Association Between Interleukin 6 and C-Reactive Protein Serum Levels and Body Composition Compartments and Components in Breast Cancer Survivors.

Obesity is highly prevalent in breast cancer (BC) survivors. Adipose tissue promotes inflammation, affecting recurrence, morbidity, and quality of life. This study aimed to determine the relationship of body composition parameters with the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in female BC survivors. Additionally, we evaluated the association of log-transformed serum concentrations of CRP and IL-6 with the appendicular skeletal lean mass index (ASMI). The results showed that CRP was positively associated with body fat percentage (BFP; ß adjusted = .08, 95% CI: .02-.14) in all participants, and with fat mass index (FMI; ß = .24, 95% CI: .08-.40) only in premenopausal women. IL-6 was positively associated with FMI (ß adjusted = .16, 95% CI: .03-.29), while ASMI decreased as CRP levels increased (ß adjusted = -.30, 95% CI: -.53 to -.06). Interventions to improve body composition in BC survivors should also consider the role of inflammatory markers in changes in body composition to avoid sarcopenic obesity (SO) and the risk of BC recurrence.

Changes in Diet, Physical Activity, Alcohol Consumption, and Tobacco Use in Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed various lifestyle habits worldwide due to the prevention measures implemented in each country, these changes may affect or benefit people's health. We aimed to systematically review changes in diet, physical activity (PA), alcohol consumption, and tobacco use habits during the COVID-19 pandemic in adults. Two databases: PubMed and ScienceDirect, were used for this systematic review. The research was limited to open-access, peer-reviewed original articles published in English, French, or Spanish from January 2020 to December 2022 and investigated diet, PA, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use habits before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in adults. Excluded studies were review studies, intervention studies with a sample size of fewer than 30 participants, and poor-quality articles. This review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD42023406524), whereas to assess the quality of the studies, we used the quality assessment tools developed by the BSA Medical Sociology Group for cross-sectional studies and the QATSO for the longitudinal studies. Thirty-two studies were included. Some studies reported changes to promote healthy lifestyles; 13 out of 15 articles reported an increase in healthy diet consumption habits, 5 out of 7 studies reported a decrease in alcohol consumption, and 2 out of 3 studies reported a decrease in tobacco use. On the other hand, the other studies reported changes to promote unhealthy lifestyles: 9 out of 15, and 2 out of 7 studies reported an increase in unhealthy diet and alcohol consumption habits respectively, 25 out of 25 reported a decrease in physical activity, and 13 out of 13 reported an increase in sedentary behavior. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been changes to promote a healthy and unhealthy lifestyle; the latter can affect people's health. Therefore, effective responses are needed to mitigate the consequences.

Dietary patterns, cooking methods and breast cancer risk in Mexico: An exploratory case-control study.

Background: Nutrition has an important influence on the risk of developing breast cancer (BC). Dietary patterns can capture the complex interplay of nutrients and cooking methods can contribute to the presence of heterocyclic amines, which are potent mammary carcinogens. Research on dietary patterns, cooking methods, and their association with BC in Mexican women is scarce. Aim: To evaluate the association of dietary patterns and cooking methods with BC risk among women from the Northwest region of Mexico. Methods: This case-control study included 120 women. Eligible cases (n = 60) were diagnosed and biopsy-confirmed in the past 2 years. Control subjects (n = 60) were hospital and population-based. Dietary intake and cooking methods were respectively assessed through a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and the National Cancer Institute survey. We obtained dietary patterns from a K-means cluster analysis (CA), and multivariate logistic regression tested the association of dietary patterns and cooking methods with BC risk. Results: Prudent and caloric dietary patterns were identified. The caloric pattern was associated with BC risk (Model 1: ORadj: 5.07, 95%CI:1.44-17.84, p = 0.011; Model 2: ORadj: 4.99 (95%CI:1.39-17.92, p = 0.014). Intense frying, meat grilling and poultry resulted in a significant BC risk (Model 1: ORadj: 5.54,95%CI: 2.13-14.41), p < 0.001; Model 2: ORadj: 5.12, 95%CI: 1.83-14.31, p = 0.002). At Oestrogen exposure of <32 years, there was an association between dietary patterns and BC risk (ORadj: 4.69, 95%CI: 1.01-21.92, p = 0.049). The relationship between BC risk and cooking intensity was found in both strata of exposure to oestrogens: <32 years (ORadj: 3.72, 95%CI:1.04-13.33, p = 0.044), and ≥32 years (ORadj: 6.06, 95%CI:1.34-27.42, p = 0.019). Conclusions: A caloric dietary pattern rich in refined carbohydrates and saturated fat, and intense meat product cooking may increase the risk of BC in Mexican women.

