JournalTOCs

Biointerface Research in Applied Chemistry

[3 followers] Follow
This is an Open Access Journal

Open Access journal
ISSN (Print) 2069-5837
Published by Comporter SRL

[1 journal]

Mediterranean Diet and Minimizing Neurodegeneration
- Abstract: Abstract Neurodegenerative diseases, a complex of diseases that ranges from cognitive decline, dementia, to Alzheimer’s disease represent, to date, a public health priority all over the world. Recently, an increasing interest for a possible relationship between diet and cognitive health has been reported. Several models of diet have been proposed but, until now, the highest attention of researchers, clinicians, and institutions has been focused on the Mediterranean diet. Mediterranean diet is a model of diet characterized by a high consumption of complex carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables, legumes, with olive oil as the principal source of fats. Mediterranean diet has been extensively reported to be associated with a favorable health outcome and a better quality of life, but inconsistencies on the possible association with neurodegenerative diseases have been reported. The purpose of this review was to examine the most updated evidence of the beneficial effects of Mediterranean diet on the occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases.
  PubDate: 2013-03-20
Influence of Obesity and Related Metabolic Alterations on Colorectal Cancer Risk
- Abstract: Abstract Obesity and related metabolic alterations have been implicated to play a role in colorectal cancer risk. The metabolic syndrome, as assessed according to current international definitions by the key components, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, and abnormal glucose metabolism, is associated with colorectal cancer. Recent studies suggest that abdominal obesity and abnormal glucose metabolism may primarily account for this association. Visceral adipose tissue is physiologically more active than subcutaneous adipose tissue and generates hormones and cytokines with inflammatory, metabolic, and direct carcinogenic potential, which may directly or indirectly increase colorectal cancer risk. Current evidence suggests that obesity acts as a risk factor for colorectal cancer by several mechanisms, including chronic low-grade inflammation, hyperinsulinemia, as well as alterations in insulin-like growth factor and adipokine concentrations. Metabolic biomarkers reflecting these processes may not only provide clues for etiological understanding of colorectal carcinogenesis but also might be an alternative way to define an “obesity phenotype” that is relevant for colorectal cancer development.
  PubDate: 2013-03-01
The Role of Diabetes and Diabetes Treatments in Colorectal Cancer Mortality, Incidence, and Survival
- Abstract: Abstract Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and colorectal cancer are major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. T2DM and colorectal cancer share common risk factors related to westernized lifestyles, including high body mass index and central adiposity, low physical activity, cigarette smoking, and diets characterized by low intake of fruit and vegetables and high intake of red and processed meats and refined grains and sugars. Epidemiologic studies show that T2DM is quite convincingly associated with higher risk of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, even after accounting for their shared risk factors. Whether T2DM is related to poorer prognosis after colorectal cancer diagnosis is less understood and controversial, although some larger studies suggest poorer prognosis among patients with T2DM. The impact of diabetes treatments, such as metformin or insulin, on colorectal cancer risk also is characterized poorly. This review describes studies on the association of diabetes and its treatments with colorectal cancer mortality, incidence, and survival. Potential clinical and biological explanations for these associations are explored.
  PubDate: 2013-03-01
Evidence for Contributions of Gut Microbiota to Colorectal Carcinogenesis
- Abstract: Abstract The contributions of the commensal gut microbiota to the maintenance of human health have long been contemplated. Whereas earlier studies were limited by an inability to analyze microbiota in sufficient depth, recent advances in the application of high throughput sequencing have allowed for an in-depth microbiota analysis in large numbers of individuals. Multiple lines of evidence have been generated that are supportive of an active role of gut microbiota in colorectal carcinogenesis. Although no single microbe has yet been shown to be causally linked to CRC, contributions of the gut microbiota to colorectal carcinogenesis are evident. Further advances in the field, which should include prospective studies in high-risk cohorts, should generate the data needed to start translating findings into microbiota-based screening and prevention regimen that can help to reduce the burden of CRC.
  PubDate: 2013-03-01
Vitamin D and Colorectal Cancer Prevention: A Review of Epidemiologic Studies
- Abstract: Abstract Vitamin D is hypothesized to prevent cancer development, and its potential anticarcinogenic effect against colorectal cancer has been explored in epidemiologic studies. Epidemiologic studies found that a low circulating level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was associated with higher risk of colorectal cancer, whereas the association for vitamin D intake has not been as clear as for circulating vitamin D levels. A large intervention study on vitamin D supplementation and colorectal cancer did not show a protective benefit against colorectal cancer development, but several possible explanations remain open. Genetic polymorphisms in the pathway of vitamin D metabolism also have drawn attention, and single polymorphism studies and Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have been conducted. Given a relatively high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among industrialized populations, further research on the optimal dose and duration of vitamin D supplementation, interaction with other nutrients or genes, and the appropriate timing of vitamin D interventions is warranted.
