Previous studies have shown that neutrophil-activating peptide 1/interleukin-8 (IL-8) is present in psoriatic scales and to a lesser extent in normal human epidermis. A panel of monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal antisera raised against IL-8 was used to localize IL-8 with immunoperoxidase techniques in non-lesional and lesional skin of patients with psoriasis and palmo-plantar pustulosis (PPP), and in corresponding sites from healthy subjects. Intracellular IL-8 immunoreactivity was found in all epidermal cell layers in biopsies of healthy subjects and in non-lesional and lesional skin in both PPP and psoriasis. The most intense immunolabeling was regularly found in the basal cell layer. Intercellular epidermal IL-8 immunolabeling was regularly detected in lesional biopsies in PPP and psoriasis, but not in healthy subjects or non-lesional skin in PPP and psoriasis. No intercellular immunolabeling was detected after successful treatment of lesional skin. The majority of cells along the eccrine sweat glands, dermal mononuclear cell infiltrates, and endothelial cells were IL-8 immunoreactive in all biopsies studied. The present study suggests that IL-8, its precursor form, or, alternatively, a degradation product is present in normal human epidermis.

Oats contain 3-5% of mixed linked beta-glucan, or (1-3), (1-4) β-D-glucan, referred to hereafter as beta-glucan. Oat beta-glucan is a viscous, and soluble dietary fibre component. Soluble and viscous dietary fibres, including the beta-glucan present in oats are associated with two major health promoting effects, i.e. the attenuation of postprandial plasma glucose and insulin levels and the control of cholesterol. Increased viscosity in the intestine delays absorption of glucose and suppresses absorption of cholesterol and reabsorption of bile acids. In spite of its apparent key role physiologically the viscosity of beta-glucan has been discussed relatively little in terms of analytical procedures. In clinical studies performed with oats, the viscosity of beta-glucan has been properly documented in only a few cases. Viscosity of beta-glucan in foods and in the food digest depends on solubility, concentration and molecular weight. A food manufacturer aiming at health-promoting products must pay attention not only to sufficient concentration of beta-glucan (dose) in the raw material, but also to the processing methods that will ensure sufficient solubility of beta-glucan and minimize enzymatic or mechanical breakdown of the beta-glucan molecule. We have been working both with different food processes utilising oat fractions high in beta-glucan and with the development of a method for viscosity determination of the soluble beta-glucan fibre. This review discusses some of the aspects related to the development with a method that could predict the behaviour of beta-glucan in oat processing with respect to its anticipated physiological functions.

Objective: To determine the effects of oat products with increasing b-glucan content on the glycemic (GI) and insulin indexes (II) of oat products, and to establish the effect of physical properties of b-glucan on these physiological responses. Design: Test group (n ¼ 10) randomly attended to three glucose tolerance tests and glycemic response tests for four oat bran products. Settings: Functional Foods Forum and the Department of Food Chemistry, University of Turku, and the Department of Food Technology, University of Helsinki. Subjects: One male and nine female volunteers were recruited from university students and staff, and all completed the study. Interventions: GI and II of different products were calculated for each subject using the average of parallel glucose tolerance tests and the subsequent glycemic/insulinemic responses for each product. Average indexes for products were calculated according to the individual data. Results: The glycemic responses to oat products with increasing amounts of b-glucan had lower peak values than the reference glucose load. The amount of extractable b-glucan had a high correlation between the glycemic and insulinemic response. Conclusion: In addition to the total amount of b-glucan in oat products, the amount of extractable b-glucan in oat products explains the magnitude of the decrease in glycemic responses to carbohydrate products.

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