Interventions to Improve Bone Mineral Density, Muscle Mass and Fat Mass among Breast Cancer Survivors.

Survivors of breast cancer (BC) are at increased risk of chronic diseases due to factors such as low bone mineral density (BMD) and loss of muscle mass (MM) coupled with increased fat mass (FM). It is important to know that healthy behaviors can mitigate the risk of these complications. A narrative review was performed using PubMed and ScienceDirect to identify diet and physical activity (PA) interventions aimed at improving BMD, MM, and/or FM in female BC survivors. Data from 2000 to 2018 were used and 17 diet and/or PA interventions were identified. The duration of interventions was from 3 weeks until 24 months, the smallest sample was 26 women, and the largest was 223. The ranging age of participants was from 46 to 64 years. Studies with a longer duration, in-person modality and/or that used behavioral models showed better results. In BMD, the best results in spine were observed at 24 months in a face-to-face intervention (increase of 3.08%). Regarding MM, the greatest increase was at 26 weeks under Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in person (43.8 ± 8.7 to 44.7 ± 8.4 kg, p = 0.04). This approach also showed the greatest decrease in FM from 36.7 to 31.2 kg in 4 months (p ≤ 0.01). Improving BMD and MM and preventing the increase of FM is a challenge for public health. More studies are needed to improve BMD among BC survivors and consider strategies that have yielded better results to promote healthy changes.Key teaching pointsBreast cancer survivors are at increased risk for low bone mineral density, loss of muscle mass, and increased fat mass due to the treatments received; the adoption of a healthy diet and physical activity can mitigate these complications.Of the 17 studies included, 8 used the face-to-face modality, 7 combined face-to-face with phone calls and two studies used only phone calls and email; studies that used the face-to-face modality showed better results.For bone mineral density, the best results were observed in spine at 24 months (increase of 3.08%) in a face-to-face intervention.The greatest increase in muscle mass (43.8 to 44.7 kg) was at 26 weeks in a physical activity intervention; the larger amount of fat mass loss was 5.5 kg in a diet and physical activity intervention. Both results were obtained using the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in person.Lifestyle interventions to maintain or improve bone mineral density, muscle mass and fat mass are effective at least for one of these three variables.

Food Security and Obesity among Mexican Agricultural Migrant Workers.

Mexican migrant farm workers are one of the poorest and most marginalized social groups within the country. They face the double burden of malnutrition, food insecurity, as well as harsh living and labor conditions. Objective: To examine the relationship between household food insecurity (HFI) and obesity in a population of migrant farm workers in highly modernized agribusiness areas of Northwest Mexico. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with a concentric (site) (n = 146 households) and systematic selection of participants (adult men and women). Methods included questionnaires regarding socio-demographic characteristics, food security, diet (two non-consecutive 24-h recalls), and physical activity (PA). Anthropometric data included height, weight, and waist circumference. Data analysis covered descriptive statistics, multivariate linear and logistic regression. Results: Sample showed 75% prevalence of overweight and obesity, while 87% of households reported some level of HFI. Mild HFI resulted in five times more probability of farm workers' obesity (OR = 5.18, 95% CI: 1.37-19.58). However, there was a protective effect of HFI for obesity among men (OR 0.089, 95% CI: 0.01-0.58) in a context of intense labor-related PA. Conclusion: There is a difference by gender in the relationship of HFI with obesity prevalence related perhaps to the energy expenditure of male agricultural migrant workers.

Diet, physical activity and telomere length in adults.

