The Impact of Social Well-Being on Population Diet Nutritional Value and Antiradical Status.

The paper presents the result of assessing the antiradical status of consumers (in the context of Russia) in connection with their well-being. This approach is based on a multistage study, in which the results of sociological surveys were applied, as well as estimates of the antiradical potential (ARP) of diets obtained using neural networks, bootstrapping the chemical composition of diets, and calculating reference values using mathematical models. The paper presents data collected from residents living in the territories of at least 21 regions and cities of Russia: Magadan, Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Krasnodar, Lipetsk, Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Voronezh, etc. A total of 1001 people were interviewed, which, according to our calculations, gives a margin of error in value of approximately 3.1%. To calculate the lack of vitamins in the diets of residents of the Russian Federation, data on the chemical composition of food products from the FNDDS database were used. The assessment of dietary habits showed a lack of vitamins below the recommended level in 73% of Russians for vitamin D, 59% for retinol, 38% for ß-carotenes, 13% for vitamin E, and 6% for ascorbic acid. The study showed that at least 36% of the Russian population has a low antiradical status, while it was found that "poor" consumers are more likely to consume economically more expensive foods (in terms of their nutritional value). The "poor" segments of the population consume 180-305% more canned food and 38-68% more sweet carbonated drinks than other social groups, but their consumption of vegetables is 23-48% lower. On the contrary, "wealthy" consumers consume 17-25% more complex (varied) dishes, 10-68% more fresh vegetables, and 8-39% more fish. From the obtained values it follows that consumers with low levels of ARP in their diets are in a group with an increased probability of a number of "excess" diseases (diseases of the cardiovascular system, obesity, etc.). In general, the ARP values of food consumed for low-income segments of the population were 2.3 times lower (the ratio was calculated as the percentage of consumers below the level of 11,067 equivalents necessary for the disposal of free radicals generated in the human body per day) than for those who can afford expensive food (consumers with high income). A simple increase in consumption of unbalanced foods, in our opinion, will only contribute to the entry of these consumers into the "average diet trap". All this makes it imperative to develop comprehensive measures to create a new concept of public catering; otherwise, we can expect a reduction in both the health of the population and the performance of the economy of the whole country.

Estimating the Mass of Food Components Necessary for the Utilization of Free Radical Particles in the Human Body.

The article proposes an algorithm for an approximate assessment of the molar volume of free radicals generated in the human body per day. It takes into account the act of breathing, physical activity, food consumption, the influence of unfavorable environmental conditions, exposure to xenobiotics, as well as bad habits (alcohol and tobacco smoking). A calculation of the required set of the most commonly used food products for the disposal of free radicals was made. The calculation is a structure of four blocks with the possibility of adding optional data from human population genetic studies, environmental conditions, etc. In the proposed algorithm, the results of antiradical activity (ARA) of food products are used as input, including the results of predicting antiradical activity using artificial neural networks (ANN), which we published earlier. Based on the accepted values of one equivalent (in terms of the activity of 1 µmol of ascorbic acid), it was shown (for our data) that for the utilization of all free radicals produced in the human body per day, it will take an average of ≈260 to ≈540 g of food components in terms of dry mass (including proteins, fats, carbohydrates, etc.). At the same time, for the utilization of consumed xenobiotics, from 220 mg (in terms of vitamin C) to 260 mg (in terms of acetylcysteine -NAC) of additional plastic components or 11.5-13.0 g of essential amino acids will be required, which must be taken into account when calculating diets. This approach will be useful in the development of new functional foods, as well as in assessing the possible impact of diets on human health. Another applied point of this study is related to the possibility of using these data for better detailing and selection of food products for people working in conditions of increased radiation (in space conditions), in contact with harmful substances (chemical synthesis and production), for people practicing increased physical activity (bodybuilding and sports), and for the purposes of medical nutritional therapy.

Antiradical Potential of Food Products as a Comprehensive Measure of Their Quality.

Antiradical potential (ARP) is an important measure of food safety. In addition, it directly or indirectly affects the rate of occurrence of a number of human pathologies. Using a photocolorimetric analysis of DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) solutions, we estimated the antiradical potential of food raw materials, food concentrates, biologically active substances, and wild plants. We conducted approximately 1500 analyses of almost 100 food products selected from 11 food groups: vegetables, milk, meat, fish, cereals and bread, drinks (including tea and coffee), etc. With a confidence interval (CI) of 95%, the average values for animal products range from 15.87 to 18.70 ascorbic acid equivalents per gram of dry matter. For plant materials, the range is 474.54-501.50 equivalents when wild herbs are included and 385.02-408.83 equivalents without taking herbs into account. The antiradical potential of the biologically active substances we studied ranged from 706.84 to 847.77 equivalents per gram of dry matter, which makes it possible to use some of the components to repair products with low ARP values, for example, bread and baked goods, confectionery, milk and dairy products, carbonated drinks, and juice. In this study, a low ARP value is associated with a reduction in the shelf life of products and a deterioration in their organoleptic properties; therefore, we propose using ARP as an important reference for describing the quality of food products and raw food materials.

