Dietary Intake of Free Sugars is Associated with Disease Activity and Dyslipidemia in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients

Ultra-processed foods and risk of declined renal function: a dose-response meta-analysis of 786,216 participants

OBJECTIVES

Earlier investigations have documented an association between elevated consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) and adverse renal outcomes. To explore this relationship further, we executed a comprehensive dose-response meta-analysis to examine the link between UPFs intake and the risk of declined renal function.

SETTING

A systematic search was completed utilizing the ISI Web of Science, Scopus, Embase as well as PubMed/MEDLINE databases (without any restrictions), up until September 5, 2024. Effect sizes of declined renal function were recalculated by applying a random effects model. The GRADE tool was adopted to assess the certainty of the evidence, while study quality and potential publication bias were examined via validated methods such as the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, Egger's regression asymmetry and Begg's rank correlation test.

RESULTS

Thirty-three studies (comprising 786,216 participants) were incorporated in the quantitative analysis. The results demonstrated that a greater UPFs intake was significantly associated with an enhanced risk of declined renal function (RR = 1.16; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.23; I2 = 68.8%; p < 0.001; n = 37). Additionally, we observed that each 1-serving-per-day increase in UPFs consumption was associated to a 5% greater risk of reduced renal function (RR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.09; I2 = 80.9%; p = 0.013; n = 9). A positive, linear association between UPF intake and the risk of declined renal function (Pnonlinearity = 0.107, Pdose-response < 0.001) was further displayed in the non-linear dose-response analysis.

CONCLUSION

Greater exposure to UPFs is positively associated with the risk of declined renal function. The information emphasizes the importance of considering UPFs in the prevention and management of adverse renal outcomes.

Associations between dietary diversity and dyslipidemia among Japanese workers: cross-sectional study and longitudinal study findings

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine the associations between dietary diversity and risk of dyslipidemia in Japanese workers.

METHODS

The cross-sectional study included 1399 participants aged 20-63 years and the longitudinal study included 751 participants aged 20-60 years in 2012-2013 (baseline) who participated at least once from 2013 to 2017 with cumulative participation times of 4.9 times. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and dietary diversity score (DDS) was determined using the Quantitative Index for Dietary Diversity. Dyslipidemia was diagnosed when at least one of the following conditions was met: hypertriglyceridemia, high LDL-cholesterol, low HDL-cholesterol, high non-HDL-cholesterol, and a history of dyslipidemia. Multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dyslipidemia with control of confounding factors in cross-sectional analysis. Generalized estimating equations were used for calculating the ORs (95% CI) for dyslipidemia in the follow-up period according to the DDS at baseline with control of confounding factors in longitudinal analysis.

RESULTS

Cross-sectional analysis showed that the highest DDS reduced the odds of dyslipidemia in men (OR [95% CI] in Tertile 3: 0.67 [0.48-0.95], p value = 0.023). In longitudinal analysis, a moderate DDS reduced the risk of dyslipidemia (OR [95% CI] in Tertile 2: 0.21 [0.07-0.60], p value = 0.003) in women.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of cross-sectional analysis in this study suggest that the higher diversity of diet might reduce the presence of dyslipidemia in men and the results of longitudinal analysis suggest that a moderate DDS might reduce the risk of dyslipidemia in women. Further studies are needed since the results of cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses in this study were inconsistent.

The relationship between the systemic immune inflammation index and the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in American adolescents

BACKGROUND

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a growing health crisis in the general population of the United States (U.S.), but the relationship between systemic immune-inflammation (SII) index and NAFLD is not known.

METHODS

We collected data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2018. Next, propensity score matching (PSM), collinearity analysis, restricted cubic spline (RCS) plot, logistic regression, quantile regression analysis, subgroup analysis, mediation analysis, and population attributable fraction were used to explore the association of the SII with risk of NAFLD.

RESULTS

A total of 665 participants including the 532 Non-NAFLD and 133 NAFLD were enrolled for further analysis after PSM analysis. The RCS results indicated that there was a linear relationship between the SII and controlled attenuation parameter (p for nonlinear = 0.468), the relationship also existed after adjustment for covariates (p for nonlinear = 0.769). The logistic regression results indicated that a high SII level was an independent risk factor for NAFLD (OR = 3.505, 95% CI: 1.092-11.249, P < 0.05). The quantile regression indicated that at higher quantiles (0.90, and 0.95) the SII was significantly associated with NAFLD (p < 0.05). Mediation analysis indicated that alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglycerides, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were partially contribute to the relationship between SII and NAFLD. The population attributable fractions indicated that 23.19% (95% CI: 8.22%, 38.17%) of NAFLD cases could be attributed to SII corresponding to 133 NAFLD cases.

CONCLUSION

There was a positive linear relationship between the SII and the risk of NAFLD. The ALT, triglycerides, and BUN had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between the SII and NAFLD.

Glucose as a Potential Key to Fuel Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Glucose is the most important source of energy and homeostasis. Recent investigations are clarifying that glucose metabolism might be altered in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which would play a role in the inflammatory phenotype of rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts. It may also play a role in a variety of autoimmune diseases’ pathophysiology by modulating immune responses and modifying autoantigen expressions. The research into glucose and its metabolism could lead to a better understanding of how carbohydrates contribute to the occurrence and duration of RA and other autoimmune diseases.

Cardiovascular Health in Pediatric Rheumatologic Diseases

Cardiovascular disease risk is evident during childhood for patients with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus, juvenile dermatomyositis, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. The American Heart Association defines cardiovascular health as a positive health construct reflecting the sum of protective factors against cardiovascular disease. Disease-related factors such as chronic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction increase cardiovascular disease risk directly and through bidirectional relationships with poor cardiovascular health factors. Pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions to improve cardiovascular health and long-term cardiovascular outcomes in children with rheumatic disease are needed.

Effects of Dietary Protein Intake on Cutaneous and Systemic Inflammation in Mice with Acute Experimental Psoriasis

Background: Psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disorder, primarily characterized by skin plaques. It is linked to co-morbidities including cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. Several studies demonstrate that dietary habits can influence psoriasis development and severity. However, the effect of different dietary protein levels on psoriasis development and severity is poorly understood. In this study, we examine the influence of dietary protein on psoriasis-like skin disease in mice. Methods: We fed male C57BL/6J mice with regular, low protein and high protein chow for 4 weeks. Afterwards, we induced psoriasis-like skin disease by topical imiquimod (IMQ)-treatment on ear and back skin. The local cutaneous and systemic inflammatory response was investigated using flow cytometry analysis, histology and quantitative rt-PCR. Results: After 5 days of IMQ-treatment, both diets reduced bodyweight in mice, whereas only the high protein diet slightly aggravated IMQ-induced skin inflammation. IMQ-treatment induced infiltration of myeloid cells, neutrophils, and monocytes/macrophages into skin and spleen independently of diet. After IMQ-treatment, circulating neutrophils and reactive oxygen species were increased in mice on low and high protein diets. Conclusion: Different dietary protein levels had no striking effect on IMQ-induced psoriasis but aggravated the systemic pro-inflammatory phenotype.