INTRODUCTION: Telomere length (TL) is a predictive biomarker of premature aging. Telomere shortening has been linked to age-related diseases and noncommunicable diseases (NCD), and may reflect the effects of behavioral, psychosocial and environmental factors on health status. Telomere attrition can be affected by lifestyle factors such as diet and physical activity. The search of studies included in this review was conducted on PubMed Central database. A majority of studies are cross-sectional, as there is a clear lack of prospective studies to evaluate the individual effect of dietary components, dietary patterns, and physical activity on TL in the long term. The current literature suggests that high adherence to Mediterranean diet (MD), with consumption of antioxidants, fiber and vegetables, as well as seeds and walnuts, is associated with longer TL. The dietary components of a healthy diet, such as carotenoids, vitamins A, C, D, E, polyphenols, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids could help maintain TL. In contrast, a high consumption of sugary beverages, processed meat, and proinflammatory diets is associated with telomere shortening. In a majority of studies TL is positively associated with moderate physical activity. The predominant mechanisms through which a healthy diet and moderate physical exercise could mitigate telomere attrition include decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation. We shall not discuss the associations of possible risk or protective factors in terms of causality since the majority of studies are cross-sectional and randomized controlled trials are limited; accordingly, some results are inconclusive. For future research, we suggest evaluating the individual effects of dietary components, dietary patterns and physical activity, considering repeated measurements and exercise intensity, on TL. It is also advisable to include biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation proteins, and to measure telomerase activity.

INTRODUCCIÓN: La longitud de los telómeros (TL) es un biomarcador predictivo del envejecimiento prematuro. El acortamiento de los telómeros se ha relacionado con las enfermedades asociadas a la edad y las enfermedades no transmisibles (ENT), y puede reflejar los efectos de los factores conductuales, psicosociales y ambientales en el estado de salud. El desgaste de los telómeros puede verse afectado por factores del estilo de vida, como la dieta y la actividad física. La búsqueda de los estudios incluidos en esta revisión se realizó en la base de datos PubMed Central. La mayoría de los estudios son transversales, por lo que está clara la falta de estudios prospectivos que evalúen el efecto individual de los componentes dietéticos, los patrones dietéticos y la actividad física sobre el TL a largo plazo. Los componentes dietéticos de una dieta saludable, como los carotenoides, las vitaminas A, C, D, E, los polifenoles, la fibra y los ácidos grasos omega-3, podrían ayudar a mantener la TL. En contraste, el alto consumo de bebidas azucaradas, carne procesada y dietas proinflamatorias se asocia al acortamiento de los telómeros. En la mayoría de los estudios, el TL se asocia positivamente con la actividad física moderada. Los mecanismos predominantes que podrían mitigar el desgaste de los telómeros son la disminución del estrés oxidativo y la inflamación. No se discute la asociación de posibles factores de riesgo o de protección en términos de causalidad, ya que la mayoría de los estudios son transversales y los ensayos controlados aleatorios son limitados; por consiguiente, algunos resultados no son concluyentes. Para investigaciones futuras se sugiere evaluar los efectos individuales de los componentes dietéticos, los patrones de actividad física y dietética. También es aconsejable incluir biomarcadores de estrés oxidativo y proteínas inflamatorias, y medir la actividad de la telomerasa.

Comparison of Measurements of Bone Mineral Density in Young and Middle-Aged Adult Women in Relation to Dietary, Anthropometric and Reproductive Variables.

The objective of this study was to compare current measurements of bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and total femur (TF) regions with initial values recorded 12 years ago in women from Northwest Mexico, and evaluate their correlation with dietary, anthropometric, and reproductive variables. BMD was assessed by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Participants were grouped as follows: Nulliparous (G1); women who were mothers 12 years ago (G2); and women who were nulliparous 12 years ago, but are now mothers (G3). In all three groups, current LS BMD was higher than initial (p ≤ 0.05) and current TF BMD in G2 was higher than initial values (p ≤ 0.05). When comparing current FN and TF BMD among the three groups, G2 had higher values than G3 (p ≤ 0.05). G2 also showed higher LS BMD than G1 and G3 (p = 0.006). Age at menarche was inversely-correlated with FN and TF BMD in G1 (p < 0.01), while the body mass index (BMI) correlated positively with all three bone regions in G2 (p < 0.05). This study shows that in women without and with children, age at menarche, BMI, and age were factors associated to BMD in healthy subjects in reproductive age.

Central obesity and body fat, but not body mass index, are associated with the Pro12Ala polymorphism in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ gene in a population with a high consumption of saturated and trans-fatty acids.

