Federico Soriguer

Gut microbiota in children with type 1 diabetes differs from that in healthy children: a case-control study

BackgroundA recent study using a rat model found significant differences at the time of diabetes onset in the bacterial communities responsible for type 1 diabetes modulation. We hypothesized that type 1 diabetes in humans could also be linked to a specific gut microbiota. Our aim was to quantify and evaluate the difference in the composition of gut microbiota between children with type 1 diabetes and healthy children and to determine the possible relationship of the gut microbiota of children with type 1 diabetes with the glycemic level.MethodsA case-control study was carried out with 16 children with type 1 diabetes and 16 healthy children. The fecal bacteria composition was investigated by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.ResultsThe mean similarity index was 47.39% for the healthy children and 37.56% for the children with diabetes, whereas the intergroup similarity index was 26.69%. In the children with diabetes, the bacterial number of Actinobacteria and Firmicutes, and the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio were all significantly decreased, with the quantity of Bacteroidetes significantly increased with respect to healthy children. At the genus level, we found a significant increase in the number of Clostridium, Bacteroides and Veillonella and a significant decrease in the number of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Blautia coccoides/Eubacterium rectale group and Prevotella in the children with diabetes. We also found that the number of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, and the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio correlated negatively and significantly with the plasma glucose level while the quantity of Clostridium correlated positively and significantly with the plasma glucose level in the diabetes group.ConclusionsThis is the first study showing that type 1 diabetes is associated with compositional changes in gut microbiota. The significant differences in the number of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Clostridium and in the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio observed between the two groups could be related to the glycemic level in the group with diabetes. Moreover, the quantity of bacteria essential to maintain gut integrity was significantly lower in the children with diabetes than the healthy children. These findings could be useful for developing strategies to control the development of type 1 diabetes by modifying the gut microbiota.

Effect of iodine prophylaxis during pregnancy on neurocognitive development of children during the first two years of life.

CONTEXT The association between thyroid function during pregnancy and the later mental and psychomotor development of the child is supported by numerous experimental, clinical, and epidemiological studies. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to evaluate the psychological development of infants aged 3 to 18 months whose mothers had received 300 microg of potassium iodide during the first trimester of their pregnancy and compare with infants whose mothers had received no iodine supplements. DESIGN AND STUDY SUBJECTS The study included 133 women who had received 300 microg of potassium iodine and 61 women who had received no iodine supplements. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The neuropsychological status of the children was evaluated with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, and measurements were made of TSH, free T(3), free T(4), and urinary iodine. RESULTS Those children whose mothers had received an iodine supplement of 300 microg had a more favorable psychometric assessment than those of the other group of mothers. They had higher scores on the Psychomotor Development Index (P = 0.02) and the Behavior Rating Scale. CONCLUSIONS Dietary iodine supplements not only have no harmful effect on the neurodevelopment of the children, they may even be beneficial. Given the possible presence of confounding variables not controlled for in this study, these findings should be considered as preliminary.

Evolución de la prevalencia de la diabetes tipo 2 en población adulta española

La diabetes mellitus tipo 2 ha sido catalogada como la epidemia del siglo XXI tanto por su creciente magnitud como por su impacto en la enfermedad cardiovascular, primera causa de mortalidad en las sociedades desarrolladas. En esta revision analizamos la evolucion de la prevalencia de la diabetes en Espana en los ultimos anos, basandonos en los distintos estudios transversales realizados. Segun este analisis, las estimaciones previas han sido superadas, y actualmente se puede estimar que entre el 10 y el 15% de la poblacion adulta espanola tiene diabetes. Varios factores, como el cambio de criterios diagnosticos, el envejecimiento de la poblacion, la menor mortalidad de los diabeticos o un verdadero aumento de la incidencia, han podido influir en este fenomeno.

Lipid, protein, and calorie content of different Atlantic and Mediterranean fish, shellfish, and molluscs commonly eaten in the south of Spain

