Using Oral Microbiota Data to Design a Short Sucrose Intake Index

Excessive sucrose consumption is associated with numerous health problems, including dental caries, and is considered to play a critical role in shaping the human microbiota. Here, we aimed to confirm the association between sucrose exposure and oral microbiota profile, develop a short food-based index capturing variation among sucrose consumers and validate it against oral microbiota and dental caries in a derivation cohort with 16- to 79-year-old participants (n = 427). Intake and food preferences were recorded by questionnaires and saliva microbiota by 16S rDNA sequencing. Taxonomic similarities clustered participants into five clusters, where one stood out with highest sucrose intake and predicted sugar related metabolic pathways but lowest species diversity in the microbiota. Multivariate modelling of food intake and preferences revealed foods suitable for a sucrose index. This, similarly to sucrose intake, was related to bacterial pattern and caries status. The validity of the sucrose index was replicated in the population-based Gene-Lifestyle Interactions in Dental Endpoints (GLIDE, n = 105,520 Swedish adults) cohort. This suggested that the index captured clinically relevant variation in sucrose intake and that FFQ derived information may be suitable for screening of sucrose intake in the clinic and epidemiological studies, although adjustments to local consumption habits are needed.

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Food Preferences and Food Choice Determinants in a Polish Adolescents’ COVID-19 Experience (PLACE-19) Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13082491 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 2491

Author(s):

Dominika Głąbska ◽

Dominika Skolmowska ◽

Dominika Guzek

Keyword(s):

Secondary School ◽

Food Choice ◽

Food Preference ◽

Food Preferences ◽

Food Choices ◽

Population Based ◽

School Students ◽

High Preference ◽

Quota Sampling ◽

Food Choice Motives

Food preferences are within the most important determinants of food choices; however, little is known about their complex associations, and no studies were conducted in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the study was to analyze the association between food preferences and food choice determinants in adolescents aged 15–20 years within the Polish Adolescents’ COVID-19 Experience (PLACE-19) Study. The PLACE-19 Study included a random quota sampling conducted in the whole of Poland and covered a population-based sample of 2448 secondary school students. The food preferences were assessed using a validated Food Preference Questionnaire (FPQ), and the food choices were assessed using a validated Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ). The statistical analysis comprised k-means clustering and linear regression adjusted for sex and age. Four homogenous clusters of respondents were defined based on the food choice motives—“healthy eaters” (health as the most important determinant of food choices), “hedonists” (convenience, sensory appeal, and price as the most important determinants), “indifferent consumers” (low significance for all determinants), and “demanding consumers” (high significance for all determinants). The preferences for all food categories differed when comparing between clusters presenting various food choice determinants (p < 0.001). The “healthy eaters” were characterized by the highest preference for vegetables; the “hedonists” preferred meat/fish, dairy, and snacks; the “demanding consumers” had a high preference for all food categories, while “indifferent consumers” had a low preference for all food categories. All preference scores were positively associated with mood, convenience, sensory appeal, natural content, and price (p < 0.05). The results confirmed the association between food preferences and food choice determinants in adolescents, as well as allowed adolescents to be clustered into segments to define various needs and motives among the identified segments. For public health purposes, it may be crucial to educate “hedonists,” with a high preference for meat/fish, dairy and snacks, accompanied by convenience, sensory appeal, and price as the most important determinants of their food choices.

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Prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus in Spain: higher than previously reported in other countries?

Rheumatology ◽

10.1093/rheumatology/kez668 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 59 (9) ◽

pp. 2556-2562 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Raúl Cortés Verdú ◽

José M Pego-Reigosa ◽

Daniel Seoane-Mato ◽

Mercedes Morcillo Valle ◽

Deseada Palma Sánchez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Adult Population ◽

Geographical Area ◽

Geographic Origin ◽

The United States ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Medical Visit ◽

Cross Sectional

Abstract Objectives Prevalence of SLE varies among studies, being influenced by study design, geographical area and ethnicity. Data about the prevalence of SLE in Spain are scarce. In the EPISER2016 study, promoted by the Spanish Society of Rheumatology, the prevalence estimate of SLE in the general adult population in Spain has been updated and its association with sociodemographic, anthropometric and lifestyle variables has been explored. Methods Population-based multicentre cross-sectional study, with multistage stratified and cluster random sampling. Participants were contacted by telephone to carry out a questionnaire for the screening of SLE. Investigating rheumatologists evaluated positive results (review of medical records and/or telephone interview, with medical visit if needed) to confirm the diagnosis. To calculate the prevalence and its 95% CI, the sample design was taken into account and weighing was calculated considering age, sex and geographic origin. Multivariate logistic regression models were defined to analyse which sociodemographic, anthropometric and lifestyle variables included in the telephone questionnaire were associated with the presence of SLE. Results 4916 subjects aged 20 years or over were included. 16.52% (812/4916) had a positive screening result for SLE. 12 cases of SLE were detected. The estimated prevalence was 0.21% (95% CI: 0.11, 0.40). SLE was more prevalent in the rural municipalities, with an odds ratio (OR) = 4.041 (95% CI: 1.216, 13.424). Conclusion The estimated prevalence of SLE in Spain is higher than that described in most international epidemiological studies, but lower than that observed in ethnic minorities in the United States or the United Kingdom.