The relationship of the Pro12Ala polymorphism in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) gene with obesity and its modulation by dietary fat has been proposed, but the few studies addressing this issue have yielded controversial results. In a Mexican population characterized by high-fat consumption, we hypothesized that the Pro12Ala PPARγ genotype is related to obesity and this relationship is modulated by intake of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and trans-fatty acids (TFAs). We recruited 69 adults for this cross-sectional study. The Pro12Ala PPARγ polymorphism was determined from blood genomic DNA by using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Pro12Ala showed a positive association with central obesity (adjusted odds ratio, 7.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-45.77; P = .032) and percentage of body fat (%BF; adjusted odds ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.17; P = .048), suggesting that Pro12Ala carriers are more likely to have central obesity and a higher %BF than Pro12Pro carriers. A modifying effect was observed for the SFAs strata: we found a significant association between the Pro12Ala polymorphism and %BF in the high-SFA-intake stratum (P < .04), but not in the low-intake stratum (P > .7). No modifying effect was observed for the TFAs strata. In addition, the impact of total energy intake on obesity in Pro12Ala carriers seemed to be stronger than that in the wild-type genotype carriers. As hypothesized, our data demonstrated a relationship between the Pro12Ala PPARγ polymorphism and the presence of obesity, which is modulated by SFA intake but not TFA intake.

[Interventions to improve healthy lifestyles and their effects on psychological variables among breast cancer survivors: a systematic review]. / Intervenciones para promover estilos de vida saludables y su efecto en las variables psicológicas en sobrevivientes de cáncer de mama: revisión sistemática.

INTRODUCTION: strategies to improve diet and physical activity (PA) in intervention studies among breast cancer (BC) survivors can increase adherence to healthy lifestyles and improve some psychological variables such a quality of life, sleep quality, and anxiety. OBJECTIVE: to analyze studies about interventions on diet, PA and psychological variables in BC survivors; to evaluate the obtained results, and determine the methodology and strategy used. METHODOLOGY: the search was conducted from March 2016 to December 2017 in PubMed and Google Schoolar Metasearch. We reviewed the existing literature from 2006 to 2017 about lifestyle interventions in breast cancer survivors and their effect on psychological variables. Free-access publications in English and Spanish were included, and abstracts of congresses, restricted access or study protocols were excluded. For the identification of the articles, the following keywords or their combination were used: diet and breast cancer, physical activity and breast cancer, anxiety, depression, quality of life, psychological variables. From the selected articles, a qualitative analysis was carried out considering the methodology used, the strategy under which the changes were promoted, and achievements at the end of the program. RESULTS: sixteen intervention studies were identified, and 100% of them obtained positive results. The practice of physical activity improved quality of life and decreased fatigue, anxiety and depression. The interventions that used healthy changes based on diet reported that survivors improved their quality of life and sleep quality, and decreased fatigue and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: there are few interventions aimed at improving diet and PA that consider psychological variables in BC survivors; although all have obtained positive results, it is not known whether these results are maintained in the long term.

Introducción: las estrategias para mejorar la dieta y actividad física (AF) en estudios de intervención en sobrevivientes de cáncer de mama (CaMa) pueden aumentar la adherencia a estilos de vida saludables y mejorar algunas variables psicológicas como calidad de sueño, calidad de vida y ansiedad.Objetivo: analizar estudios sobre intervenciones en dieta y AF y su efecto en variables psicológicas en sobrevivientes de CaMa, evaluar los resultados obtenidos, metodología y estrategia utilizadas.Metodología: la búsqueda se realizó desde marzo de 2016 hasta diciembre de 2017 en PubMed y Metabuscador Google Schoolar. Se revisó la literatura existente de 2006 a 2017 sobre intervenciones de estilo de vida en sobrevivientes de cáncer de mama y su efecto en variables psicológicas. Se incluyeron publicaciones de acceso libre en inglés y español y se excluyeron aquellos que fueran resúmenes de congresos, de acceso restringido o protocolos de estudios. Para la identificación de artículos se utilizaron las siguientes palabras claves o su combinación: alimentación y cáncer de mama, actividad física y cáncer de mama, ansiedad, depresión, calidad de vida y variables psicológicas. De los artículos seleccionados se llevó a cabo un análisis cualitativo de la metodología utilizada, de la estrategia empleada para promover los cambios y de logros al final del programa.Resultados: se identificaron 16 estudios de intervención; el 100% obtuvo resultados positivos. La práctica de actividad física mejoró la calidad de vida y disminuyó la fatiga, la ansiedad y la depresión. En las intervenciones donde se hicieron cambios saludables en la alimentación, las sobrevivientes mejoraron su calidad de vida y la calidad de sueño y disminuyeron la fatiga y los síntomas depresivos.Conclusiones: son pocas las intervenciones para mejorar dieta y AF que consideran variables psicológicas en sobrevivientes de CaMa; aunque todas han obtenido resultados positivos, no se conoce si estos se mantienen a largo plazo.

