Serum selenium and fasting blood glucose: a cross-sectional study in women of different menopause status.

BACKGROUND: This cross-sectional study aims to explore whether there exists an interaction between selenium and menopause concerning type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevalence and its related indicators such as fasting blood glucose (FBG) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). METHODS: 150 women aged 35-60 years old were finally analyzed in this study. Multivariate linear or logistic regression modeling was conducted to explore the association of selenium and the prevalence of T2D besides its related indicators. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on menopause status to assess the potential impact on the relationship. RESULTS: In the fully adjusted model, serum selenium was positively associated with FBG (ß: 0.03, CI: 0.01-0.05) and the prevalence of T2D (OR: 1.04, CI: 1.00-1.08). After stratifying the data by menopause status, compared with the postmenopausal women group, as the serum selenium concentrations increased, the FBG concentrations were significantly higher in the premenopausal women group (p for interaction = 0.0020). CONCLUSIONS: The present study found serum selenium was positively associated with FBG and the prevalence of T2D. Furthermore, the relationship between serum selenium and FBG was different in the premenopausal and postmenopausal women. More studies are still needed in the future to verify the relationship as well as to explore the specific mechanisms.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a two-sample Mendelian randomization combined with meta-analysis.

Accumulating evidence from observational studies have suggested an association between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, due to that such studies are prone to biases, we imported Mendelian randomization (MR) to explore whether the causal association between two diseases exsit. Hence, we aimed to analysis the potential association with MR. The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of GERD were retrieved from the genome-wide association study dataset as the exposure. The SNPs of NAFLD were taken from the FinnGen dataset as the outcome. The relationship was analyzed with the assistance of inverse variance weighted, MR-Egger, and weighted median. We also uitilized the MR-Egger intercept, Cochran's Q test, leave-one-out analysis, MR-PRESSO, and Steiger directionality test to evaluate the robustness of the causal association. The meta-analysis were also implemented to give an overall evaluation. Finally, our analysis showed a causal relationship between GERD and NAFLD with aid of MR and meta-analysis (OR 1.71 95% CI 1.40-2.09; P < 0.0001).

Association between serum vitamin E and bacterial vaginitis in women: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Bacterial vaginitis (BV) is a common vaginal disease. Vitamin E has been shown to reduce BV by enhancing immune function, but no studies have analyzed the relationship between vitamin E and BV at different BMIs and ages. METHOD: This study used 2242 participants from four cycles of NHANES 1999-2006 in American. Participants' vitamin E levels were divided into four groups, and analyses such as study population description, stratified analysis, multiple logistic regression analysis, and curve fitting were performed. To perform data processing, the researchers used the statistical package R (The R Foundation; http://www.r-project.org ; version 3.6.3) and Empower Stats software ( www.empowerstats.net , X&Y solutions, Inc. Boston, Massachusetts). RESULT: The concentrations of serum vitamin E were negatively correlated with the risk of BV, especially when vitamin E were at 1198-5459ug/dL with (OR = -0.443, 95%CI = 0.447-0.923, P = 0.032) or without (OR = -0.521, 95%CI = 0.421-0.837, P = 0.006) adjustment for variables. At the same time, at lower levels, there was no significant association. Vitamin E supplementation may significantly reduce the risk of BV (p < 0.001). In addition, the risk of having BV decreased and then increased with increasing vitamin E concentrations at high BMI levels (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Vitamin E at moderate to high concentrations may significantly reduce BV risk, says the study, providing clinical evidence for the prevention and the treatment of BV.

Association between coffee and caffeine intake and risk of COPD: Findings based on NHANES 2007-2012.

BACKGROUND: The association between coffee and caffeine intake and the risk of COPD and lung function has not been thoroughly discussed in Americans, with subgroup and threshold effects remaining unclear. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the association between coffee and caffeine consumption and the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as lung function utilizing data from the NHANES 2007-2012. METHODS: We assessed the associations of coffee and caffeine consumption with the risk of COPD and lung function parameters, including FEV1 and FVC, adjusting for common demographic and disease characteristics in a cross-sectional analysis of NHANES data. RESULTS: A total of 9763 participants were included in the study, and 592 were diagnosed with COPD. Multivariate regression models revealed positive associations between coffee and caffeine consumption and the risk of COPD and lung function. Subgroup analyses stratified by sex, DM, hypertension status, and smoking habits identified potential effect modifiers as well as inflection points from threshold effect examinations. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this cross-sectional study indicated significant positive correlations between coffee and caffeine consumption and the risk of COPD. Additionally, positive correlations between exposure variables and FEV1 and FVC were detected. Among the stratification factors, smoking status exhibited the most potential for modifying effects. Future practices and research are needed to validate the results and explore the underlying mechanisms.

