Interleukin 1-beta is Linked to Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Overweight Adolescents

The Bi-directional Relationship Between Sleep and Inflammation in Muscular Dystrophies: A Narrative Review

Muscular dystrophies vary in presentation and severity, but are associated with profound disability in many people. Although characterised by muscle weakness and wasting, there is also a very high prevalence of sleep problems and disorders which have significant impacts on quality of life in these individuals. There are no curative therapies for muscular dystrophies, with the only options for patients being supportive therapies to aid with symptoms. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new therapeutic targets and a greater understanding of pathogenesis. Inflammation and altered immunity are factors which have prominent roles in some muscular dystrophies and emerging roles in others such as type 1 myotonic dystrophy, signifying a link to pathogenesis. Interestingly, there is also a strong link between inflammation/immunity and sleep. In this review, we will explore this link in the context of muscular dystrophies and how it may influence potential therapeutic targets and interventions.

Duration, timing, and consistency of sleep in relation to inflammatory cytokines in Mexican adolescents

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether sleep duration, timing, and variability were associated with inflammatory cytokines in a cohort of Mexico City adolescents.

METHODS

The analytic sample comprised >500 adolescents who were part of an ongoing longitudinal study in Mexico City. At two time points during mid-to-late puberty (average age 14, n = 391) and late-to-post puberty (average age 16, n = 345), adolescents completed a follow-up visit that included 7-day wrist actigraphy and clinical assessment of plasma inflammatory cytokines (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, Interleukin 1β, Interleukin 6, and Tumor Necrosis Factor ɑ). Sleep characteristics included weekday and weekend sleep duration and midpoint (median of bed and wake time), as well as sleep variability (SD of sleep duration across 7 days) and social jetlag (midpoint difference from weekdays to weekends). At each time point, multivariable linear regression models were run with log inflammatory levels as the outcome and categories of sleep characteristics as predictors, while adjusting for potential confounders (specific to each model). Analyses were run unstratified and sex-stratified.

RESULTS

In the mid-to-late pubertal visit, weekday sleep duration was inversely associated with natural log hs-CRP after adjustment (Q4 vs Q1: β = -0.41, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) -0.81 to -0.01) and later sleep midpoint was positively associated with log hs-CRP (Q4 vs Q1: β = 0.55, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.97). Sleep duration variability was associated with higher IL-1β among boys, while in girls social jetlag was associated with higher IL-1β and weekend sleep duration was inversely associated with IL-6. At the late-to-post pubertal visit, there were few associations except for a positive association between weekday sleep duration and hs-CRP among boys (β = 0.60, 95% CI 0.04 to 1.16) and a non-linear positive association between social jetlag and hs-CRP among girls (β = 0.80, 95% CI 0.22 to 1.37 comparing 2 to 3 h of social jetlag vs <1 h).

CONCLUSION

Later timing, shorter duration, and inconsistency of sleep were related to higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers, but associations were more evident at the mid-to-late pubertal visit than the late-to-post pubertal visit.

Inflammation Is Present, Persistent and More Sensitive to Proinflammatory Triggers in Celiac Disease Enterocytes

Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by a genetic predisposition to an abnormal T cell-mediated immune response to the gluten in the diet. Different environmental proinflammatory factors can influence and amplify the T cell-mediated response to gluten. The aim of this manuscript was to study the role of enterocytes in CD intestinal inflammation and their response to different proinflammatory factors, such as gliadin and viruses. Intestinal biopsies from CD patients on a gluten-containing (GCD-CD) or a gluten-free diet (GFD-CD) as well as biopsies from potential CD patients (Pot-CD) before the onset of intestinal lesions and controls (CTR) were used to investigate IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA levels in situ. Organoids from CD patients were used to test the levels of NF-κB, ERK, IL-6, and IL-1β by Western blot (WB), ELISA, and quantitative PCR. The Toll-like receptor ligand loxoribine (Lox) and gliadin peptide P31-43 were used as proinflammatory stimuli. In CD biopsies inflammation markers IL-1β and IL-6 were increased in the enterocytes, and also in Pot-CD before the onset of the intestinal lesion and in GFD-CD. The inflammatory markers pNF-κB, pERK, IL-1β, and IL-6 were increased and persistent in CD organoids; these organoids were more sensitive to P31-43 and Lox stimuli compared with CTR organoids. Taken together, these observations point to constitutive inflammation in CD enterocytes, which are more sensitive to inflammatory stimuli such as food components and viruses.