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Netherlands Twin Register: From Twins to Twin Families

Twin Research and Human Genetics ◽

10.1375/twin.9.6.849 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 849-857 ◽

Cited By ~ 304

Author(s):

Dorret I. Boomsma ◽

Eco J. C. de Geus ◽

Jacqueline M. Vink ◽

Janine H. Stubbe ◽

Marijn A. Distel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Large Population ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Population Based ◽

Adolescent And Young Adult ◽

City Councils ◽

Blood And Urine Samples ◽

Twin Families ◽

New Research ◽

Adult Twins ◽

National Databases

AbstractIn the late 1980s The Netherlands Twin Register (NTR) was established by recruiting young twins and multiples at birth and by approaching adolescent and young adult twins through city councils. The Adult NTR (ANTR) includes twins, their parents, siblings, spouses and their adult offspring. The number of participants in the ANTR who take part in survey and / or laboratory studies is over 22,000 subjects. A special group of participants consists of sisters who are mothers of twins. In the Young NTR (YNTR), data on more than 50,000 young twins have been collected. Currently we are extending the YNTR by including siblings of twins. Participants in YNTR and ANTR have been phenotyped every 2 to 3 years in longitudinal survey studies, since 1986 and 1991 for the YNTR and ANTR, respectively. The resulting large population-based datasets are used for genetic epidemiological studies and also, for example, to advance phenotyping through the development of new syndrome scales based on existing items from other inventories. New research developments further include brain imaging studies in selected and unselected groups, clinical assessment of psychopathology through interviews, and cross-referencing the NTR database to other national databases. A large biobank enterprise is ongoing in the ANTR in which blood and urine samples are collected for genotyping, expression analysis, and meta-bolomics studies. In this paper we give an update on the YNTR and ANTR phenotyping and on the ongoing ANTR biobank studies.

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SARS-CoV-2 and Acute Cerebrovascular Events: An Overview

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10153349 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (15) ◽

pp. 3349

Author(s):

Mehdi Ghasemi ◽

Raffaella Pizzolato Umeton ◽

Kiandokht Keyhanian ◽

Babak Mohit ◽

Nasrin Rahimian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Outcomes ◽

Case Reports ◽

Critical Role ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Therapeutic Approaches ◽

Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 ◽

Cerebrovascular Complications ◽

Current State ◽

Cerebrovascular Events ◽

Brain Homeostasis

Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, accumulating evidence indicates that SARS-CoV-2 infection may be associated with various neurological manifestations, including acute cerebrovascular events (i.e., stroke and cerebral venous thrombosis). These events can occur prior to, during and even after the onset of COVID-19’s general symptoms. Although the mechanisms underlying the cerebrovascular complications in patients with COVID-19 are yet to be fully elucidated, the hypercoagulability state, inflammation and altered angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) signaling in association with SARS-CoV-2 may play key roles. ACE-2 plays a critical role in preserving heart and brain homeostasis. In this review, we discuss the current state of knowledge of the possible mechanisms underlying the acute cerebrovascular events in patients with COVID-19, and we review the current epidemiological studies and case reports of neurovascular complications in association with SARS-CoV-2, as well as the relevant therapeutic approaches that have been considered worldwide. As the number of published COVID-19 cases with cerebrovascular events is growing, prospective studies would help gather more valuable insights into the pathophysiology of cerebrovascular events, effective therapies, and the factors predicting poor functional outcomes related to such events in COVID-19 patients.

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Nursing Bottle Caries

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.60.5.748a ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 60 (5) ◽

pp. 748-749

Author(s):

Barbara D. Richardson ◽

Peter E. Cleaton-Jones

Keyword(s):

Preschool Children ◽

Dental Caries ◽

Young Children ◽

South African ◽

Urban Children ◽

Sucrose Intake ◽

Black And White ◽

African Black ◽

Rural Group

The report of Shelton et al. on nursing bottle caries (Pediatrics 59:777, May 1977), which was described as a "devastating condition that may render young children dental cripples," was of great interest to us. We have recently made a study of dental caries and sucrose intake in a series of South African black and white preschool children. The condition so lucidly described by the above workers is identical to the labial caries noted in the canine and incisor teeth in our groups.1 In children under 3 years, the prevalence of labial caries in a black rural group of 109 children was 12.8%; this proportion was not significantly greater than found in 122 white urban children, namely, 9.8%.