Impact of age, sex, and thyroid autoimmunity on the association between selenium intake and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: The association between dietary selenium(Se) intake and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains controversial. The present study aimed to investigate this association using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database for the years 2007-2012. METHODS: Three thousand seventy three individuals aged 20 years and above were eligible for inclusion in this cross-sectional study. The average age of the participants was 50.74 years and the proportions of males and females were nearly equal (49.12% vs. 50.88%). The odds ratios (OR) of the association between dietary Se intake (log2-transformed) and T2DM were examined through the multivariate logistic regression model. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on age, sex, and thyroid autoimmunity to assess the potential impact of these variables on the relationship. Fitted smoothing curves and threshold effect analysis were conducted to describe the nonlinear relationship. RESULTS: In the fully adjusted model, a significant positive association between Se intake and T2DM was observed (OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.16, 1.90, p = 0.0017). After stratifying the data by age, sex, and thyroid autoimmunity, a significant positive association between Se intake and T2DM was observed in individuals under 65 years of age, males, and those with negative thyroid autoimmunity. A two-segment linear regression model was analyzed for sex stratification, revealing a threshold effect in males with an inflection point of 90.51 µg, and an inverted U-shaped relationship in females with an inflection point of 109.90 µg, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present study found a positive relationship between Se intake and the prevalence of T2DM. This association is particularly significant in younger individuals, males, and those with negative thyroid autoimmunity. Our results should be validated in future large prospective studies in different populations.

The Association Between Dietary Magnesium Intake with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Lung Function in US Population: a Cross-sectional Study.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is now considered among the top three contributors to mortality globally. There is limited understanding surrounding the contribution of magnesium to the progression of COPD. This survey aims to evaluate the connection between dietary magnesium intake and both lung function and COPD prevalence among the US population. The research comprised 4865 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program conducted from 2007 to 2012. To evaluate the association between dietary magnesium intake and lung function as well as COPD, the study conducted multiple regression analyses, stratified analyses, and smoothed curves. In this study, we explored the relationship between higher magnesium intake and higher FEV1 [ß = 0.21 (95% CI 0.12, 0.30)] and FVC [ß = 0.25 (95% CI 0.14, 0.36)] after accounting for all potential confounding factors. We demonstrated a relationship between increased magnesium intake and reduced odds of developing COPD [OR = 0.9993 (95% CI 0.9987, 1.0000)]. The results of stratified analyses further indicated that the relationship between magnesium intake and the risk of COPD is more pronounced in the 40-60 age group and males. The study demonstrated positive associations between the intake of dietary magnesium and both FEV1 and FVC. Additionally, an adverse relationship between magnesium intake and the prevalence of COPD was also observed, suggesting that supplementation with magnesium may be a practical approach to preventing and managing COPD.

Coffee consumption and periodontitis: a Mendelian Randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, coffee consumption has been growing in the United States over the past 20 years. Periodontitis is defined by the pathologic loss of the periodontal ligament and destruction of the connective tissue attachment and alveolar bone loss and is related to different systemic diseases and conditions. However, the causality has remained unclarified, thus we regarded discovering the causal relationship between coffee consumption and the liability to periodontitis as the objective of the study. METHODS: Coffee consumption was subdivided into binary coffee consumption and continuous coffee consumption to refine the study design. Genetic instruments were stretched from the MRC-IEU's (MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit) output from the GWAS pipeline using phesant-derived variables based on the UK Biobank, the Gene-Lifestyle Interactions in Dental Endpoints (GLIDE) project, and the joint meta-analysis of a recent GWAS. The IVW (Inverse Variance Weighted) was regarded as the primary method to estimate the causality, a scatter plot revealed the intuitive result, and tests for stability were also carried out. RESULTS: An effect of continuous coffee consumption on the risk of periodontitis was found, with per SD of coffee consumed increases, the risk of periodontitis rises by 1.04% (Odds Ratio of IVW is 1.0104), while the effect of binary coffee consumption on periodontitis did not meet the requirement of indicating a strong causal association, neither were the reverse causality analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated the causality of continuous coffee consumption to the risk of periodontitis with a relatively small scale of effect estimate and no strong evidence for an effect of binary coffee-consuming behavior on periodontitis. There was also no intensive evidence suggesting reverse causality.

Serum folate associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and advanced hepatic fibrosis.