  PubDate: 2013-03-01
The mTOR Pathway and the Role of Energy Balance Throughout Life in Colorectal Cancer Etiology and Prognosis: Unravelling Mechanisms Through a Multidimensional Molecular Epidemiologic Approach
- Abstract: Abstract Timing of exposure to lifestyle factors that influence energy balance may differentially affect colorectal cancer (CRC) risk and prognosis. Caloric restriction in youth and short stature, as markers of early-life exposures, have shown to decrease CRC risk, whereas large body size and low physical activity levels in adulthood are established risk factors for CRC. Regarding prognosis, overweight, sarcopenia, and their co-occurrence (sarcopenic obesity) may negatively influence the health and quality of life of CRC survivors. There is mechanistic support for disruption of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway as an underlying mechanism possibly driving these associations, because mTOR integrates signals from growth factors, nutrients, mutagens, and hormones to induce cell proliferation, resistance to apoptosis, and autophagy. However, epidemiologic evidence connecting mTOR to energy-balance-related CRC throughout the lifespan is scarce. This perspective proposes how multidimensional molecular epidemiologic studies can shed light on the etiology and prognosis of energy-balance-related CRC.
  PubDate: 2013-03-01
Association between Alcohol Consumption and Colorectal Cancer Risk
- Abstract: Abstract The 2009 review of human carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) determined that there is sufficient evidence in humans to confirm the carcinogenicity of alcohol consumption. From the ample evidence provided, the positive association between alcohol intake and colorectal cancer risk is convincing. Although the site-specific mechanism by which alcohol intake influences colorectal carcinogenesis remains unknown, one notable mechanism is via an effect on the folate pathway. Genetic polymorphisms, such as aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) and 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), also are suggested to influence the effect of alcohol on colorectal carcinogenesis. Although the mechanism of this carcinogenesis requires further clarification, the avoidance of excess alcohol consumption will substantially contribute to reducing the risk and burden of colorectal cancer attributable to alcohol consumption.
  PubDate: 2013-03-01
Dietary Patterns and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer
- Abstract: Abstract Diet and lifestyle play a significant role in the development of colorectal cancer, but the full complexity of the association is not yet understood. Dietary pattern analysis is an important new technique that may help to elucidate the relationship. This review examines the most common techniques for extrapolating dietary patterns and reviews dietary pattern/colorectal cancer studies published between September 2011 and August 2012. The studies reviewed are consistent with prior research but include a more diverse international population. Results from investigations using a priori dietary patterns (i.e., diet quality scores) and a posteriori methods, which identify existing eating patterns (i.e., principal component analysis), continue to support the benefits of a plant-based diet with some dairy as a means to lower the risk of colorectal cancer, whereas a diet high in meats, refined grains, and added sugar appears to increase risk. The association between colorectal cancer and alcohol remains unclear.
  PubDate: 2013-03-01
The Epidemiologic Evidence and Potential Biological Mechanisms for a Protective Effect of Dietary Fiber on the Risk of Colorectal Cancer
- Abstract: Abstract Cancers of the colon and rectum represent a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide with the burden especially high in North America, Europe, and in some parts of Asia. More than half of the disease burden has been attributed to an inappropriate diet and lifestyle. Low intakes of dietary fiber are considered to be a risk factor for colorectal cancer, although the epidemiological evidence until now has been conflicting in part due to the difficulties in reliably examining the relationships between components of the diet and disease outcomes due to bias, confounding, and measurement error. Results from recently published, large, prospective, cohort studies and from a meta-analysis of the evidence provide “convincing” evidence of an independent dose-response relationship between total dietary fiber intake and increasing risk of colorectal cancer. The anticarcinogenic properties of fiber on cancers of the colon and rectum, however, have still to be elucidated.