Dietary Changes and Gut Dysbiosis in Children With Type 1 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: Gut dysbiosis in type 1 diabetes (T1D), characterized by high Bacteroides proportion, tends to reverse as T1D progresses, without reaching full recovery. Since diet influences microbiota structure, the aim was to evaluate the impact of dietary changes on Bacteroides proportion the first year of T1D evolution. METHODS: Dietary intake was assessed by 24-hour recalls and Bacteroides proportion by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, in 10 Mexican children (11.6 ± 1.92 years) with T1D at baseline and 3, 6 and 9 months' follow-up. Repeated measures analysis of variance and multiple linear regression were performed to compare ingested nutrients in relation with Bacteroides proportion. Effects over time were evaluated by mixed regression models. RESULTS: Patients with T1D decreased their energy (2621.89 to 1867.85 kcal, p = 0.028), protein (83.06 to 75.17 g, p = 0.012), and saturated fat consumption (40.83 to 25.23 g, p = 0.031) from baseline to 3 months, without posterior changes. Bacteroides proportion increased in the first months and tended to decrease at around 9 months (p > 0.05) and was positively correlated with saturated fat (ß = 3.70, p = 0.009) and total carbohydrates (ß = 0.73, p = 0.005) at 3 months. Carbohydrate consumption was related to decreased Bacteroides abundance over time (ß = -14.9, p = 0.004), after adjusting for glycosylated hemoglobin. CONCLUSIONS: Besides autoimmunity, diet appears to have a central role determining the T1D-associated dysbiosis evolution.

Phytoestrogen Concentrations in Human Urine as Biomarkers for Dietary Phytoestrogen Intake in Mexican Women.

There has been substantial interest in phytoestrogens, because of their potential effect in reducing cancer and heart disease risk. Measuring concentrations of phytoestrogens in urine is an alternative method for conducting epidemiological studies. Our objective was to evaluate the urinary excretion of phytoestrogens as biomarkers for dietary phytoestrogen intake in Mexican women. Participants were 100 healthy women from 25 to 80 years of age. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and a 24 h recall were used to estimate habitual and recent intakes of isoflavones, lignans, flavonols, coumestrol, resveratrol, naringenin, and luteolin. Urinary concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) using the electrospray ionization interface (ESI) and diode array detector (DAD) (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS). Spearman correlation coefficients were used to evaluate associations between dietary intake and urine concentrations. The habitual consumption (FFQ) of total phytoestrogens was 37.56 mg/day. In urine, the higher compounds were naringenin (60.1 µg/L) and enterolactone (41.7 µg/L). Recent intakes (24 h recall) of isoflavones (r = 0.460, p < 0.001), lignans (r = 0.550, p < 0.0001), flavonoids (r = 0.240, p < 0.05), and total phytoestrogens (r = 0.410, p < 0.001) were correlated to their urinary levels. Total phytoestrogen intakes estimated by the FFQ showed higher correlations to urinary levels (r = 0.730, p < 0.0001). Urinary phytoestrogens may be useful as biomarkers of phytoestrogen intake, and as a tool for evaluating the relationship of intake and disease risk in Mexican women.

Body shape, adiposity index, and mortality in postmenopausal women: Findings from the Women's Health Initiative.

OBJECTIVE: Studies evaluating the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mortality demonstrate a U-shaped association. To expand, this study evaluated the relationship between adiposity indices, a body shape index (ABSI) and body adiposity index (BAI), and mortality in 77,505 postmenopausal women. METHODS: A prospective cohort analysis was conducted in the Women's Health Initiative to ascertain the independent relationships between adiposity indices and mortality in order to inform on the clinical usefulness of alternate measures of mortality risk. ABSI (waist circumference (cm)/[BMI(2/3) × height (cm)(1/2) ]), BAI (hip circumference (cm)/[height (m)(1.5) ] - 18), weight, BMI, and waist circumference (WC) were evaluated in relation to mortality risk using adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS: ABSI showed a linear association with mortality (HR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.28-1.47 for quintile 5 vs. 1) while BMI and BAI had U-shaped relationships with HR of 1.30; 95% CI, 1.20-1.40 for obesity II/III BMI and 1.06, 95% CI, 0.99-1.13 for BAI. Higher WC (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.13-1.29 for quintile 5 vs. 1) showed relationships similar to BMI. CONCLUSIONS: ABSI appears to be a clinically useful measure for estimating mortality risk, perhaps more so than BAI and BMI in postmenopausal women.

