The Daily Intake Levels of Copper, Selenium, and Zinc Are Associated with Osteoarthritis but Not with Rheumatoid Arthritis in a Cross-sectional Study.

The present study examined potential association between the daily intake and serum levels of copper (Cu), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn) and the risk of osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Daily intake and serum concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Se in 4200 adults from the 2011-2016 NHANES were examined and divided into normal, OA patients, and RA patients. The level of serum Cu was higher in OA and RA than in non-arthritis, while the levels of serum Se and Zn were no different in the three groups. Serum Se and Zn, but not Cu, concentrations were highly correlated with daily intake. Cu, Se, and Zn intake was independently associated with increased risk of OA, but not with RA. And there was a trend for higher odds of OA among participants in the higher Cu, Se, and Zn intake. Future large longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

Association of a methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism with several blood chemical levels in a Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: The methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism is associated with hypertension in certain populations. This study investigated the relationship between the MTHFR polymorphism and hypertension and correlated blood lipid indexes, including homocysteine (HCY), lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)], high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), apolipoprotein A I (Apo AI), Apo B, glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride (TG), in a Chinese population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 174 patients with hypertension and 634 healthy control individuals from Jiangxi Province were recruited between June 2012 and September 2012 for genotyping of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Biochemical parameters were also assessed in these subjects and statistically compared to the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and the risk for hypertension. RESULTS: HCY and Lp (a) levels were significantly higher in subjects with a MTHFR 677TT genotype than in those with a CC/CT genotype, independent of hypertension. The frequency of the TT genotype and the T allele in hypertension patients was significantly higher than in the healthy controls. Furthermore, in the male hypertension patient group, the average levels of HCY, HDL, Apo AI, and TC were significantly different from those in female hypertension patients (pHCY=0.001, pHDL=0.004, pApo AI<0.001, pTC=0.012). In the male control group, the average levels of HCY, HDL, Apo AI, GLU, and TC were significantly different from those of female controls (pHCY<0.001, pHDL<0.001, pApo AI<0.001, pGLU=0.001, and pTC=0.004). CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that the MTHFR C677T polymorphism is positively correlated with an increased risk of hypertension through an increase in HCY levels. The blood lipid correlative index was different between male and female hypertension patients and controls.