  PubDate: 2013-03-01
Red Meat Intake and Colorectal Cancer Risk: A Summary of Epidemiological Studies
- Abstract: Abstract Epidemiological evidence of red meat and processed meat consumption and colorectal cancer risk has accumulated during the past decades. Meta-analyses of case-control and prospective cohort studies have shown a moderate increased risk, but the association is controversial. Because diet is one of the modifiable lifestyle factors for colorectal cancer prevention, the relationship has an important public health perspective. Three prospective cohort studies and one case-control study of total red meat and processed meat and colorectal cancer were published in 2011 and 2012. The findings were in general supportive of an increased risk with higher consumption. The same applies to the four studies each on fresh red meat and processed meat. Associations with dietary heterocyclic amines, nitroso-compounds, and heme iron intake are inconsistent, but evidence suggested a positive association between heme iron intake and colorectal cancer risk.
  PubDate: 2013-03-01
Erratum to: Evidence for Contributions of Gut Microbiota to Colorectal Carcinogenesis
- PubDate: 2013-02-23
Is Usual Dietary Pattern Related to the Risk of Developing Breast Cancer'
- Abstract: Abstract Dietary patterns capture total diet providing a more comprehensive understanding of the effect of diet on chronic disease risk. Dietary patterns have been associated with several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and selected cancers; however, the association with breast cancer remains unclear. The objective of this review was to examine critically the most recent literature on dietary patterns and breast cancer and report on current results, new developments, and future directions. Seven case–control and cohort studies from multiple countries have been published during the previous year (2011–2012). Many have analyzed a posteriori dietary patterns via factor and principal component analysis. Whereas results remain mixed, the majority of studies indicate healthier patterns decrease breast cancer risk, although patterns higher in meat and alcohol increase risk. Future studies that examine the associations between diet and tumor subtypes and collect dietary data at younger ages and, if possible, longitudinally would be beneficial.
  PubDate: 2013-02-01
Recent Findings on the Genetics of Obesity: Is there Public Health Relevance'
- Abstract: Abstract Since initial studies investigating familial forms of obesity, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been tremendously successful at detecting replicable associations between common genetic variation and measures of fat mass and obesity. The contributory variants found by this approach are limited, as one might expect, in terms of effect size and appear to offer little in terms of direct clinical applicability. However, can these variants with established associations be of value' This review will revisit how common genetic variation reliably associated with measures of fat mass and obesity can inform etiological understanding, improve knowledge of genetic architecture, and enable applied epidemiological analyses. With the discovery of additional body mass index-associated loci and the further functional characterization of identified variants, attempts can be made to better understand and causally analyze the genetic, biological, and environmental pathways to effect involved in obesity and its related comorbidities.
  PubDate: 2012-12-01
Current Trends in Childhood Obesity Research
- Abstract: Abstract Childhood obesity is a global health issue. To identify research trends and gaps of childhood obesity research, we reviewed MEDLINE publications from January 2011 to May 2012 and qualitatively analyzed the major domains and themes of research focus. Major domains are: measurements, obesity correlates, prevention interventions, treatment interventions, and policy issues. Key advances and innovations are highlighted within each domain. Emerging areas include the advancement of measurement methodologies that simultaneously capture individual and contextual information across time, analysis of policy problems, and the development of multilevel, community interventions. However, few effective and sustainable interventions are exemplified; some strategies are promising. Recommendations for future research includes the adoption of a systems approach that integrates individual, environmental, and policy change, the scale up and diffusion of innovations, studies of intended and unintended policy impacts, and the design and testing of effective social marketing strategies.
  PubDate: 2012-12-01
Obesity: Underlying Mechanisms and the Evolving Influence of Diet
- Abstract: Abstract Obesity is determined by both genetic and environmental factors. Since 2007, 52 genes have been associated with obesity and obesity-related measurements in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), among these the fat and obesity-associated gene (FTO). Despite the success in identifying genes predisposing to obesity, these GWAS hits only account for approximately about 5 % of the estimated obesity heritability and do not predict who will become obese and who will not. The missing heritability might be accounted for by gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. Most consistently, physical activity has been shown to attenuate the effect of FTO on obesity. Several studies have examined gene-diet interactions in relation to obesity, but only a few suggestive interactions have been identified. This is most probably due to small effect sizes of the interactions and thereby a demand for large samples sizes and accurate measurements of exposures and outcomes. In addition to SNPs, epigenetic changes have been suggested to account for some of the missing heritability, and epigenetic changes have been shown to be induced by dietary intake of mothers, in utero conditions, and early nutrition and can lead to increased risk of developing obesity. Recently, the intestinal microbiome, the collected genome of the bacteria, also has been associated with obesity and with specific dietary profiles. The underlying mechanisms determining the susceptibility to obesity do not only include the genome but also the epigenome and the microbiome that can be modified by diet, and by genotype, adding to the complexity of determining the contributors to obesity.
