Correlations of gestational hemoglobin, placental mineral elements and reproductive performances in pregnant sows

Iron status of sows has a great influence on reproductive performance. Iron deficiency reduces reproductive performance and newborn piglet survival rate of sow. The hemoglobin is a potential predictor for iron status of sows and is convenient for rapid detection in pig farms. However, the relationship between iron status, hemoglobin, placental trace elements and reproductive performance remains unclear. In this study, the hemoglobin and reproductive performance of more than 500 sows with 1 st to 6 th parities at different gestation stages (25, 55, 75, 95, 110 days of gestation) in two large-scale sow farms were collected, and content of placental Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu was analyzed. The results show hemoglobin of sows during pregnancy (d 75, d 95, d 110) decreased significantly (P < 0.001). As the parity increases, the hemoglobin levels of sows at d 25, d 55 of gestation and placental mineral element contents included Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu at delivery decreased (P < 0.05), while the litter size, birth alive and litter weights increased gradually (P < 0.001). Furthermore, hemoglobin during pregnancy had a negative linear correlation with litter weight and average weight (P < 0.05), higher hemoglobin at d 25 of gestation may reduce the number of stillbirths (P = 0.05), but higher hemoglobin at d 110 of gestation was tend to be benefit for the birth (P = 0.01). And there was a significant positive linear correlation between hemoglobin at d 110 of gestation and placental Fe and Mn levels (P = 0.002, P = 0.013). There was also a significant positive linear correlation among Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu in the placenta (P < 0.001). The levels of Fe, Zn, and Mn in placental at delivery were positive related to the average weight of the fetus (P = 0.048, P = 0.027, P = 0.047), and placental Cu was linearly correlated with litter size (P = 0.029). Our research revealed the requirements for iron during gestation were varied in different gestation periods and parities. The feeds should be adjusted according to the gestation periods, parities or iron status to meet the iron requirements of sows and fetal pigs.

Low Serum Iron Status Is Associated With Low Incidence of Coronary Artery Disease In Women

Background: Disorders of iron metabolism has been implicated in cardiovascular disease. However, the association of serum ferritin and coronary artery disease (CAD) remains inconsistent. Here, we investigated the associations of serum iron metabolism with the incidence of CAD, the severity of coronary artery stenosis, metabolic biomarkers, and 1-year restenosis after coronary artery revascularization. Methods: A total of 643 CAD patients and 643 healthy controls were enrolled to assess the associations of serum iron status with the presence of CAD, the severity of CAD, and 1-year rehospitalization after revasculation. Serum iron metabolism and other metabolic markers were measured in all subjects. All statistical analyses were analyzed using SPSS22.0 software and STATA statistical package.Results: Serum level of iron metabolism markers, including serum iron, ferritin, unsaturated transferrin iron binding capacity (UIBC), Total iron binding capacity (TIBC) levels, in CAD groups was significantly higher than the control group (P<0.001). UIBC and TIBC were negatively correlated with ferritin in both sexes. Serum level of iron (OR=0.806, 95% CI (0.687-0.944), UIBC (OR=0.919, 95% CI (0.852-0.992), and TIBC (OR=0.864, 95% CI (0.787-0.95) were found to have a protective role for CAD in women (P<0.05, Table 3). The OR for ferritin was significant in the both sexes (OR=1.029, 95% CI (1.002-1.058) in men, OR=1.02, 95% CI (1.005-1.034) in women, P<0.05). Conclusion: Low Serum level of iron, UIBC, TIBC and ferritin levels were found to have a protective role for CAD in women, but not in men. Elevated serum ferritin is independently and positively associated with CAD in men and women.

Iron Status, Anemia, and Iron Interventions and Their Associations with Cognitive and Academic Performance in Adolescents: A Systematic Review

In adolescents, iron-deficiency anemia is the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years lost. The World Health Organization recommends delivering iron supplementation through school-based platforms, requiring partnerships with the education sector. This anemia-reduction intervention is valued for the perceived benefits of improved learning and school performance. This article aims to systematically review the available evidence on the relationship between iron status and anemia and impacts of iron interventions on cognitive and academic performance in adolescents. Fifty studies were included: n = 26 cross-sectional and n = 24 iron-containing interventions. Our review suggests that iron status and anemia may be associated with academic performance in some contexts and that iron supplementation during adolescence may improve school performance, attention, and concentration. However, nearly all supplementation trials were judged to have moderate or high risk of bias. We did not find evidence suggesting that iron status and anemia influenced or were associated with attention, intelligence, nor memory in adolescents. Further, iron supplementation did not improve memory and recall or intelligence. Overall, more high-quality research is needed to guide programmers and policy makers to understand the relationships between anemia and educational performance and the potential impacts of iron interventions, which effectively reduce anemia, on adolescents’ learning and school performance.