We undertook a systematic evaluation of the lipid, protein, calorie, and fatty acid composition in 35 species of fish, shellfish and molluscs commonly consumed throughout the four seasons of the year in Andalusia, Spain. Using a portion of muscle tissue the following were measured in each study unit: total lipids (extraction using Folchs method and gravimetry), protein concentration (Kjehldals method), total calories (direct calorimetry), and composition of fatty acids (gas chromatography). The lipid, protein, and different fatty acid concentrations found are presented in table form. There was a high degree of inter-species variability in the concentration of lipids and the various fatty acids. There was also a high degree of intra-species seasonal variability in some cases. The relative proportion of fatty acids was not independent of the total concentration of lipids, independently of the season studied. This systematic study of a large group of species shows that the cataloguing of fish as ‘white’ or ‘blue’ depends especially on the time of year they are captured. For example, in spring the mackerel (Scomber scombrus), a fish considered traditionally to be ‘blue’ (fatty), has the same lipid concentration as the dover sole (Solea vulgaris), commonly considered to be ‘white’ (little fat), and the sea pike (Merluccius merluccius) has a higher lipid concentration in autumn than the jack mackerel (Trachurus trachurus). Even greater differences existed when the fish were classified according to their richness in n-3 fatty acids. These differences in the total lipid concentration and the composition of fatty acids, as well as the inter-relations between them, may, under certain circumstances, be important for the calculation of dietary calories and nutritional values, and may explain the differences found between the various tables of food composition, as well as the divergent results in epidemiological studies on the association between fish in diets and various diseases, such as diabetes or ischaemic cardiopathy.

Different effect of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and open biliopancreatic diversion of Scopinaro on serum PYY and ghrelin levels.

BackgroundThe impact of bariatric surgery on levels of peptide YY (PYY) and ghrelin is still under discussion. We undertook a simultaneous evaluation of the serum changes in PYY and ghrelin depending on the specific type of bariatric surgery.MethodsTotal PYY and ghrelin were analyzed in 29 healthy persons and in morbidly obese persons undergoing open biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) of Scopinaro (n = 38) or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB; n = 13).ResultsRYGB resulted in a significantly greater loss of weight and body mass index than BPD. Both RYGB and BPD were associated with a significant increase in PYY, significantly greater for BDP (p = 0.001). Ghrelin rose significantly after RYGB (p = 0.022) but not after BPD. After surgery, PYY correlated positively with weight (r = 0.416, p = 0.009). Ghrelin did not correlate significantly with any of the variables studied. Analysis of variance showed that only the type of surgery contributed significantly to explain the variances in the PYY (p = 0.002) and ghrelin (p = 0.018).ConclusionsBPD results in a greater increase in PYY and a lower weight loss than RYGB. However, only RYGB was associated with a significant increase in ghrelin. The differing weight loss according to the type of bariatric surgery does not seem to be explained by changes arising in PYY and ghrelin.

Effect of long-term administration of cross-sex hormone therapy on serum and urinary uric acid in transsexual persons.

BACKGROUND Transsexual persons afford a very suitable model to study the effect of sex steroids on uric acid metabolism. DESIGN This was a prospective study to evaluate the uric acid levels and fractional excretion of uric acid (FEUA) in a cohort of 69 healthy transsexual persons, 22 male-to-female transsexuals (MFTs) and 47 female-to-male transsexuals (FMTs). The subjects were studied at baseline and 1 and 2 yr after starting cross-sex hormone treatment. RESULTS The baseline levels of uric acid were higher in the MFT group. Compared with baseline, uric acid levels had fallen significantly after 1 yr of hormone therapy in the MFT group and had risen significantly in the FMT group. The baseline FEUA was greater in the FMT group. After 2 yr of cross-sex hormone therapy, the FEUA had increased in MFTs (P = 0.001) and fallen in FMTs (P = 0.004). In MFTs, the levels of uric acid at 2 yr were lower in those who had received higher doses of estrogens (P = 0.03), and the FEUA was higher (P = 0.04). The FEUA at 2 yr was associated with both the estrogen dose (P = 0.02) and the serum levels of estradiol-17beta (P =0.03). In MFTs, a correlation was found after 2 yr of therapy between the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and the serum uric acid (r = 0.59; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Serum levels of uric acid and the FEUA are altered in transsexuals as a result of cross-sex hormone therapy. The results concerning the MFT group support the hypothesis that the lower levels of uric acid in women are due to estrogen-induced increases in FEUA.

Plasma visfatin concentrations in severely obese subjects are increased after intestinal bypass

Objective: Visfatin has shown to be increased in obesity and in type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine the change in plasma visfatin in severely obese (SO) persons after weight loss following bariatric surgery in relation to glucose concentration.

Monounsaturated n-9 fatty acids and adipocyte lipolysis in rats.

