Association of lifestyle factors, polymorphisms in adiponectin, perilipin and hormone sensitive lipase, and clinical markers in Japanese males.

According to recent genome-wide association studies, a number of single nucleotide polymorphisms is reported to be associated with diseases or several clinical markers. Among them, adiponectin (ADIPOQ) and perilipin (PLIN) polymorphisms are major factors of obesity. However, the association between lifestyle factor, these polymorphisms and obesity-related clinical markers in Japanese is not well researched. Therefore, the aim of present study is to investigate the association between lifestyle factor, polymorphisms of lipid metabolic genes, and clinical markers in 148 middle-aged Japanese males. The study revealed that ADIPOQ 45 T>G and ADIPOQ 276 G>T genotypes were significantly associated with triglyceride, total cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in blood and body mass index (BMI). PLIN4 11482 G>A and hormone sensitive lipase (LIPE)-60 C>G genotypes were respectively associated with BMI and serum triglyceride. Not only genetic factors but also lifestyle factors influence several clinical markers. The BMI of subjects who like sweets and have the GG allele in ADIPOQ 276 G>T was higher than that of subjects who don't like sweets. The habit of eating fruits and fish affected low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol of the GT allele and HbA1c of the TT allele in ADIPOQ 276 G>T. Those findings indicate improvement and conservation of lifestyle depending on genetic predisposition in ADIPOQ, PLIN and LIPE should be encouraged.

A statistical approach for estimating the distribution of usual dietary intake to assess nutritionally at-risk populations based on the new Japanese Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs).

The health of individuals is not markedly affected by the nutrients ingested in a single day; rather it is influenced by dietary habits over a long period of time. However, it is impossible to survey usual intake directly because recording diet over a long period of time is burdensome for the subjects, so usual dietary intake is rarely measured directly. Instead, we estimated the distribution of selected nutrients in subjects' usual dietary intake using a statistical method (Best-Power method) described previously. And we assessed the proportion of nutritionally at-risk subjects in individual groups based on the new Japanese Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR), or the tentative dietary goal for preventing life-style related diseases (DG) as cut-points. We collected the survey data from 208 men and 251 women, aged 50 to 69 y in 2004 and 2005. The survey was carried out on three non-consecutive days four times each year: in spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The distribution of nutrients in the usual intake was estimated from a dietary survey of 3 d using one-way analyses of variance. We found that the proportion of the population at risk for nutrient deficiency was overestimated in the 1-d intake distribution. On the other hand, the fraction that was nutritionally at-risk in terms of salt intake, according to DG as the cut-point, was underestimated in the 1-d intake distribution: 74.0% of men and 82.5% of women in the 1-d intake, and 90.5% and 93.2%, respectively, for the estimated usual intake adjusted for seasonal variation.

Relationship between dietary folate intakes, maternal plasma total homocysteine and B-vitamins during pregnancy and fetal growth in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Adequate folate status in pregnancy is important for satisfactory pregnancy outcome. AIM OF THE STUDY: The objective of the present study was to evaluate folate status in healthy pregnant women by assessing dietary folate intakes and measuring changes in folate-related biomarkers including plasma tHcy, serum vitamin B(12) (B(12)), and serum and RBC folate concentrations in each trimester and to examine their relation to fetal growth. METHODS: From 94 pregnant women, 3-day-dietary records were obtained and blood was collected for plasma total homocysteine (tHcy), serum B(12), and serum and red-blood cell (RBC) folate measurements. Infant anthropometric measurements were made immediately after birth. RESULTS: Average folate intake was less than 300 microg/day with a mean energy intake of about 1800 kcal. Mean serum and RBC folate concentrations declined significantly during gestation (p < 0.05). Mean serum B(12) also significantly decreased (p < 0.01), whereas plasma tHcy increased from 5.1 in the first trimester to 5.9 micromol/l in the third trimester (p < 0.01). Multiple regression analyses, after controlling for maternal age, parity and pre-pregnancy body-mass index indicated that a 1.0 micromol/l increase in plasma tHcy in the third trimester corresponded to a 151 g decrease in birth weight (p < 0.01). Neither B(12) nor folate concentrations in all three trimesters showed any significant associations with birthweight. Plasma pyridoxal-5'-phosphate concentrations were markedly low, and were consistent with low intake of vitamin B(6) in our population. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that higher plasma tHcy in the third trimester is a predictor of lower birth weight. In general, the dietary intake of B-vitamins and energy may be inadequate in our population, suggesting intervention is necessary.