Folate intake and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in US adults.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The relationship between dietary folate intake and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is controversial. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary folate equivalent (DFE) intake and NAFLD in U.S. adults. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2014 were used. NAFLD was defined as a US fatty liver index (FLI) value ≥30. DFE intake was assessed by two 24-hour dietary recall interviews. Multivariable logistic regression models and restricted cubic spline models were used to investigate the association between DFE intake and NAFLD risk. RESULTS: A total of 6,603 adult participants were included in this study. After adjusting for multiple confounding factors, the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of NAFLD for the highest quartile versus lowest quartile of DFE intake was 0.77(0.59-0.99). In stratified analyses by sex, age, and body mass index (BMI), there were statistically significant negative associations between DFE intake and NAFLD risk in women and participants with BMI ≥25. Dose-response analysis indicated a negative linear correlation between DFE intake and NAFLD risk. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary folate equivalent intake is negatively associated with NAFLD risk in the general U.S. adult population.

Association between Serum Uric Acid to HDL-Cholesterol Ratio and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Risk among Chinese Adults.

Objective: The aim of this case-control study was to explore the association between serum uric acid to high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (UHR) and the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Chinese adults. Methods: A total of 636 patients with NAFLD and 754 controls were enrolled from the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, China, between January and December 2016. All patients completed a comprehensive questionnaire survey and underwent abdominal ultrasound examination and a blood test. NAFLD was diagnosed using ultrasonography after other etiologies were excluded. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline model were conducted to evaluate the relationship of UHR with NAFLD risk. Results: The multivariable adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval, CI) for NAFLD in the highest versus lowest quartile of UHR was 3.888 (2.324-6.504). In analyses stratified by sex and age, we observed significant and positive associations between UHR and the risk of NAFLD in each subgroup. In analyses stratified by body mass index (BMI), a significant and positive association was found only in individuals with a BMI of ≥ 24 kg/m2. Our dose-response analysis indicated a linear positive correlation between UHR and the risk of NAFLD. Conclusion: UHR is positively associated with the risk of NAFLD and may serve as an innovative and noninvasive marker for identifying individuals at risk of NAFLD.

Quantifying the Effect of Supplementation with Algae and Its Extracts on Glycolipid Metabolism: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

AIMS: The effect of algae and its extract supplementation on glycolipid metabolism has not been finalized. Therefore, the purpose of the meta-analyses was to assess the effects of its supplementation on glycolipid metabolism concentration. METHODS: We have systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library and Embase to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the impact of algae and its extracts supplementation on glycolipid metabolism. Effect size analysis was performed using weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% CI between the methods of the experiment group and the control group. Subgroup analyses were performed to explore the possible influences of study characteristics. Publication bias and sensitivity analysis were also performed. RESULTS: A total of 27 RCTs (31 trials) with 1221 participants were finally selected for the meta-analysis. The algae and its extract intervention significantly decreased glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c, WMD = -0.18%; 95% CI: -0.27 to -0.10; p < 0.001), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, WMD = -0.22 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.38 to -0.06; p = 0.008), and triglycerides (TC, WMD = -0.31 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.37 to -0.25; p < 0.001) levels and increased insulin (WMD = 6.05 pmol/mL; 95% CI: 4.01 to 8.09; p < 0.001) levels. It did not significantly change the blood glucose, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), 2-h post-meal blood glucose (2hPBG) and other lipid profiles. Subgroup analyses based on the duration of intervention and subjects demonstrated that the intervention of algae and its extracts for 10 weeks or fewer and more than 40 subjects decreased TC levels (p < 0.05). Moreover, the intervention reduced TC and 2hPBG concentrations for East Asians (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provided evidence that algae and its extract interventions were beneficial for the regulation of human glycolipid metabolism. More precise RCTs on subjects are recommended to further clarify the effect of algae, seaweed polysaccharide, seaweed polypeptide, algae polyphenol and its products intervention on glycolipid metabolism.

