Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid supplementation on lipid and lipoprotein profile in hypertriglyceridemic subjects with different proliferator-activated receptor alpha genotypes

We determined the blood lipid-lowering effects of eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] on hypertriglyceridemic subjects with Leu162/Val in exon 5 and G/C in intron7 polymorphism of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha [PPAR alpha]genotypes that, to our knowledge, have not been previously studied. A total of 170 hypertriglyceridemic subjects were enrolled and genotyped for Ala54Thr, Leu162Val, and intron 7 polymorphism by the use of a polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism method. After determination of their genotypes, the first 23 eligible subjects who were found as Ala54 carriers and the first 23 eligible Thr54 carriers were enrolled in the study and stratified for PPAR alpha genotypes. Participants took 2 g of pure EPA daily for 8 weeks. Fasting blood lipid and lipoprotein profiles were determined and changes from baseline were measured. We observed significant difference between EPA supplementation and Leu162 and Val162, Interon 7 [GG and GC] carriers [P < 0.001]. We did not observe significant associations between the PPAR alpha L162V single nucleotide polymorphism and multiple lipid and lipoprotein measures. Although EPA consumption lowered lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in Leu162 and Val162 carriers and Interon 7 CC and GC carriers, these differences between the studied groups were not statistically significant. EPA consumption has a lipid-lowering effect in hypertriglyceridemic subjects in both Leu162 and Val162 carriers. But there was no significant interaction between EPA supplementation and PPAR alpha genotypes. Thus, genetic variation within the PPAR alpha Leu162/Val cannot modulate the association of EPA intakes with lipid and lipoprotein profile. However, we must note that the sample size in this study was small

Vitamin E-selenium supplement and clinical responses of active pulmonary tuberculosis

It has been suggested that some micronutrients have antioxidant and immunomodulating effects on the treatment of mycobacterial disease. In this study, we investigated the effect of vitamin E and selenium supplementation on clinical responses in tuberculosis patients. Thirty-five patients with pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosed on the basis of a positive sputum smear for acid fast bacilli or culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis were selected. Serial sputum examinations were performed before the diagnosis and at the end of every 15 days, during two months of therapy; chest X-ray of all patients were also evaluated. In a setting of double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, the patients were divided into two groups. Group I[n=17] received combination of vitamin E and selenium which composed of 140 mg of +-TE and 200 ?g selenium per day, and group II received placebo. All patients in both groups received the same antituberculosis standard therapy. Clinical examination and assessment of micronutrient levels were carried out before and after 2 months of intervention. In group I, elimination of tubercle bacilli from sputum occurred earlier than in group II [6 weeks versus 8 weeks, respectively; p= 0.001]. At the end of the 2[nd] and 6[th] month of therapy, the median reduction in cavity surface area on chest X-ray in group I was significantly more than group II [2[nd] month: 1.5[0.0-4.5 versus 9.0[4.0-18.0];p= 0.03, and 6[th] month: 0.0[0.0-2.3] versus 6.3[1.0-15.8]; p < 0.05, respectively]. Vitamin E plus selenium supplementation may improve the microbiological and radiological outcomes of the treatment in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis