种桦树花粉蛋白组分阳性占94.8%。单一组分致敏占77.6%；2种组分致敏占17.2%。Bet v 1和（或）Bet v 2阳性率为93.1%。4种蛋白组分的阳性率依次为：Bet v 1（82.8%）、Bet v 2（29.3%）、Bet v 6（1.7%）、Bet v 4（0）。桦树花粉sIgE和Bet v 1的sIgE级别呈显著正相关性（r=0.898，P<0.001）。Bet v 2的sIgE浓度在AA组显著高于AR组[（4.34±14.35） kUA/L vs （1.56±3.26） kUA/L，P<0.05]，其他组分无显著性差异。 结论：北京地区桦树花粉的主要致敏蛋白组分为Bet v 1，桦树花粉组分蛋白以单一致敏为主，Bet v 1联合Bet v 2检测可诊断90%以上的桦树花粉过敏患者。.

BACKGROUND: To explore the relationship between specific immunoglobulin E levels in response to prevalent pollen and food allergens among patients suffering from localized allergic diseases in the Dongying area of China, and to analyze the interconnectivity among these factors.
METHODS: This research encompassed allergic patients who visited the Allergy Department of Shengli Oilfield Central Hospital from January 2022 to January 2023. We examined the specific immunoglobulin E levels in the blood of 230 patients utilizing the Fobock platform provided by Jiangsu Haoeubo Company. Statistical analysis was conducted with SPSS 25.0 statistical software. The chi-square test evaluated the relevance of differences in gender and age. A value of P < .05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: In this study, eggs emerged as the allergen with the highest number of sensitized individuals, closely followed by dust mite. Conversely, the least sensitized allergen was the cypress tree, closely followed by mango. Notably, male patients exhibited higher sensitivities to cottonwood (P < .05) and egg (P < .001) compared to female patients. Children aged 0 to 10 years showed increased sensitivity to variety of allergens. A significant correlation was observed among different allergens. The top ten allergen pairs with the highest correlation included Birch Tree and Cottonwood (0.88, P < .001), Cottonwood and Pine Tree (0.86, P < .001), Birch Tree and Pine Tree (0.84, P < .001), Pine Tree and Paulownia (0.81, P < .001), Dust Mite and House Dust Mite (0.76, P < .001), Birch Tree and Paulownia (0.73, P < .001), Cashew and Pistachio (0.71, P < .001), Apple and Hazelnut (0.71, P < .001), Cottonwood and Paulownia (0.71, P < .001), and Pine Tree and Ordinary Ragweed (0.70, P < .001).
CONCLUSIONS: This research sheds light on the patterns of allergen sensitization in Dongying, Shandong, highlighting that egg is the most prevalent sensitizing allergen. A notably high correlation was observed between Birch Tree and Cottonwood. This study enhanced the understanding of allergic diseases, explored the causes and mechanisms of allergies, strengthened the management of allergic diseases. Furthermore, it offers valuable insights for the clinical diagnosis and prevention of allergic diseases.

BACKGROUND: Intralymphatic immunotherapy (ILIT) is a novel, faster alternative to conventional allergen immunotherapy (AIT). Few previous studies have evaluated its long-term effects. The objective of the present study was to complete a 5-year follow-up of a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of ILIT for a combination of birch and grass allergens.
METHODS: Fifty-eight patients with allergic rhinitis were treated with either placebo or a combination of ALK Alutard Birch and Grass 1000 SQ-U administered in 3 intralymphatic injections at 1-month intervals. A year after the vaccination, the symptoms induced by nasal provocation were significantly reduced. After 5-6 years, 20 out of 26 actively treated patients were followed up with a nasal provocation test (NPT) and seasonal registration of the combined symptom and medications score (CSMS), IgE and IgG4 levels in blood, and immunological markers in blood and lymph nodes and compared with 13 unvaccinated controls.
RESULTS: The reduction in the NPT response with ILIT at year 1 could not be convincingly reproduced at year 5. The new CSMS scores were markedly lower among the previously treated patients than among the control group. Furthermore, grass-specific IgG4 was increased, grass-specific IgE decreased, FcεR1 on basophils was reduced, and the fraction of memory T-cells in lymph nodes increased.
CONCLUSIONS: The combination of seasonal clinical data and immunological parameters supports the notion of a long-lasting effect of ILIT. These data support the concept of ILIT as a good alternative to traditional AIT in pollen-induced allergic rhinitis.