To investigate the role of the monounsaturated n-9 fatty acids (MUFA) in the lipolytic activity of adipocytes, a study was carried out in which an increase in MUFA was produced in the tissues by two different methods; by the dietary enrichment of oleic acid or by producing an essential fatty acid deficiency syndrome. For this, forty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with a normal-energy diet and were subdivided into three groups. The diets varied in the type of dietary fat; palmitic acid, olive oil, or soyabean oil+palmitic acid. At the end of the study measurements were taken of weight, plasma leptin, tissue concentration of fatty acids, fat-cell size in the epididymal and the omental adipose tissues, adipocyte lipolytic activity of both tissues after stimulation with adrenaline, and the capacity of insulin to inhibit lipolysis. The baseline and adrenaline-stimulated lipolytic activity were greater and the anti-lipolytic capacity of insulin lower in the animals undergoing an increase in MUFA in the tissues (palmitic-acid and olive-oil diets). The area under the curve of glycerol, used as an indicator of lipolytic activity, was positively correlated with the concentration of MUFA and negatively with polyunsaturated fatty acids in the adipose tissues. It is concluded that an increase in tissue MUFA, however obtained, induces an increase in lipolytic activity.

La suplementación con ácidos grasos mejora parámetros respiratorios, inflamatorios y nutricionales en adultos con fibrosis quística

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS Chronic inflammation plays a major role in lung deterioration in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and anti-inflammatory strategies have beneficial effects. To study the changes seen after a one-year course of low-dose dietary supplements with a mixture of fatty acids in adult patients with CF in chronic inflammation, pulmonary status (lung function, respiratory exacerbations and antibiotic consumption), quality of life and anthropometric parameters. PATIENTS AND METHOD Seventeen adult subjects with CF received 324 mg of eicosapentaenoic, 216 mg of docosahexaenoic, 480 mg of linoleic and 258 mg of gammalinolenic acid daily. We assessed inflammation markers, spirometry parameters, number and severity of respiratory exacerbations, antibiotic consumption, quality of life (St Georges QoL), anthropometric parameters and serum phospholipid fatty acid composition. RESULTS At the end of the treatment period TNF alpha levels fell significantly and its soluble receptors (60 and 80) rose significantly. Levels of IgG and IgM anti-oxidized LDL antibodies fell significantly. Spirometry improved significantly. Annual respiratory exacerbations and days of antibiotic treatment fell significantly. The improvement in QoL was not significant. Serum levels of docosahexaenoic, total omega-3 and linoleic acid rose significantly and more favourable profiles were seen in monoenoic acids, arachidonic acid and the arachidonic/docosahexaenoic ratio. The fat-free mass and hand grip dynamometry improved significantly. CONCLUSIONS Low-dose supplements of n-3 and gammalinolenic fatty acids over a long period (one year) appears to improve pulmonary status (lung function, respiratory exacerbations and antibiotic consumption), inflammatory and anthropometric parameters in adults with CF.

Fatty Acid Supplementation Improves Respiratory, Inflammatory and Nutritional Parameters in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis

Abstract Introduction and aims Chronic inflammation plays a major role in lung deterioration in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and anti-inflammatory strategies have beneficial effects. To study the changes seen after a oneyear course of low-dose dietary supplements with a mixture of fatty acids in adult patients with CF in chronic inflammation, pulmonary status (lung function, respiratory exacerbations and antibiotic consumption), quality of life and anthropometric parameters. Patients and method Seventeen adult subjects with CF received 324mg of eicosapentaenoic, 216mg of docosahexaenoic, 480mg of linoleic and 258mg of gammalinolenic acid daily. We assessed inflammation markers, spirometry parameters, number and severity of respiratory exacerbations, antibiotic consumption, quality of life (St Georges QoL), anthropometric parameters and serum phospholipid fatty acid composition. Results At the end of the treatment period TNF alpha levels fell significantly and its soluble receptors (60 and 80) rose significantly. Levels of IgG and IgM anti-oxidised LDL antibodies fell significantly. Spirometry improved significantly. Annual respiratory exacerbations and days of antibiotic treatment fell significantly. The improvement in QoL was not significant. Serum levels of docosahexaenoic, total omega-3 and linoleic acid rose significantly and more favourable profiles were seen in monoenoic acids, arachidonic acid and the arachidonic/docosahexaenoic ratio. The fat-free mass and hand grip dynamometry improved significantly. Conclusions Low-dose supplements of n-3 and gammalinolenic fatty acids over a long period (one year) appears to improve pulmonary status (lung function, respiratory exacerbations and antibiotic consumption), inflammatory and anthropometric parameters in adults with CF.