Serum levels of phytoestrogens as biomarkers of intake in Mexican women.

Phytoestrogens have generated interest in human health in view of their potential effect to reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. Serum levels of phytoestrogens have been proposed as an alternative to measure the exposure of phytoestrogens. We evaluated the use of serum as a biomarker of phytoestrogen's intake in healthy women. Phytoestrogens in serum (luteolin, kaempferol, equol, biochanin A, formononetin, quercetin, naringenin, coumestrol, secoisolariciresinol, genistein, matairesinol, enterolactone, enterodiol, daidzein, glycitein and resveratrol) were analyzed by HPLC-ESI-MS. Subjects were asked to recall all foods and beverages consumed the previous 24 h. Association of dietary intake and serum concentrations was performed by Spearman correlation. Correlations were found for naringenin (r = 0.47, p < 0.001), luteolin (r = 0.4 p < 0.001), genistein (r = 0.32, p < 0.01) enterolactone (r = 0.35, p = 0.0553), coumestrol (r = 0.26, p = 0.0835) and resveratrol (r = 0.29, p = 0.0517). Serum levels as biomarkers of intake along with a 24-h recall would be useful in order to investigate the relationship between phytoestrogens and health.

[INFLUENCE OF REPRODUCTIVE FACTORS, BREASTFEEDING AND OBESITY ON THE RISK OF BREAST CANCER IN MEXICAN WOMEN]. / INFLUENCIA DE LOS FACTORES REPRODUCTIVOS, LA LACTANCIA MATERNA Y LA OBESIDAD SOBRE EL RIESGO DE CÁNCER DE MAMA EN MUJERES MEXICANAS.

Breast cancer (BC) is considered a global public health problem, and is the most frequently type diagnosed in Mexican women. Therefore, it is important to study the risk factors associated to this neoplasia in order to establish prevention strategies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hormonal contraceptives and hormone therapy (HT) use and period of use, breastfeeding practice, abdominal obesity and weight gain in adulthood, on the risk of BC in adult women from Northwest Mexico. This was a case-control study that included 162 women (81 cases and 81 controls). A sociodemographic and health questionnaire, and a survey history of body weight were applied to participants. Measurements of body weight, height and waist circumference were performed. To assess the association between BC risk and exposing factors, a multivariate logistic regression model was used. Average age of cases and controls were 51.8 ± 11.7 and 51.4 ± 11.3 years, respectively. No significant association was found between the use and period of use of hormonal contraceptives and HT with the risk of BC. The practice of breastfeeding (OR=0.34, 95%CI: 0.12- 0.92) and the time of exclusive breastfeeding (OR=0.64, 95%CI: 0.42-0.97; crude) were protective against the risk of BC. Abdominal obesity (OR=0.93, 95%CI: 0.90-0.97) and weight gain in early adulthood (OR=0.90, 95%CI: 0.85-0.95) were inversely associated to the risk of BC. In conclusion, the practice of breastfeeding may help prevent BC in Mexican women.

El cáncer de mama (CaMa) es considerado un problema de salud pública mundial, ocupando en México el primer lugar de incidencia en la mujer, por lo que es importante estudiar los factores de riesgo asociados para contribuir al establecimiento de estrategias de prevención. El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar el efecto del uso y el tiempo de utilización de anticonceptivos hormonales y terapia hormonal (TH), práctica de lactancia materna (LM), obesidad abdominal y el incremento de peso en la edad adulta sobre el riesgo de CaMa en mujeres adultas del noroeste de México. Fue un estudio de casos y controles que incluyó a 162 mujeres (81 casos y 81 controles). Las participantes respondieron un cuestionario sociodemográfico y de salud, una encuesta de historial de peso corporal y se realizaron mediciones de peso corporal, estatura y circunferencia de cintura. Se utilizó regresión logística multivariada para evaluar la asociación entre los factores de exposición y la neoplasia. La edad promedio de los casos fue de 51,8 ± 11,7 años y la de los controles de 51,4 ± 11,3 años. No se encontró asociación significativa del uso y tiempo de uso de anticonceptivos hormonales y de TH con la neoplasia. La práctica de LM (RM = 0,34, IC 95%: 0,12 - 0,92) y el tiempo de lactancia materna exclusiva (LME) (RM = 0,64, IC 95%: 0,42 - 0,97; cruda) resultaron factores protectores contra el CaMa. La obesidad abdominal (RM = 0,93, IC 95%: 0,90 - 0,97) y el incremento de peso (RM = 0,90, IC 95%: 0,85 - 0,95) tuvieron una asociación inversa con el riesgo de CaMa. Se concluye que la práctica de LM pudiera ayudar a la prevención del CaMa en mujeres mexicanas.

