Malnutrition and tuberculosis: the gap between basic research and clinical trials.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease that leads to numerous deaths worldwide. Malnutrition, smoking, alcohol abuse, Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection, and diabetes are some of the most important risk factors associated with TB development. At present, it is necessary to conduct studies on risk factors to establish new effective strategies and combat this disease. Malnutrition has been established as a risk factor since several years ago; although there is in vitro experimental evidence that reveals the importance of micronutrients in activating the immune response against M.tb, evidence from clinical trials is controversial. Currently, nutritional assessment is recommended in all TB patients upon diagnosis. However, there is insufficient evidence to indicate micronutrient supplementation as adjuvant therapy or prophylactic to prevent micronutrient depletion. Strengthening the interaction between basic and clinical research is necessary to carry out studies that will help establish adjuvant therapies to improve outcomes in TB patients. In this review, we discuss the experimental evidence, provided by basic research, regarding micronutrients in the TB field. However, when these studies are applied to clinical trials, the data are inconsistent, indicating that still missing mechanisms are necessary to propose alternatives to the treatment of TB patients.

Zinc and selenium indicators and their relation to immunologic and metabolic parameters in male patients with human immunodeficiency virus.

OBJECTIVES: Micronutrient deficiencies are common among people living with HIV (PLWHIV). The clinical and immunologic consequences of micronutrient deficiencies have been poorly explored in the context of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of zinc and selenium deficiency (dietary intake and serum concentrations) and analyze their associations with absolute CD4+ T-cell counts, inflammation markers, and metabolic disorders in a cohort of antiretroviral-experienced HIV-infected individuals. METHODS: The zinc and selenium intakes of 124 HIV-infected men were estimated using 3-d food records. In a subcohort of 45 individuals, serum zinc and selenium concentrations and proinflammatory cytokines were determined. Body composition, bone mineral density (BMD), CD4+ T-cell counts, lipid profile, glucose, and blood pressure were determined and were associated with zinc and selenium dietary intake and serum concentrations. RESULTS: Of the PLWHIV studied, 58% had suboptimal intake of zinc and 8% demonstrated suboptimal intake of selenium. Serum deficiencies for zinc and selenium were 23.9% and 65.9%, respectively. Zinc and selenium intake were correlated with increased muscle mass. Selenium intake was associated with increased BMD of the lumbar region. An inverse correlation between serum selenium concentration and several proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1ß, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α) was found. CONCLUSION: Suboptimal zinc and selenium intake and serum concentration deficiencies are highly prevalent in treated HIV-positive individuals and are associated with body composition, BMD, and inflammation. Clinical trials should be designed to explore the effect of zinc and selenium supplementation on metabolic, inflammatory, and immunologic parameters on the HIV-positive population.

Manejo nutricional de la hiperfosfatemia en la enfermedad renal crónica / Dietary approach to hyperphosphatemia in chronic kidney disease

La pérdida de la funcionalidad renal ocasiona diversas alteraciones en el metabolismo de los electrolitos, entre ellos el acúmulo de fósforo. La hiperfosfatemia se asocia con un mayor riesgo de mortalidad cardiovascular en pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica (ERC), por lo que es necesario el inicio de diversas estrategias terapéuticas para disminuir las concentraciones séricas de dicho mineral. El objetivo del presente trabajo es realizar una revisión de las estrategias dieté- ticas que han mostrado efectividad en la prevención y tratamiento de la hiperfosfatemia en el paciente con ERC (AU)

Patients with renal impairment progressively lose the ability to excrete phosphorus. High serum phosphorus has been linked to cardiovascular mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Serum phosphorus levels are managed with diverse therapeutically approaches. This work aims to conduct a review of the nutritional strategies that are used in the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in CKD patients (AU)