There is still great need to develop new strategies to improve the efficacy of allergen immunotherapies with optimal safety standards for patients. A new promising approach is to couple allergoids to mannan. The objective of this phase IIa/IIb study was to identify the optimal dose of mannan-conjugated birch pollen allergoids for the short-course treatment of birch pollen-induced allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.
For this prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-finding study, 246 birch pollen-allergic adults received 0.5 mL placebo or 1000, 3000 or 10,000 mTU/mL of mannan-conjugated birch pollen allergoids at five pre-seasonal visits. Efficacy was assessed by comparing allergic rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms and use of anti-allergic medication during the peak of the birch pollen season 2020. Immunologic, tolerability and safety effects were also analysed.
The highest dose of mannan-conjugated birch pollen allergoids reduced the combined symptom and medication score during the peak birch pollen season by a median of 24.7% compared to placebo. The production of Bet v 1 specific IgG4 significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner (3.6- and 4.5-fold) in the 3000 and 10,000 mTU/mL groups. The Bet v 1 specific IgE/IgG4 ratio was also strongly reduced (up to -70%). No fatalities nor serious adverse events were reported, and no adrenaline was used. In total, four systemic reactions occurred (two grade I and two grade II).
All doses of mannan-conjugated birch pollen allergoids can be considered as safe. Since the application of 10,000 mTU/mL resulted in the highest efficacy, this dose qualifies for further investigation.

The transport processes of methane (CH4 ) in tree stems remain largely unknown, although they are critical in assessing the whole-forest CH4 dynamics. We used a physically based dynamic model to study the spatial and diurnal dynamics of stem CH4 transport and fluxes. We parameterised the model using data from laboratory experiments with Pinus sylvestris and Betula pendula and compared the model to experimental data from a field study. Stem CH4 flux in laboratory and field conditions were explained by the axial advective CH4 transport from soil with xylem sap flow and the radial CH4 diffusion through the stem conditions. Diffusion resistance caused by the bark permeability did not significantly affect gas transport or stem CH4 flux in the laboratory experiments. The role of axial diffusion of CH4 in trees was unresolved and requires further studies. Due to the transit time of CH4 in the stem, the diurnal dynamics of stem CH4 fluxes can deviate markedly from the diurnal dynamics of sap flow.

Plants interact with biotic and abiotic environments. Some of these interactions are detrimental including herbivory consumption and infections by microbial pathogens. The COI1 (coronatine insensitive 1) protein is the master controller of JA-regulated plant responses and plays a regulatory role in the plant defense response. However, there is little information on COI1 function in birch (Betula platyphylla × Betula pendula). Herein, we studied the F-box protein BpCOI1 which is located in the nucleus. To validate the function of this protein, we developed transgenic birch plants with overexpression or repression of BpCOI1 gene. Growth traits, such as tree height, ground diameter, number of lateral branches, did not change significantly among transgenic lines. Alternaria alternata treatment experiments indicated that low expression of BpCOI1 reduced disease resistance in birch. Furthermore, our results showed that low expression of BpCOI1 significantly reduced the sensitivity of plants to exogenous MeJA. Co-expression analysis showed gene expression patterns with similar characteristics. These genes may be closely related in function, or members involved in the same signaling pathway or physiological process with BpCOI 1. The results of transcriptome sequencing and co-expression analysis showed that BpCOI1 affects plant defense against Alternaria alternata by regulating jasmonates. This study reveals the role of BpCOI1 in disease resistance and proposes the possibility of controlling diseases through molecular breeding in birch.