Depression and quality of life before and after breast cancer diagnosis in older women from the Women's Health Initiative.

PURPOSE: Distress and reduced quality of life (QOL) are common among people with cancer. No study has compared these variables after breast cancer diagnosis to pre-cancer diagnosis levels. METHODS: Data on women with breast cancer 50 years of age or older (n = 6949) were analyzed from the Women's Health Initiative (1993-2013). Health-related QOL (physical function, mental health) was measured using Rand-36. Depressive symptoms were measured with the six-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Assessments occurred before and after the cancer diagnosis. Hierarchical linear modeling compared pre-cancer QOL and depressive symptoms to levels post-diagnosis and tested whether pre-cancer physical activity, stressful life events, sleep disturbance, and pain predicted post-diagnosis outcomes. RESULTS: Compared with pre-cancer levels, depressive symptoms increased (20.0% increase at 0-6 months, 12.9% increase at 6-12 months), while physical function (-3.882 points at 0-6 months, -3.545 at 6-12 months) and mental health decreased (-2.899 points at 0-6 months, -1.672 at 6-12 months) in the first year after diagnosis (all p < .01). Depressive symptoms returned to pre-cancer levels after 10 years, but QOL remained significantly lower. At more than 10 years post-diagnosis, physical function was 2.379 points lower than pre-cancer levels (p < 0.01) while mental health was 1.922 points lower (p < 0.01). All pre-cancer predictors were associated with all outcomes. Pain predicted uniquely greater decreases in physical function post-diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms increased and QOL decreased following breast cancer diagnosis compared with pre-cancer levels, particularly in the first year. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: QOL may remain lower for years after breast cancer diagnosis, although decreases are small.

Production of interferon α and ß, pro-inflammatory cytokines and the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) in obese subjects infected with influenza A/H1N1.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Obesity was recognized as an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality during last influenza A/H1N1 pandemic. Mechanisms involved in the high mortality risk from obesity during influenza A virus include reduced type I interferon production and delayed pro-inflammatory response, which lead to a higher rate of morbidity and mortality in murine models. In this study, we evaluated the production of type I interferons, pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from obese and lean subjects with and without confirmed infection of influenza A/H1N1. The expression levels of the suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS1), SOCS3 and nuclear factor-kB were also evaluated. METHODS: Cytokines were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and/or by ELISA in PBMCs stimulated with toll like receptor-3 (TLR-3) and TLR-7 ligands. The mRNA expression of SOCS1 and SOCS3 were evaluated by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: The obese volunteers infected with influenza A/H1N1 showed a diminished ability to produce type I interferon in response to TLR-3 ligand. Interestingly, the pro-inflammatory response was also affected in TLR-3 stimulated PBMCs. Obese influenza-free volunteers showed an increased basal expression of SOCS3, but not SOCS1. During influenza infection, SOCS1 and SOCS3 expression was higher in the lean infected volunteers in contrast to those who were obese infected. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that obesity is related to TLR-3 impairment and explain, at least in part, the inadequate immune response of obese individuals during infection with influenza A/H1N1 virus.

Amino acid composition, score and in vitro protein digestibility of foods commonly consumed in northwest Mexico.

A better knowledge of the amino acid composition of foods commonly consumed in different regions is essential to calculate their scores and, therefore, to predict their protein quality. This paper presents the amino acid composition, amino acid score and in vitro protein digestibility of fifteen foods that are commonly consumed in Northwest Mexico. The foods were prepared by the traditional methods and were analyzed by reverse-phase HPLC. The chemical score for each food was determined using the recommendations for children of 1-2 years of age, and the digestibility was evaluated using a multienzyme technique. Lysine was the limiting amino acid in cereal-based products (scores 15 to 54), and methionine and cysteine were limiting in legume products (scores 41 to 47), boiled beef (score = 75) and hamburger (score = 82). The method of preparation had an effect on the content of certain amino acids, some of them increased and others decreased their content. Meat products and regional cheese provided a high amino acid score (scores 67 to 91) and digestibility (80.7 to 87.8%). Bologna, a processed meat product, had a lower digestibility (75.4%). Data on the amino acid composition of foods commonly consumed in Mexico can be used to provide valuable information on food analysis and protein quality, and to contribute to nutrition and health research and health programs.