Inflammation Is Present, Persistent and More Sensitive to Proinflammatory Triggers in Celiac Disease Enterocytes

Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by a genetic predisposition to an abnormal T cell-mediated immune response to the gluten in the diet. Different environmental proinflammatory factors can influence and amplify the T cell-mediated response to gluten. The aim of this manuscript was to study the role of enterocytes in CD intestinal inflammation and their response to different proinflammatory factors, such as gliadin and viruses. Intestinal biopsies from CD patients on a gluten-containing (GCD-CD) or a gluten-free diet (GFD-CD) as well as biopsies from potential CD patients (Pot-CD) before the onset of intestinal lesions and controls (CTR) were used to investigate IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA levels in situ. Organoids from CD patients were used to test the levels of NF-κB, ERK, IL-6, and IL-1β by Western blot (WB), ELISA, and quantitative PCR. The Toll-like receptor ligand loxoribine (Lox) and gliadin peptide P31-43 were used as proinflammatory stimuli. In CD biopsies inflammation markers IL-1β and IL-6 were increased in the enterocytes, and also in Pot-CD before the onset of the intestinal lesion and in GFD-CD. The inflammatory markers pNF-κB, pERK, IL-1β, and IL-6 were increased and persistent in CD organoids; these organoids were more sensitive to P31-43 and Lox stimuli compared with CTR organoids. Taken together, these observations point to constitutive inflammation in CD enterocytes, which are more sensitive to inflammatory stimuli such as food components and viruses.

Can dietary intake protect against low-grade inflammation in children and adolescents?

In children and adolescents, chronic low-grade inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of co- and multi-morbid conditions to mental health disorders. Diet quality is a potential mechanism of action that can exacerbate or ameliorate low-grade inflammation; however, the exact way dietary intake can regulate the immune response in children and adolescents is still to be fully understood. In this review, I discuss the current observational and interventional evidence that supports a potential therapeutic role for dietary intake in the amelioration of low-grade inflammation and highlight the need to develop a better understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying and attenuating the associations between dietary intake and low-grade inflammation in children and adolescents.

Associations of Dietary Intake on Biological Markers of Inflammation in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

In children and adolescents, chronic low-grade inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of co- and multi-morbid conditions to mental health disorders. Diet quality is a potential mechanism of action that can exacerbate or ameliorate low-grade inflammation; however, the exact way dietary intake can regulate the immune response in children and adolescents is still to be fully understood.

METHODS

Studies that measured dietary intake (patterns of diet, indices, food groups, nutrients) and any inflammatory biomarkers in children and adolescents aged 2 to19 years and published until November 2020 were included in this systematic review, and were selected in line with PRISMA guidelines through the following databases: Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, Global Health, Medline COMPLETE and Web of Science-Core Collection. A total of 53 articles were identified.

RESULTS

Results show that adequate adherence to healthful dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet, or food groups such as vegetables and fruit, or macro/micro nutrients such as fibre or vitamin C and E, are associated with decreased levels of pro-inflammatory biomarkers, mainly c-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), whereas adherence to a Western dietary pattern, as well as intake of food groups such as added sugars, macro-nutrients such as saturated fatty acids or ultra-processed foods, is associated with higher levels of the same pro-inflammatory biomarkers.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first systematic review examining dietary intake and biological markers of inflammation in both children and adolescents. A good quality diet, high in vegetable and fruit intake, wholegrains, fibre and healthy fats ameliorates low-grade inflammation, and therefore represents a promising therapeutic approach, as well as an important element for disease prevention in both children and adolescents.

The Role of Secretory Activity Molecules of Visceral Adipocytes in Abdominal Obesity in the Development of Cardiovascular Disease: A Review

Adipose tissue is considered one of the endocrine organs in the body because of its ability to synthesize and release a large number of hormones, cytokines, and growth and vasoactive factors that influence a variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes, such as vascular tone, inflammation, vascular smooth muscle cell migration, endothelial function, and vascular redox state. Moreover, genetic factors substantially contribute to the risk of obesity. Research into the biochemical effects of molecules secreted by visceral adipocytes as well as their molecular genetic characteristics is actively conducted around the world mostly in relation to pathologies of the cardiovascular system, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mellitus. Adipokines could be developed into biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic targets in different diseases. This review describes the relevance of secretory activity molecules of visceral adipocytes in cardiovascular disease associated abdominal obesity.