Diagnostic value of computed tomography scanning in differentiating malignant from benign solitary pulmonary nodules: a meta-analysis.

An early diagnosis of lung cancer is crucial for early treatment and management. The objective of this systematic review was to assess the overall diagnostic accuracy of chest computed tomography (CT) scanning in differentiating malignant from benign solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) with meta-analysis. The PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database were searched for eligible studies published up to March 2014. The sensitivity, specificity, and other measures of accuracy of chest CT scanning in the diagnosis of SPNs were pooled along with 95 % confidence intervals (CI). Summary receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to summarize overall test performance. Thirty-two studies met our inclusion criteria. The summary estimates for chest CT scanning in the diagnosis of SPNs in the meta-analysis were as follows: pooled sensitivity, 0.89 (95 % CI, 0.88 to 0.91); pooled specificity, 0.70 (95 % CI, 0.68 to 0.73); positive likelihood ratio, 2.88 (95 % CI, 2.46 to 3.37); negative likelihood ratio, 0.16 (95 % CI, 0.12 to 0.21); and diagnostic odds ratio, 23.83 (95 % CI, 16.18 to 35.11). The results indicate that CT scanning has relatively high sensitivity and moderate specificity for the diagnosis of SPNs. Given the low cost and growing prevalence of the technology, CT scanning should be recommended as the initial test for the evaluation of SPNs.

Enhancement of vitamin A combined vitamin D supplementation on immune response to Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine revaccinated in Chinese infants.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether there is an association between diameter of bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) scars and effect of purified protein derivative (PPD) reaction and to determine whether vitamin A (VA) combined vitamin D (VD) supplementation influences the immune response to BCG revaccinated in Chinese infants. METHODS: A cross-section and 3-month community-randomised trial was conducted. A total of 5 629 infants at 3, 6 and 12 months of age in Junan County of China were examined for BCG scar formation. Then, 597 revaccinated infants were randomly assigned to supplementation (n=307) and control (n=290) groups. The supplementation group were daily assigned to 1 500 IU VA and 500 IU VD for 3 months. Then all infants were subjected to skin test with PPD. RESULTS: The diameter of BCG scars was positively correlated with diameter of skin indurations of PPD (r=0.17, P<0.05) in the 5 629 infants. The rate of positive response to PPD was higher in the supplementation group than in the control group (96.1% versus 89.7%, P<0.05, prevalence ratio 1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.12). The prevalence ratio of PPD response for the supplementation group compared with that for the control group was 1.07 (95% CI 1.01-1.13) for the males and 1.08 (95% CI 1.00-1.17) for the females. For the supplementation group, the males got larger tuberculin induration than the females [(0.73±0.21) cm versus (0.67±0.20) cm, P<0.05) after intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The diameter of BCG scars was effectively correlated with PPD response, which indicates BCG scar formation may be an useful tool to evaluate the effect of tuberculosis prevention. VA combined VD supplementation may play an immuno-regulatory role in BCG revaccination. This may contribute to the prevention of childhood tuberculosis.

Antioxidant micronutrient supplementation increases erythrocyte membrane fluidity in adults from a rural Chinese community.

The objective of the present study was to investigate age-related differences in erythrocyte membrane fluidity (EMF) and changes in antioxidant capacity following supplementation. A total of seventy-four children were randomly divided into two groups: group A1 was the placebo-controlled group and group A2 was supplemented daily with 600 µg retinol, 1·0 mg ß-carotene, 100 mg tocopherol, 300 mg ascorbic acid and 200 µg Se. A total of ninety young people were randomly divided into B1 and B2 groups, and ninety-one elderly subjects were divided into C1 and C2 groups. Groups B1 and C1 were placebo-controlled groups, and groups B2 and C2 were daily supplemented with 900 µg retinol, 1·5 mg ß-carotene, 200 mg tocopherol, 500 mg ascorbic acid and 400 µg Se. Results showed that plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) was 5·35 µmol/l in children, which was lower than in young and elderly people. The MDA levels of the young and elderly individuals in the treated groups were significantly lower compared with the control groups, but the supplementation did not alter MDA levels in children. At baseline, there was a lower value of polarisation (ρ) and microviscosity (η) in children, indicating a higher EMF, than in both the young and elderly subjects. After the 2-month trial, the ρ and η values of young and elderly subjects in the treated groups decreased significantly in comparison with the placebo groups, indicating an increase in EMF. In conclusion, there was a background of higher MDA levels and lower EMF in young and elderly people than in children, which could be improved by antioxidant supplementation.

