Preclinical insights into the gut-skeletal muscle axis in chronic gastrointestinal diseases.

Muscle wasting represents a constant pathological feature of common chronic gastrointestinal diseases, including liver cirrhosis (LC), inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), chronic pancreatitis (CP) and pancreatic cancer (PC), and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Recent clinical and experimental studies point to the existence of a gut-skeletal muscle axis that is constituted by specific gut-derived mediators which activate pro- and anti-sarcopenic signalling pathways in skeletal muscle cells. A pathophysiological link between both organs is also provided by low-grade systemic inflammation. Animal models of LC, IBD, CP and PC represent an important resource for mechanistic and preclinical studies on disease-associated muscle wasting. They are also required to test and validate specific anti-sarcopenic therapies prior to clinical application. In this article, we review frequently used rodent models of muscle wasting in the context of chronic gastrointestinal diseases, survey their specific advantages and limitations and discuss possibilities for further research activities in the field. We conclude that animal models of LC-, IBD- and PC-associated sarcopenia are an essential supplement to clinical studies because they may provide additional mechanistic insights and help to identify molecular targets for therapeutic interventions in humans.

Comparison of Self-Administered Web-Based and Interviewer Printed Food Frequency Questionnaires for Dietary Assessment in Italian Adolescents.

Innovative tools for assessing food and nutrient intakes in adolescence are essential to uncover the long-term effects of diet on chronic diseases. Here, we developed and compared a web-based self-administered food frequency questionnaire (web-FFQ) with a traditional interviewer printed FFQ (print-FFQ) among 174 Italian adolescents (aged 15-18 years). To assess the reliability of the web-FFQ compared with the print-FFQ, we used Spearman's rank correlation coefficients, Wilcoxon rank test, quartile misclassification analysis, Cohen's weighted kappa and the Bland-Altman method. Correlation coefficients ranged from 0.14 (i.e., pizza) to 0.67 (i.e., raw vegetables) for foods, and from 0.45 (i.e., monounsaturated fatty acids, MUFA) to 0.62 (i.e., zinc) for nutrients. Results from the Wilcoxon rank test showed that food and nutrient intakes were comparable between two FFQs, except for nuts, shellfish, fruit juices and MUFA. Adolescents classified into the same or adjacent quartiles ranged from 68.2% (i.e., tea) to 89.1% (i.e., raw vegetables and dipping sauces) for foods, and from 77.2% (i.e., vitamin C) to 87.2% (i.e., folate and calcium) for nutrients. Except for pizza, the weighted kappa indicated moderate to substantial agreement for other foods and nutrients. Finally, we demonstrated that the web-FFQ significantly overestimated shellfish and fruit juice intakes, while it underestimated nuts, canned fish, olive oil, total energy intake, fatty acids and calcium. The limits of agreement analysis indicated moderate to wide individual differences for all groups. In conclusion, our self-administered web-FFQ represents an easy, suitable and cost-effective tool for assessing food and nutrient intakes in adolescents. However, the wide individual differences in level of agreement suggest that additional refinements and calibrations are necessary to investigate the effects of absolute nutrient intakes at the individual level.

The Association of Dietary Patterns with High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Infection and Cervical Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study in Italy.

Specific foods and nutrients help prevent the progression of persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection to cervical cancer (CC). The aim of this study was to investigate dietary patterns which may be associated with hrHPV status and the risk of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2+). Overall, 539 eligible women, including 127 with CIN2+, were enrolled in a cross-sectional study, and tested for hrHPV infection. Food intake was estimated using a food frequency questionnaire. Logistic regression models were applied. Using the Mediterranean Diet Score, we demonstrated that, among 252 women with a normal cervical epithelium, medium adherence to the Mediterranean diet decreased the odds of hrHPV infection when compared to low adherence (adjOR = 0.40, 95%CI = 0.22-0.73). Using the principal component analysis, we also identified two dietary patterns which explained 14.31% of the variance in food groups intake. Women in the third and fourth quartiles of the "Western pattern" had higher odds of hrHPV infection when compared with first quartile (adjOR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.04-3.54 and adjOR = 1.97, 95%CI = 1.14-4.18, respectively). Adjusting for hrHPV status and age, women in the third quartile of the "prudent pattern" had lower odds of CIN2+ when compared with those in the first quartile (OR = 0.50, 95%CI = 0.26-0.98). Our study is the first to demonstrate the association of dietary patterns with hrHPV infection and CC and discourages unhealthy habits in favour of a Mediterranean-like diet.

The Role of miRNAs as Biomarkers for Pregnancy Outcomes: A Comprehensive Review.

Several studies showed that altered expression of the miRNA-ome in maternal circulation or in placental tissue may reflect not only gestational disorders, such as preeclampsia, spontaneous abortion, preterm birth, low birth weight, or macrosomia, but also prenatal exposure to environmental pollutants. Generally, the relationships between environmental exposure, changes in miRNA expression, and gestational disorders are explored separately, producing conflicting findings. However, validation of tissue-accessible biomarkers for the monitoring of adverse pregnancy outcomes needs a systematic methodological approach that takes also into account early-life environmental exposure. To achieve this goal, exposure to xenochemicals, endogenous agents, and diet should be assessed. This study has the aim to provide a comprehensive review on the role of miRNAs as potential biomarkers for adverse pregnancy outcomes and prenatal environmental exposure.