Metabolomics of head and neck cancer in biofluids: an integrative systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the fifth most common cancer globally. Diagnosis at early stages are critical to reduce mortality and improve functional and esthetic outcomes associated with HNC. Metabolomics is a promising approach for discovery of biomarkers and metabolic pathways for risk assessment and early detection of HNC.

OBJECTIVES

To summarize and consolidate the available evidence on metabolomics and HNC in plasma/serum, saliva, and urine.

METHODS

A systematic search of experimental research was executed using PubMed and Web of Science. Available data on areas under the curve was extracted. Metabolic pathway enrichment analysis were performed to identify metabolic pathways altered in HNC. Fifty-four studies were eligible for data extraction (33 performed in plasma/serum, 15 in saliva and 6 in urine).

RESULTS

Metabolites with high discriminatory performance for detection of HNC included single metabolites and combination panels of several lysoPCs, pyroglutamate, glutamic acid, glucose, tartronic acid, arachidonic acid, norvaline, linoleic acid, propionate, acetone, acetate, choline, glutamate and others. The glucose-alanine cycle and the urea cycle were the most altered pathways in HNC, among other pathways (i.e. gluconeogenesis, glycine and serine metabolism, alanine metabolism, etc.). Specific metabolites that can potentially serve as complementary less- or non-invasive biomarkers, as well as metabolic pathways integrating the data from the available studies, are presented.

CONCLUSION

The present work highlights utility of metabolite-based biomarkers for risk assessment, early detection, and prognostication of HNC, as well as facilitates incorporation of available metabolomics studies into multi-omics data integration and big data analytics for personalized health.

Ultra-processed food and homemade fried food consumption is associated with overweight/obesity in Latin American university students during COVID-19

OBJECTIVE

We estimated the association between the consumption of select ultra-processed food (UPF), homemade fried food and overweight/obesity in Latin American university undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study. 4539 university students (73.6% female, mean age 22.5 ± 4.4) from 10 Latin American countries completed a self-administered online survey. UPF eating habits and homemade fried food were measured according to a validated survey. Height and body weight were self-reported. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated. A BMI ≥25 kg/m2 was categorized as overweight/obesity. Ordinal logistic regression models were applied.

RESULTS

Snacks (36.2%) and homemade fried food (30.2%) had a higher prevalence of consumption than sugary drinks (22.5%) and fast food (7.2%). The greatest strength of association was found between fast food consumption [odds ratio (OR) = 2.16; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.63-2.85], sugary drinks [OR = 2.05; CI: 1.63-2.59] and homemade fried food [OR = 1.46; CI: 1.16-1.85] with overweight/obesity.

CONCLUSION

Latin American university undergraduates present risky eating behaviors associated with overweight and obesity. Effective policies to promote healthy eating should be incorporated and issued from universities to reduce the consumption of UPF and promote homemade, healthier and more natural food.

Patrón de sueño, estado nutricional e ingesta dietética en agentes de seguridad de la Ciudad de Panamá: Un estudio transversal

Introducción: La alteración del patrón de sueño, la alimentación y el estado nutricional en los agentes de seguridad con turnos rotativos era un tema no estudiado en la Ciudad de Panamá. El objetivo fueevaluar el patrón de sueño, estado nutricional y la ingesta dietética en agentes de seguridad de la Ciudad de Panamá. Materiales y métodos: Estudio transversal en 130 agentes de seguridad y bomberos en la Ciudad de Panamá, realizado de marzo a diciembre de 2019. Se aplicó cuestionarios de evaluación sociodemográfica (sexo, edad, procedencia, antecedentes patológicos, entre otros), medidas de insomnio, escala de somnolencia de Epworth y cuestionario de Pittsburg de calidad de sueño. Para el estado nutricional se usó antropometría, peso talla y circunferencia de la cintura; y la ingesta mediante recordatorio de 24 horas. Se consideró exceso de peso cuando el índice de masa corporal (IMC) fue ≥25 kg/m2, obesidad de ≥30 kg/m2, y obesidad abdominal cuando la cintura fue ≥88 en mujeres y ≥102 en hombres. Resultados: Se evaluaron 130 sujetos, edad media de 38,9 (9,4) años (96,6% masculino). Mediana (rango intercuartílico) para energía es 2310 (1764 – 3056) kcal/d, para % adecuación de fibra es 50,8 (30,4 – 78,8)%, calcio de 39,9 (22,7 – 62,7)%; vitamina C de 39,4 (11,5 – 118,5)% y vitamina A de 38,0 (16,5 – 66,2)%. La proporción de obesidad abdominal es 44,6%; exceso de peso de 85,4%; y, obesidad de 53,9%; el 19,2% reporta insomnio; 94,6% somnolencia; 43,1%; presentan dificultad para dormir; y 56,9% duerme menos de 7 horas al día. Conclusiones: Alta proporción de exceso de peso y obesidad por IMC; y obesidad abdominal según perímetro de cintura. Además de alteraciones en la calidad del sueño. La dieta es excesiva en calorías, grasas y carbohidratos y deficiente en vitamina C, vitamina A, calcio y fibra.