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) Flower Water Extract Disrupts the Cecal Microbiome, Brush Border Membrane Functionality, and Morphology In Vivo (Gallus gallus)

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is known as the most expensive spice. C. sativus dried red stigmas, called threads, are used for culinary, cosmetic, and medicinal purposes. The rest of the flower is often discarded, but is now being used in teas, as coloring agents, and fodder. Previous studies have attributed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-depressant, and anticancer properties to C. sativus floral bio-residues. The aim of this study is to assess C. sativus flower water extract (CFWE) for its effects on hemoglobin, brush boarder membrane (BBM) functionality, morphology, intestinal gene expression, and cecal microbiome in vivo (Gallus gallus), a clinically validated model. For this, Gallus gallus eggs were divided into six treatment groups (non-injected, 18 Ω H2O, 1% CFWE, 2% CFWE, 5% CFWE, and 10% CFWE) with n~10 for each group. On day 17 of incubation, 1 mL of the extracts/control were administered in the amnion of the eggs. The amniotic fluid along with the administered extracts are orally consumed by the developing embryo over the course of the next few days. On day 21, the hatchlings were euthanized, the blood, duodenum, and cecum were harvested for assessment. The results showed a significant dose-dependent decrease in hemoglobin concentration, villus surface area, goblet cell number, and diameter. Furthermore, we observed a significant increase in Paneth cell number and Mucin 2 (MUC2) gene expression proportional to the increase in CFWE concentration. Additionally, the cecum microbiome analysis revealed C. sativus flower water extract altered the bacterial populations. There was a significant dose-dependent reduction in Lactobacillus and Clostridium sp., suggesting an antibacterial effect of the extract on the gut in the given model. These results suggest that the dietary consumption of C. sativus flower may have negative effects on BBM functionality, morphology, mineral absorption, microbial populations, and iron status.

MRI-Based Radiomic Signature Identifying Secondary Loss of Response to Infliximab in Crohn's Disease

Up to 50% of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) experience secondary loss of response (SLR) to infliximab. Patients with SLR may show clinical signs of iron deficiency as a result of inflammation despite being iron-replete. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based radiomic index, R2*, can detect changes in iron metabolism. Therefore, the R2* parameter has considerable potential for detection of SLR to infliximab. The aims of this study were to explore the correlation between R2* and inflammation and to develop a non-invasive nomogram based on R2* to identify SLR to infliximab in patients with CD. Three hundred and twenty-two infliximab-treated patients with CD who underwent magnetic resonance enterography within 2 weeks before or after 54 weeks of infliximab therapy were divided into training and validation datasets at a ratio of 8:2. Point-biserial analysis was conducted to confirm the relationship between R2* and inflammation. A multivariate logistic regression model was created using R2*, CRP and hemoglobin (OR, 1.10, 1.04 and 0.98; P &lt; 0.05). Receiver-operating characteristic curves and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test were used to assess the performance of the model. A correlation between R2* and inflammation was identified. Different trends in R2* and iron status indices were observed between patients with responsive and non-responsive CD, which is worthy of further study. The model was converted to a visualized nomogram that had a good ability to discriminate the outcomes of infliximab therapy with an area under the curve of 0.723 (95% CI, 0.661–0.785) in the training dataset and 0.715 (95% CI, 0.587–0.843) in the validation dataset. We confirmed a correlation between R2* and inflammation in patients with CD. Based on the MRI-based radiomic signature, a novel nomogram was established and validated to facilitate individualized identification of SLR to infliximab in patients with CD.

Hematological Parameters and Iron Status in Adult Men and Women Using Altitude Adjusted and Unadjusted Hemoglobin Values for Anemia Diagnosis in Cusco, Peru (3400 MASL)

(1) Background: Current diagnosis of anemia in high altitude populations uses an adjustment of observed hemoglobin (Hb) values. Such an approach has been challenged by findings in different populations in Tibet, Ethiopia and the Andes as inappropriate, as it might incorrectly classify an individual with complete iron stores as anemic. We aimed to assess the suitability of this approach in adult men and women from Cusco, Peru (3400 m); (2) Methods: Complete blood count and iron status biomarkers were measured in 345 subjects (189 females and 156 males), iron status biomarkers were quantified with enzyme-linked immunoassays; (3) Results: Anemia prevalence was overestimated when the altitude-adjustment factor was applied. Hematological parameters were better correlated to iron status biomarkers in the non-adjusted anemia category. When stratified by sex, only women showed a significant association between Hb and other hematological parameters with iron storage and availability (Hepcidin and TFR-F); (4) Conclusion: The prevalence of anemia is overestimated with current guidelines. The rate of anemia using non-adjusted Hb values is more closely related to the rates of anemia or iron deficiency when used hematological parameters, markers of iron status, and measurements of hepcidin and erythropoietin. Sex differences related to iron status were observed, suggesting that men are at a higher risk of iron overload than women at high altitudes. It could be highlighted that a personalized approach is important when assessing a subject, taking in to account hematological parameters as well as origin (Southern Andean or other).