[Oxidative stress and immune response in eumenorrheic underweight patients]. / Stresul oxidativ si raspunsul imun la pacientele subponderale eumenoreice.

Malnutrition is known to induce a state of immunodeficiency and a predisposition to death from infectious diseases. During fasting or starvation, it appears that oxidative stress is decreased. The goal of our study was to assess the interrelation between nutritional factors, oxidative stress and immune response. The malondialdehyde (MDA)-marker of lipid peroxidation, white blood cell count, differential count and hormonal status (FSH, LH, and cortisol) were followed in eumenorrheic underweight patients. MDA was significantly lower and lymphocyte count was significantly increased in eumenorrheic underweight patients as compared to normal weight patients. Gonadal and adrenal axes were found normal in eumenorrheic underweight patients. Body mass index was positively correlated with MDA and negatively correlated with lymphocyte count. Low levels of lipid peroxidation and non-suppressed immune function in underweight patients may be explained by an increased sensitivity to leptin but further studies are requested.

Flaxseed supplementation in hyperlipidemic patients.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of daily consumption of dietary flaxseed (as a source of linolenic acid, LNA) on plasma lipid concentrations in mildly hyperlipidemic patients. METHODS: 40 hyperlipidemic patients with plasma total cholesterol greater than 240 mg/dL were distributed in 3 groups: 10 patients who received hypo-lipidic diet (diet group), 10 patients who received hypo-lipidic diet plus statins (diet+HL group), 20 patients who received hypo-lipidic diet plus 20 g ground flax-seeds/day (diet+flax group). Body mass index (BMI), serum total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG) and cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio were measured at the beginning and after 60 days of treatment. RESULTS: Flaxseed supplementation was associated with significant reductions in TC (-17.2%), LDL-C (-3.9%), TG (-36.3%) and TC/HDL-C ratio (-33.5%). There were no significant differences in absolute change in BMI nor in percentage change in TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, TC/HDL-C ratio between flaxseed and statin groups. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary flaxseed significantly improves lipid profile in hyperlipidemic patients and may favorably modify cardiovascular risk factors.