The role played by serum folate in the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of serum folate with NAFLD and advanced liver fibrosis (AHF). We conducted a cross-sectional study with 5417 participants using 2011-2018 NHANES data. Multiple logistic regression analysis and propensity score matching analysis were used to investigate the association of serum folate with NAFLD and AHF. In the completely adjusted model, participants in the high serum folate group had a 27% (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.62, 0.87, p = 0.0003) and 53% (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.35, 0.63, p < 0.0001) lower odds of suffering from NAFLD and AHF, respectively, compared to the low serum folate group. The similar results in propensity score matching further validated the above association. Stratified analysis showed that the negative correlation of serum folate with NAFLD and AHF demonstrated a broad consistency across populations. The results of this study indicate that higher serum folate level was associated with lower odds of NAFLD and AHF among US adults. Further prospective studies are necessary due to the limitations of cross-sectional studies.

Negative associations between folate and bacterial vaginosis in the NHANES 2001 to 2004.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is one of the most common infections among women of reproductive age and accounts for 15-50% of infections globally. The role played by folate in the pathogenesis and progression of BV is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between serum folate, red blood cell (RBC) folate, and BV in American women. METHODS: 1,954 participants from the 2001-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program were included in this study. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the association between serum folate, RBC folate, and BV, and covariates including race, age, education level, and body mass index were used to construct adjusted models. Stratified analysis was used to explore the stability of the above associations in different populations. RESULTS: In the present cross-sectional study, we found that serum folate and RBC folate were inversely associated with the risk of BV. In the fully adjusted model, the risk of BV was reduced by 35% (OR=0.65, 95% CI: 0.51~0.83, p=0.0007) in the highest serum folate group and 32% (OR=0.68, 95% CI: 0.53~0.87, p=0.0023) in the highest RBC folate group compared to the lowest group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicated that serum folate and RBC folate were inversely associated with the risk of BV folate supplementation may play an important role in the prevention and management of BV.

Identifying effective diagnostic biomarkers for childhood cerebral malaria in Africa integrating coexpression analysis with machine learning algorithm.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral malaria (CM) is a manifestation of malaria caused by plasmodium infection. It has a high mortality rate and severe neurological sequelae, existing a significant research gap and requiring further study at the molecular level. METHODS: We downloaded the GSE117613 dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to determine the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the CM group and the control group. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was applied to select the module and hub genes most relevant to CM. The common genes of the key module and DEGs were selected to perform further analysis. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression and support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) were applied to screen and verify the diagnostic markers of CM. Eventually, the hub genes were validated in the external dataset. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was applied to investigate the possible roles of the hub genes. RESULTS: The GO and KEGG results showed that DEGs were enriched in some neutrophil-mediated pathways and associated with some lumen structures. Combining LASSO and the SVM-RFE algorithms, LEF1 and IRAK3 were identified as potential hub genes in CM. Through the GSEA enrichment results, we found that LEF1 and IRAK3 participated in maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which contributed to improving the prognosis of CM. CONCLUSIONS: This study may help illustrate the pathophysiology of CM at the molecular level. LEF1 and IRAK3 can be used as diagnostic biomarkers, providing new insight into the diagnosis and prognosis prediction in pediatric CM.

Association between red blood cell folate and Trichomonas vaginalis infection among women.

BACKGROUND: Increased folic acid has been found to be latently protective against gynecological infection, including several kinds of vaginosis. In this study, we laid emphasis on whether RBC (Red Blood Cell) folate was associated with the infectious ratio of Trichomonas vaginalis, a kind of anaerobic parasitic protozoan. METHODS: We set RBC folate as the exposure variable and Trichomonas vaginalis as the outcome variable. Other subsidiary variables were regarded as covariates that may work as potential effect modifiers. The cross-sectional study was conducted with two merged waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2001 to 2004, and a sample of 1274 eligible women (1212 negative and 62 positive in Trichomonas vaginalis infection) was integrated for the exploration of the association between RBC folate and Trichomonas vaginalis infection. Multivariate regression analyses, subgroup analyses, and subsequent smooth curve fittings were conducted to estimate the relationship between RBC folate and Trichomonas vaginalis in women. RESULTS: In the multivariable logistic regression analyses, a negative association was observed between stratified RBC folate status and Trichomonas vaginalis infection with all confounders adjusted. Referencing the lowest RBC folate concentration quartile, the higher concentration quartiles reported a relatively lower infection ratio, while there was a weak correlation between total RBC folate concentration and T. vaginalis (Trichomonas vaginalis) infection. In subgroup analyses stratified by BMI and age, this association was only found significant in high age and BMI groups. CONCLUSIONS: The cross-sectional study indicated a negative association between RBC folic acid and Trichomonas vaginalis infection, and latent effects of BMI and age on the association were also found.