Metabolomics studies are becoming increasingly common for understanding how plant metabolism responds to changes in environmental conditions, genetic manipulations and treatments. Despite the recent advances in metabolomics workflow, the sample preparation process still limits the high-throughput analysis in large-scale studies. Here, we present a highly flexible robotic system that integrates liquid handling, sonication, centrifugation, solvent evaporation and sample transfer processed in 96-well plates to automatize the metabolite extraction from leaf samples. We transferred an established manual extraction protocol performed to a robotic system, and with this, we show the optimization steps required to improve reproducibility and obtain comparable results in terms of extraction efficiency and accuracy. We then tested the robotic system to analyze the metabolomes of wild-type and four transgenic silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) lines under unstressed conditions. Birch trees were engineered to overexpress the poplar (Populus × canescens) isoprene synthase and to emit various amounts of isoprene. By fitting the different isoprene emission capacities of the transgenic trees with their leaf metabolomes, we observed an isoprene-dependent upregulation of some flavonoids and other secondary metabolites as well as carbohydrates, amino acid and lipid metabolites. By contrast, the disaccharide sucrose was found to be strongly negatively correlated to isoprene emission. The presented study illustrates the power of integrating robotics to increase the sample throughput, reduce human errors and labor time, and to ensure a fully controlled, monitored and standardized sample preparation procedure. Due to its modular and flexible structure, the robotic system can be easily adapted to other extraction protocols for the analysis of various tissues or plant species to achieve high-throughput metabolomics in plant research.

There is a need to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intralymphatic immunotherapy (ILIT) for inducing tolerance in patients with allergic rhinitis.
Thirty-seven patients with seasonal allergic symptoms to birch and grass pollen and skin prick test >3 mm and/or IgE to birch and timothy >0.35 kU/L were randomized to either ILIT, with three doses of 0.1 mL of birch pollen and 5-grass pollen allergen extracts on aluminium hydroxide (10,000 SQ-U/ml; ALK-Abelló) or placebo using ultrasound-guided intralymphatic injections at monthly intervals. Daily combined symptom medical score and rhinoconjunctivitis total symptom score were recorded during the peak pollen seasons the year before and after treatment. Rhinoconjunctivitis total symptom score, medication score and rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire were recorded annually starting 2 years after treatment. Circulating proportions of T helper cell subsets and allergen-induced cytokine and chemokine production were analysed using flow cytometry and ELISA.
There were no differences between the groups related to daily combined symptom medical score the year before and after treatment. Two years after ILIT (after unblinding), the actively treated group reported significantly fewer symptoms, lower medication use and improved quality of life than did the placebo group. After the pollen seasons the year after ILIT, T regulatory cell frequencies and grass-induced IFN-γ levels increased only in the actively treated group.
In this randomized controlled trial, ILIT with birch and grass pollen extract was safe and accompanied by immunological changes. Further studies are required to confirm or refute the efficacy of the treatment.

Sensitive skin is described as an unpleasant sensory response to a stimulus that should not cause a sensation. Sensitive skin affects an increasing proportion of the population. Sixty-seven participants who tested positive to lactic acid sting test were recruited and randomized into two groups to observe the clinical efficacy and safety of a new birch juice spray for repairing sensitive skin. One group used test spray A, while the other group used spray B as a control. Both groups were sprayed six times daily for 28 days. Noninvasive testing instruments were used to measure stratum corneum hydration, sebum content, transepidermal water loss rates, skin blood perfusion and current perception threshold before and after using spray. Facial images were captured by VISIA-CR, and the image analysis program (Image-Pro Plus) was used to analyze these to obtain the redness value of the facial skin. Moreover, lactic acid sting test scores and participants\' self-assessments were also performed at baseline, week 2 and week 4. Both sprays A and B significantly decreased the lactic acid sting test score, transepidermal water loss rates, skin blood perfusion, and redness, while increasing the stratum corneum hydration. Compared to spray B, spray A increased sensory nerve thresholds at 5 Hz and decreased the transepidermal water loss rates, skin blood perfusion, and lactic acid sting test score. Sprays containing birch juice improved cutaneous biophysical properties in participants with sensitive skin.