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Abstract WP199: Higher Stroke Prevalence Rates among Ribeirinhos Compared to Townsmen in the Brazilian Amazon.

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.44.suppl_1.awp199 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 44 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Tiotrefis G Fernandes ◽

Isabela M Bensenor ◽

Paulo A Lotufo

Keyword(s):

Urban Area ◽

Health Workers ◽

Prevalence Ratio ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Population Based ◽

Cerebrovascular Diseases ◽

Prevalence Rates ◽

Family Health Program ◽

Stroke Prevalence ◽

The Family

There is a lack of epidemiological studies addressing cerebrovascular diseases in remote places as the Amazon river basin. We aimed to calculate the stroke prevalence rates among "ribeirinhos", rural inhabitants who living in riverbanks fishing and extracting fruit and nuts, in the rainforest comparing to townsmen in the same municipality. Methods: From May to October 2011, 6216 residents aged over 35 years in the of Coari, a municipality that is coverage by the Family Health Program with of 76 000 inhabitants, 35% of them are "ribeirinhos”. We trained all community health workers to carry out a door-to-door application of the “Stroke Symptom Questionnaire” for people over 35 years-old. This tool was applied first for the family for stroke screening and further for the index stroke case, including questions about six key functional impairment. It was previously translated to Portuguese and validated by a neurologist. Results: From a total of of 4897 respondents of urban area and 1028 "ribeirinhos", we calculated crude prevalence of stroke of 6.3% (95% CI; 5.0-7.7) among the "ribeirinhos" and of 3.7% (95% CI; 3.3-4.1) among townsmen. This difference was maintained after sex-age-adjustment. The female:male prevalence ratio was 1.37 (95% CI; 1.02-1.85) in urban area and the rural area of 0.93 (95% CI; 0.57-1.52). Among stroke suffers, the "ribeirinhos" were those with less access to medical care (32.1% vs. 52.5%, p=0.01) and a lower proportion of stroke survivors requiring help with least 1 activity of daily living (16.9% vs. 39.3%, p=0.001) in comparison to townsmen. Conclusion: To our knowledge it was the first study that provided a population-based stroke survey in the Amazon rainforest revealing a higher stroke prevalence among "ribeirinhos" compared to townsmen of the same municipality.

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The association between rs16917496 T/C polymorphism of SET8 gene and cancer risk in Asian populations: a meta-analysis

Bioscience Reports ◽

10.1042/bsr20180702 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 38 (6) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hui-Xia Wei ◽

Guo-Xiang Tian ◽

Ju-Kun Song ◽

Lian-Jie Yang ◽

Yu-Pei Wang

Keyword(s):

Cancer Risk ◽

Statistical Power ◽

Genetic Model ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Critical Role ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Asian Populations ◽

Online Databases ◽

Cancer Types ◽

Diversity Control

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated close associations between SET8 rs16917496 T/C polymorphism and cancer risk, but the results of published studies were not consistent. We therefore performed this meta-analysis to explore the associations between rs16917496 T/C polymorphism and cancer risk. Five online databases were searched. Odds ratios (ORs) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess the association between rs16917496 T/C polymorphism and cancer risk. In addition, heterogeneity, accumulative, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias were conducted to check the statistical power. Overall, 13 publications involving 5878 subjects were identified according to included criteria. No significant cancer risk was observed in genetic model of SET8 rs16917496 T/C polymorphism in Asian populations (C vs. T: OR = 1.04, 95%CI = 0.88–1.23, P = 0.63%; TC vs. TT: OR = 1.17, 95%CI = 0.96–1.24, P = 0.11%; CC vs. TT: OR = 0.90, 95%CI = 0.60–1.37, P = 0.63; TC+CC vs. TT: OR = 1.11, 95%CI = 0.90–1.38, P = 0.33; CC vs. TT+TC: OR = 0.92, 95%CI = 0.65–1.30, P = 0.63). Furthermore, similar associations were found in the subgroup analysis of race diversity, control design, genotyping methods, and different cancer types. In summary, our meta-analysis indicated that the SET8 rs16917496 T/C polymorphism may not play a critical role in cancer development in Asian populations.