El conocimiento adecuado de la composición de aminoácidos en los alimentos consumidos frecuentemente en las diferentes regiones, es esencial para calcular la calificación de aminoácidos y predecir la calidad proteica de dichos alimentos. Este manuscrito presenta la composición y calificación de aminoácidos, así como la digestibilidad de proteína in vitro de quince alimentos consumidos frecuentemente en el noroeste de México. Los alimentos se prepararon por los métodos tradicionales y se analizaron por cromatografía de líquidos de alta resolución en fase reversa. La calificación química para cada alimento se determinó utilizando las recomendaciones para niños de 1-2 AÑOs de edad, y la digestibilidad se evaluó utilizando un método multienzimático. La lisina fue el aminoácido limitante en los productos a base de cereales (calificación 15 a 54), y metionina y cisteína fueron limitantes en las leguminosas (calificación 41 a 47), carne cocida (calificación 75) y hamburguesa (calificación 82). El método de preparación tuvo un efecto en el contenido de ciertos aminoácidos, algunos de éstos aumentaron y otros disminuyeron su contenido. Los productos cárnicos y el queso regional tuvieron una calificación de aminoácidos (calificación 67 a 91) y digestibilidad (80,7 a 87,8%) elevadas. La bolonia, que es un producto cárnico procesado, tuvo la digestibilidad más baja (75,4%). Los datos de la composición de aminoácidos en alimentos consumidos frecuentemente en México pueden utilizarse para el análisis de alimentos y evaluación de su calidad proteica, y contribuir a la investigación en nutrición y salud.

Decreased interferon-α and interferon-ß production in obesity and expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling.

OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the interferon-α (IFN-α), IFN-ß, and proinflammatory responses induced by Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from obese subjects and their association with suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS1) and SOCS3 expression. METHODS: The IFN responses were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in PBMCs stimulated with TLR-3 and TLR-7 ligands from 30 non-obese (body mass index ≤ 25 kg/m(2)) and 30 obese (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m(2)) volunteers. The mRNA expression of nuclear factor-κB, SOCS1, and SOCS3 also was evaluated by qRT-PCR. Proinflammatory cytokine responses were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Obese subjects showed a decreased ability to produce IFN-α and IFN-ß in response to TLR ligands; this response was associated with increased basal levels of SOCS3 but not SOCS1. However, after stimulation, the expression of SOCS3 and SOCS1 mRNA was significantly lower in PBMCs from obese compared with non-obese subjects. The PBMCs from obese subjects also showed higher basal levels of interleukin-6 and a decreased response of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and interleukin-1ß after stimulation with the TLR-3 ligand compared with PBMCs from non-obese participants. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that obesity is related to impaired IFN-α and IFN-ß responses and increased SOCS3 basal mRNA expression and that a signaling pathway by TLR-3 may be involved. These results could explain, at least in part, the inadequate response of obese people against viral infections, such as influenza.

No changes in weight and body fat in lactating adolescent and adult women from Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate changes in weight and body fat of Mexican adolescent compared to those of adult lactating women from the Northwest (NM) and Central (CM) regions of Mexico in the first trimester postpartum. METHODS: A prospective design was used to evaluate 41 exclusively breastfeeding women (21 adolescents and 20 adults) recruited 1-2 days after delivering a healthy singleton at the Hospital Infantil del Estado de Sonora (Northwest Mexico) and Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, in Mexico City. Socioeconomic status, height, body weight and composition, dietary intake, physical activity, and milk volume (quantified by deuterium dilution method) were measured at the 1st and 3rd month postpartum. RESULTS: Women did not lose weight throughout the first trimester postpartum. Mean postpartum weight retention at the end of the study was 3.8 kg. No differences in weight and body mass index (BMI) were found between adolescent and adult women in both periods. Energy and macronutrient intakes, physical activity and milk volume were similar between the two groups of women. In both periods, adolescents from the CM region had lower weight, BMI, and body fat than adolescents from the NM region (P<0.05). At the 3rd month, pregestational weight (P < 0.0001) was a predictor of BMI, and region (P < 0.05) and milk volume (P < 0.01) were associated with percentage of body fat. CONCLUSIONS: Exclusively breastfeeding for 3 months did not reduce weight or body fat in the Mexican population of this study. Efforts to avoid weight retention in the lactation period may contribute to prevent overweight and obesity in women.