The modifying effect of nutritional factors on the association between IL1-ß single nucleotide polymorphism and serum CXCL10 levels in young Canadian adults.

BACKGROUND: Genetic and nutritional factors play an important role in inflammatory response and diseases. CXCL10 is a critical biomarker that is involved in multiple inflammatory diseases, and elevated levels of CXCL10 have been associated with the development of several chronic and infectious diseases. In contrast, micronutrients can attenuate inflammatory responses. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the pro-inflammatory cytokine genes such as IL-1ß at rs16944 contributed to a number of inflammatory disorders and may substantiate the convergance between chronic and infectious diseases. AIM: This study aims to identify the modifying effect of nutritional factors on the association between IL-1ß genotypes and CXCL10 levels. METHODS: Participants (N = 386) were healthy males and females from the Toronto Nutrigenomics and Health study recruited from the University of Toronto. Levels of micronutrients and inflammatory markers were measured in plasma. IL-1ß genotypes were extracted from the Affymetrix 6.0 SNP chip. RESULTS: CXCL10 levels were not different across different IL-1ß genotypes. Among those with the GA genotype, elevated CXCL10 levels were observed with higher than median ascorbic acid (ß = 0.004 ± 0.002, P = 0.047) or higher than median vitamin D status (ß = 0.003 ± 0.002, P = 0.044). Among participants with the AA genotype, subjects with low α-tocopherol status had elevated levels of CXCL10 (ß = -0.016 ± 0.007, P = 0.012). CONCLUSION: The association between IL-1ß rs16944 genotype and CXCL10 levels was modified by the levels of ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol and vitamin D. These findings may aid in understanding the combined effect of genetic and dietary factors in the development of various infectious and chronic diseases in which IL-1ß and CXCL10 may play an etiological role.

Metabolites of prostaglandin synthases as potential biomarkers of Lyme disease severity and symptom resolution.

BACKGROUND: Lyme disease or Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the commonest vector-borne disease in the North America. It is an inflammatory disease caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The role of the inflammatory processes mediated by prostaglandins (PGs), thromboxanes and leukotrienes (LTs) in LB severity and symptoms resolution is yet to be elucidated. OBJECTIVES: We aim to systematically review and evaluate the role of PGs and related lipid mediators in the induction and resolution of inflammation in LB. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search in PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE(R), Embase and Embase Classic to identify cell-culture, animal and human studies reporting the changes in PGs and related lipid mediators of inflammation during the course of LB. RESULTS: We identified 18 studies to be included into this systematic review. The selected reports consisted of seven cell-culture studies, seven animal studies, and four human studies (from three patient populations). Results from cell-culture and animal studies suggest that PGs and other lipid mediators of inflammation are elevated in LB and may contribute to disease development. The limited number of human studies showed that subjects with Lyme meningitis, Lyme arthritis (LA) and antibiotic-refractory LA had increased levels of an array of PGs and lipid mediators (e.g., LTB4, 8-isoPGF2α, and phospholipases A2 activity). Levels of these markers were significantly reduced following the treatment with antibiotics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. CONCLUSION: Dysregulation of prostaglandins and related lipid mediators may play a role in the etiology of LB and persistence of inflammation that may lead to long-term complications. Further investigation into the precise levels of a wide range of PGs and related factors is critical as it may propose novel markers that can be used for early diagnosis.

Hormonal contraceptive use and prevalence of premenstrual symptoms in a multiethnic Canadian population.

BACKGROUND: Hormonal contraceptive use may be associated with a reduction in some premenstrual symptoms, however, the evidence remains equivocal. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the associations between ethnicity and hormonal contraceptive use with premenstrual symptoms. METHODS: One thousand one hundred two women participating in the Toronto Nutrigenomics and Health Study provided data on their premenstrual symptoms and hormonal contraceptive use. Severity of symptoms was classified as none, mild, moderate, or severe. Prevalence of premenstrual symptoms was determined in the total population and among major ethnic groups. Logistic regressions were used to determine the association between ethnicity and prevalence of premenstrual symptoms. Logistic regressions were used to determine the associations between hormonal contraceptive use, and premenstrual symptoms, adjusting for ethnicity and other covariates. RESULTS: Prevalence of individual symptoms varied, and the most commonly reported were cramps (75%), bloating (75%), mood swings (73%), increased appetite (64%), and acne (62%). Prevalence of cramps differed between ethnic groups with East Asians reporting a lower prevalence than Caucasians and South Asians (p < 0.05). Use of hormonal contraceptives was associated with a lower RR (95% CI) of experiencing moderate/severe: cramps (0.82, 0.72-0.93), clumsiness (0.22, 0.07-0.73), confusion (0.22, 0.09-0.54) and desire to be alone (0.45, 0.28-0.73). Hormonal contraceptive use was not associated with the risk of premenstrual symptoms at mild severity. Hormonal contraceptive use was not associated with symptoms of anxiety, bloating, mood swings, increased appetite, acne, fatigue, sexual desire, depression, nausea, headache and insomnia. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that East Asians may be at a lower risk of experiencing premenstrual cramps and that hormonal contraceptive use is associated with a lower risk of experiencing many, but not all, premenstrual symptoms at moderate/severe severity.