  PubDate: 2012-12-01
Differential Association of Low-Fat and Whole-Fat Dairy Products with Blood Pressure and Incidence of Hypertension
- Abstract: Abstract We summarized existing evidence stemming from laboratory, clinical, and epidemiological studies regarding the differential association between low-fat or whole-fat dairy products and blood pressure control. We identified seven, large, prospective cohorts and one randomized trial that addressed the differential effect of low-fat versus whole-fat dairy products on blood pressure control or on the incidence of hypertension. An inverse association between low-fat dairy consumption and the risk of hypertension was found in most studies, whereas no risk reduction was observed for whole-fat dairy products. Several mechanisms might account for the blood-pressure-lowering effect of dairy products. The observed differential association may be attributable to the detrimental effect of saturated fat. In conclusion, low-fat dairy products but not whole-fat dairy products may contribute to improve blood pressure control and to reduce the incidence of hypertension.
  PubDate: 2012-12-01
Translating Findings from Lifestyle Intervention Trials of Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes to the Primary Care Setting
- Abstract: Abstract Preventing or delaying type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease is a key public health issue. Large, randomized, clinical trials have shown that intensive lifestyle interventions can be used to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and to improve cardiovascular disease risk factors, but the key question that remains is how to best translate the results from these large, clinical trials into interventions that can be effectively delivered in primary care and community-based settings. Several effective approaches have been identified and tested. New research examining specific physical activity or dietary behaviors also has identified new behavioral targets for interventions.
  PubDate: 2012-12-01
Gene-Diet Interactions in Complex Disease: Current Findings and Relevance for Public Health
- Abstract: Abstract Rates of obesity and related complex diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, have climbed sharply over the past decades, in parallel with shift from principally more active lifestyle and nutritionally dense tradition diet to sedentary lifestyle and more energy-dense, western-pattern diet. During the past few years, advances in genotyping technology and in particular a number of large-scale genome-wide association studies have made great strides in unraveling the genetic basis of complex diseases; and the growing inventory of genetic variation is facilitating efforts to investigate gene-diet interactions. Understanding gene-diet interaction has the potential to promote diet modifications on the basis of genetic makeup. Several recent large-scale studies found reproducible evidence showing consumption of sugar sweetened beverages or dietary patterns might modulate genetic predisposition to obesity or cardiovascular disease. Analyses in randomized trials also showed that genetic markers for obesity, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease might modify the metabolic response to weight-loss diets. However, little of the knowledge about gene-diet interaction has been applied in public health practice; and opinion on how genetic testing services are offered and interpreted is still divided. This review will summarize recent findings regarding obesogenic diet, genetic susceptibility, and gene-diet interactions for obesity and related complex disorders and will discuss the potential impact of these findings on public health practice.
  PubDate: 2012-12-01
Calcium and Vitamin D Intake Interactions with Genetic Variants on Bone Phenotype
- Abstract: Abstract The notion that environmental factors interact with genetic variants to affect phenotypes associated with complex diseases has arisen since the early days of genetic research. Among the environmental factors, nutrition holds a strong and permanent position, as it is a factor present throughout the life span. Calcium and vitamin D are the most important nutrients with regard to the development and health of the skeleton and have been associated with a variety of bone metabolic diseases (eg, osteoporosis). Multiple interactions between these two nutrients and genetic variants have been identified in the genetic research on bone phenotypes. A summary of these interactions is presented in this review. Furthermore, some ideas for the improvement of the studies in this field are also discussed within the current framework of the genetic research into bone phenotypes.
  PubDate: 2012-09-01
Gene–Diet Interactions in Cardiovascular Disease
- Abstract: Abstract Cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of mortality worldwide, results from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Genetic studies identified genetic variants providing insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of the disease. However, the mechanisms linking the genotypic and phenotypic expression remain to be elucidated. Gene–diet interaction studies attempt to elucidate how a modifiable factor interacts with the genetic background. The knowledge gained thus far confers to small increments of CVD risk and cannot explain the molecular mechanisms of the disease. Epigenetic studies attempt to elucidate the molecular pathways affected by an environmental stimulus, such as dietary exposure. The epigenomic changes and their link to gene–diet interactions remain a challenging area for research. Understanding the complex interplay among the epigenome, genome, and dietary exposure should lead to accurate prediction, prevention, or treatment of the disease.
  PubDate: 2012-09-01