Ex vivo expanded regulatory T cells CD4+CD25+FoxP3+CD127Low develop strong immunosuppressive activity in patients with remitting-relapsing multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by defect in regulatory function of CD4+CD25+ T cells. We demonstrated difference in proportion of regulatory T cells CD4+CD25+FoxP3+CD127low (Tregs) within the same patients' relapse and remission. Proportion of peripheral Tregs (pTregs) dropped almost two times in the relapse compare to remission. Levels of pTregs in patients' remission were lower than in healthy donors. Suppressive ability of pTregs was decreased in MS patients compared to healthy donors. Injections of expanded ex vivo autologous Tregs (eTregs) could be helpful in bringing up the level of Tregs in patients' blood. We developed a simple method for ex vivo expansion of autologous Tregs within a short period of time. The final pool of cells consisted of 90-95% eTregs. When we started the culture with 10-20 × 106 CD4+ T cells, we yield 300-400 × 106 eTregs in a week. Expression of FoxP3 and Helios was calculated by two methods. Expanded ex vivo patients' and donors' Tregs were characterized by increased from three to five times expression of FoxP3, as well as almost doubled Helios expression. Peripheral Tregs in MS patients have decreased demethylation of FoxP3 gene promoter in comparison with donors. On the contrary, eTregs showed stable up-regulated demethylation without difference between MS patients and donors. MS patients' and donors' eTregs have much more suppressive ability than pTregs. Our data showed that eTregs can be applied as immunotherapy for MS patients and other autoimmune diseases if further investigated.

Clinical and experimental studies of multiple sclerosis in Russia: experience of the leading national research centers.

Mechanisms of axonal damage and adaptive capacity in multiple sclerosis (MS), including cortical reorganization, have been actively studied in recent years. The lack of regenerative capabilities and the irreversibility of neurodegeneration in MS are critical factors for the optimization of MS treatment. In this study, we present the results of clinical and basic studies in the field of MS by two leading Russian centers. Clinical and neuroimaging correlations show that spinal damage in MS is accompanied by functional reorganization of the cerebral cortex, which is determined not only by the efferent component but also by the afferent component. Comparative analysis of MS treatment with both interferon ß1b (IFN-ß1b) and IFN-ß1a at a dosage of 22 µg for 3 years through subcutaneous administration and glatiramer acetate showed equally high efficiency in reducing the number of exacerbations in relapsing-remitting MS and secondary-progressive MS. We demonstrate a reduced risk of disability in relapsing-remitting MS and secondary-progressive MS patients in all groups treated with IFN-ß1 and glatiramer acetate. MS appears to be a disease that would greatly benefit from the development of personalized therapy; thus, adequate molecular predictors of myelin degradation are greatly needed. Therefore, novel ideas related to the viral hypothesis of the etiology of MS and new targets for therapeutic intervention are currently being developed. In this manuscript, we discuss findings of both clinical practice and fundamental research reflecting challenges and future directions of MS treatment in the Russian Federation.

Alemtuzumab-related thyroid dysfunction in a phase 2 trial of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

CONTEXT: Alemtuzumab, an anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody, increased the risk of thyroid dysfunction in CAMMS223, a phase 2 trial in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was a detailed description of thyroid dysfunction in CAMMS223. DESIGN: Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients (n=334) were randomized 1:1:1 to 44 µg sc interferon-ß-1a (SC IFNB-1a, Rebif) or annual courses of 12 or 24 mg iv alemtuzumab. Thyroid function tests (TSH, free T3, free T4) and thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin (TBII) were assessed at screening, month 1, and quarterly thereafter; antithyroid peroxidase antibodies were assessed at screening and every 6 months. Thyroid dysfunction episodes were categorized post hoc by an endocrinologist. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 57.3 months, 34% of alemtuzumab and 6.5% of SC IFNB-1a patients had thyroid dysfunction (P<.0001). Ten percent of alemtuzumab and 3% of SC IFNB-1a patients had more than one episode of thyroid dysfunction. With alemtuzumab, Graves' hyperthyroidism occurred in 22%, hypothyroidism in 7%, and subacute thyroiditis in 4%. Of patients with overt Graves' hyperthyroidism, 23% spontaneously became euthyroid and an additional 15% spontaneously developed hypothyroidism. Of patients with overt hypothyroidism, 74% were TBII positive. The annual incidence of a first episode of thyroid dysfunction increased each year through year 3 and then decreased each subsequent study year. CONCLUSIONS: Thyroid dysfunction was more common with alemtuzumab than with SC IFNB-1a. There were few serious episodes. Regular monitoring facilitated early detection. Unique features of this population included high prevalence of Graves' hyperthyroidism, multiple episodes of thyroid dysfunction in individual patients, spontaneous hypothyroidism after overt Graves' hyperthyroidism, and a high prevalence of TBII-positive overt hypothyroidism.