Supplementation of iron alone and combined with vitamins improves haematological status, erythrocyte membrane fluidity and oxidative stress in anaemic pregnant women.

Pregnancy is a condition exhibiting increased susceptibility to oxidative stress, and Fe plays a central role in generating harmful oxygen species. The objective of the present study is to investigate the changes in haematological status, oxidative stress and erythrocyte membrane fluidity in anaemic pregnant women after Fe supplementation with and without combined vitamins. The study was a 2 months double-blind, randomised trial. Pregnant women (n 164) were allocated to four groups: group C was the placebo control group; group I was supplemented daily with 60 mg Fe (ferrous sulphate) daily; group IF was supplemented daily with Fe plus 400 µg folic acid; group IM was supplemented daily with Fe plus 2 mg retinol and 1 mg riboflavin, respectively. After the 2-month trial, Hb significantly increased by 15.8, 17.3 and 21.8 g/l, and ferritin by 2.8, 3.6 and 11.0 µg/l, in the I, IF and IM groups compared with placebo. Polarisation (ρ) and microviscosity (η) decreased significantly in other groups compared with placebo, indicating an increase in membrane fluidity. Significant decreases of ρ and η values compared with group C were 0.033 and 0.959 for group I, 0.037 and 1.074 for group IF and 0.064 and 1.865 for group IM, respectively. In addition, significant increases of glutathione peroxidase activities and decreases of malondialdehyde were shown in all treated groups, as well as increases of plasma retinol and urine riboflavin in group IM. The findings show that supplementation with Fe and particularly in combination with vitamins could improve the haematological status as well as oxidative stress and erythrocyte membrane fluidity.

[Study on influence of different dosage of vitamin E on peripheral blood cell activities in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influences of vitamin E (VE) at different dosage on peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) proliferation and anti-DNA oxidative damage activities and erythrocyte membrane fluidity. METHODS: 48 Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups including control group, VE1, VE2, and VE3 groups supplemented with 7.5, 50, 200, 750 IU/kg bw x d VE, respectively. The trial lasted 8 weeks and the blood samples were collected at the end of the trial. The level of plasma VE was analyzed by fluorescent spectrometry. Plasma MDA and membrane GSH-Px were analyzed by kits. The blood erythrocyte membrane fluidity was detected by fluorescence polarization method, lymphocyte transformation rate by MTT method and DNA oxidative damage by comet assay. RESULTS: The results showed that plasma VE levels significantly increased in VE1, VE2, and VE3 groups. Plasma MDA and erythocyte membrane GSH-Px activity in the rats in 50 IU/kg bw x d (VE1) group were (2.29 +/- 0.55) nmol/ml and (367.17 +/- 129.86) U/mg prot, respectively. P (fluorescence polarization) and eta(microviscosity), which were inversely related with membrane fluidity, in VE1 group were significantly lower. Lymphocyte transformation rate was significantly increased by 261.86%, 199.23% and 412.97% and H2O2 induced DNA damage significantly decreased compared with the control, VE2, and VE3 groups. CONCLUSION: It is indicated that an effective intake of VE for enhancing erythrocyte membrane fluidity, lymphocyte proliferation and DNA stability was 50 IU/kg bw x d, while too excessive intake of VE could not be found to be beneficial.