Educación alimentaria y nutricional para reducir la obesidad en escolares de Panamá: protocolo de estudio

El sobrepeso en escolares representa un creciente problema de salud pública en Panamá. El objetivo es desarrollar y validar un programa de intervención en educación alimentaria y nutricional (EAN) contra el sobrepeso y la obesidad en escolares de Panamá bajo la perspectiva de una política pública intersectorial de salud y educación. La intervención se basa en el cambio de conducta bajo el modelo socio-ecológico que favorezca la adopción de comportamientos alimentarios y de estilos de vida más saludables. Se trata de un estudio en 768 escolares de diseño cuasi experimental, pre-post intervención, prospectivo y sin grupo control, de tipo observacional explicativo en instituciones de educación básica general del sector público en tres Distritos de Panamá Oeste: La Chorrera, Capira y Chame. Se seleccionaron 5 escuelas, la escuela Victoria DˈSpinay y La Herradura en el Distrito de La Chorrera, la escuela Hernando Bárcenas en el Distrito de Capira y las escuelas El Espavé y Berta Elida Fernández en el Distrito de Chame. El protocolo fue registrado en la plataforma internacional de ensayos Nº ISRCTN28920505. Se obtendrán datos sociodemográficos, antropométricos, nutricionales y alimentarios; de seguridad alimentaria; y de conocimiento, actitud, percepción y comportamiento sobre alimentación y estilos de vida saludables de marzo a diciembre de 2019 durante la implementación del programa intersectorial denominado “Escuelas Saludables” del Ministerio de Salud y del Ministerio de Educación de Panamá. Se describirán y compararán los datos utilizando estadística paramétrica y no paramétrica. El protocolo de estudio fue revisado y aprobado por el Comité de Bioética de la Universidad de Panamá (Ref. CBUP/Nº075/2019), registrado en la Dirección General de Salud (DIGESA) del MINSA (Nº 881). Se solicitará consentimiento informado firmado por parte de los acudientes y asentimiento por cada niño participante. Los resultados del estudio serán difundidos ampliamente en revistas indexadas de revisión de pares y en congresos de salud y nutrición.Número de registro de protocolo: ISRCTN28920505.

Dietary Consumption of Lutein and Zeaxanthin in Panama: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

The macular pigments of the eye increase with a diet rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which are phytochemicals and important for visual health.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to determine the dietary consumption of lutein and zeaxanthin in adults working at the Universidad de Panamá (University of Panama), Panama City.

METHOD

This was a cross-sectional study with 164 subjects including both men and women >18 y of age and employed at the University of Panama, Panama City, Panama. The data collection was carried out between May and September 2017. A semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire was applied with 43 foods high in lutein and zeaxanthin, which included eggs as the only source of animal protein, 23 vegetables, 15 fruits, and 4 foods prepared with corn as an ingredient.

RESULTS

The mean ± SD age was 45.7 ± 12.7 y (72% women). The mean ± SD and median (IQR) lutein consumption were 2.063 ± 2.334 mg/d and 1.512 (1.385) mg/d, respectively; and for zeaxanthin these were 0.858 ± 0.866 mg/d and 0.550 (0.819) mg/d, respectively. The food products that contributed the most dietary lutein and zeaxanthin were tomatoes, corn tortilla, and egg yolk.

CONCLUSION

The consumption of lutein and zeaxanthin is low among people working at the University of Panama, and this is not associated with sociodemographic variables.

Risk factors during the prenatal period and the first year of life associated with overweight in 7-year-old low-income Chilean children

The objective of this study was to identify in low-income Chilean children with normal birthweight which factors occurring during the prenatal period and the first year are associated with overweight (OW)/obesity at 7 years. The sample included 652 7-year-olds from a larger cohort study. We collected anthropometric data at 0, 12 and 84 months, maternal pre-pregnancy and pregnancy characteristics, early feeding practices, number of siblings, birth order, breastfeeding, and timing of solid introduction information. We determined the residuals for z-scores for body mass index (BMI) (BAZ), weight/age and height/age0-12 months , run univariate analysis (X(2) or t-test) and multivariate logistic analyses (stepwise approach); P < 0.05 was considered significant. We evaluated the goodness of fit of the model using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and checked for overdispersion using the Pearson's X(2) . The odds of children being OW at 7 years increased if their mothers were OW before pregnancy, if born with a higher BAZ (increase of 18-74% per each additional unit of BAZ) and if their BAZ growth during the first year was higher (62-239% per each unit over the predicted BAZ increase). Higher birth order was protective (6-68% less risk for 2nd birth compared with 1st and 10-73% less for ≥3rd child). All other variables, including gender, were non-significant (P > 0.1). In low-income Chilean children with normal birth, four factors during the prenatal period and the first year were associated with OW at 7 years: pre-pregnancy BMI, BMI at birth, BMI gain between 0 and 12 months, and birth order.