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Interleukin-4 Receptor–Stat6 Signaling in Murine Infections with a Tissue-Dwelling Nematode Parasite

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.69.12.7743-7752.2001 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 69 (12) ◽

pp. 7743-7752 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

L. Spencer ◽

L. Shultz ◽

T. V. Rajan

Keyword(s):

Immunoglobulin E ◽

Inbred Mice ◽

Secondary Infection ◽

Critical Role ◽

Gastrointestinal Nematode ◽

Parasite Clearance ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Interleukin 4 ◽

Target Cells ◽

Host Protection

ABSTRACT Interleukin-4 (IL-4) has been shown to be crucial in parasite expulsion in several gastrointestinal nematode infection models. Data from both epidemiological studies with humans and experimental infections in animals imply a critical role for the type II helper response, dominated by IL-4, in host protection. Here we utilized inbred mice on two distinct backgrounds to document the involvement of IL-4 in the clearance of a primary infection of Brugiafrom the murine host. Our data from infections of IL-4 receptor−/− and Stat6−/− mice further indicate that IL-4 exerts its effects by activating the Stat6 molecule in host target cells, a finding which links clearance requirements of a gastrointestinal tract-dwelling nematode with those of a tissue-dwelling nematode. Additionally, we show that the requirements for IL-4 receptor binding and Stat6 activation extend to accelerated clearance of a secondary infection as well. The data shown here, including analysis of cell populations at the site of infection and infection of immunoglobulin E (IgE)−/− mice, lead us to suggest that deficiencies in eosinophil recruitment and isotype switching to IgE production may be at least partially responsible for slower parasite clearance in the absence of IL-4.

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Declining Incident Dementia Rates Across Four Population-Based Birth Cohorts

The Journals of Gerontology Series A ◽

10.1093/gerona/gly236 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 74 (9) ◽

pp. 1439-1445 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Kevin J Sullivan ◽

Hiroko H Dodge ◽

Tiffany F Hughes ◽

Chung-Chou H Chang ◽

Xinmei Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Birth Cohort ◽

Sex Education ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Population Based ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Birth Cohorts ◽

Clinical Dementia Rating ◽

Or Education ◽

Incident Dementia

Abstract Background Incidence rates of dementia appear to be declining in high-income countries according to several large epidemiological studies. We aimed to describe declining incident dementia rates across successive birth cohorts in a U.S. population-based sample and to explore the influences of sex and education on these trends. Methods We pooled data from two community-sampled prospective cohort studies with similar study aims and contiguous sampling regions: the Monongahela Valley Independent Elders Survey (1987–2001) and the Monongahela-Youghiogheny Healthy Aging Team (2006–Ongoing). We identified four decade-long birth cohorts spanning birth years 1902–1941. In an analysis sample of 3,010 participants (61% women, mean baseline age = 75.7 years, mean follow-up = 7.1 years), we identified 257 cases of incident dementia indicated by a Clinical Dementia Rating of 1.0 or higher. We used Poisson regression to model incident dementia rates by birth cohort, age, sex, education, and interactions of Sex × Cohort and Sex × Education. We further examined whether cohort effects varied by education, testing a Cohort × Education interaction and stratifying the models by education. Results Compared to the earliest birth cohort (1902–1911), each subsequent cohort had a significantly lower incident dementia rate (1912–1921: incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.655, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.477–0.899; 1922–1931: IRR = 0.387, 95% CI = 0.265–0.564; 1932–1941: IRR = 0.233, 95% CI = 0.121–0.449). We observed no significant interactions of either sex or education with birth cohort. Conclusions A decline in incident dementia rates was observed across successive birth cohorts independent of sex, education, and age.

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Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a municipality in southern Brazil

Research Society and Development ◽

10.33448/rsd-v10i9.17996 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. e30710917996

Author(s):

Maria Joana Carvalho e Silva ◽

Kassia Kramer ◽

Yasmim Paula Cesco ◽

Kendy Otak ◽

Andréia Machado Cardoso ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rna Virus ◽

Rapid Test ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Population Based ◽

Southern Brazil ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Population Based Study ◽

Rapid Spread ◽

And Control ◽

The City

SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus, responsible for causing an acute respiratory syndrome, which became known worldwide for its rapid spread and for causing the pandemic of a new disease: COVID-19. Thus, epidemiological studies have been developed in order to determine the extent of the problems and the magnitude of the disease. The present study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its relationship with socio-demographic and clinical-epidemiological factors in the city of Chapecó, Santa Catarina, Brazil. It was a quantitative, epidemiological, observational, cross-sectional, population-based study with 2179 participants. Socio-demographic, associated behavioral, aggravating and comorbid parameters were evaluated, relating them to positivity or not in the rapid test implemented. The rapid test identified 22.2% of the diagnosed seroprevalence of COVID-19 in the municipality in question. A higher incidence of cases was observed in people living with other people, in people who had contact with positive cases, and in symptomatic patients, corroborating with current studies. The results highlight the importance of clinical-epidemiological studies for the understanding and control of COVID-19.

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