Choline status is not a reliable indicator of moderate changes in dietary choline consumption in premenopausal women.

For the prevention of liver dysfunction in women, a choline adequate intake of 425 mg/day was established. To date, the relationship between dietary choline intake and plasma concentrations of choline moieties remains relatively unexplored. As an extension of our previous work, this 14-week controlled feeding study investigated the relationship between moderate changes in dietary choline intake and blood indicators of status.

The MTHFR 677TT genotype and folate intake interact to lower global leukocyte DNA methylation in young Mexican American women.

DNA methylation is an epigenetic feature that is associated with X chromosome inactivation, genomic imprinting, transcriptional silencing of genes and genomic stability. Folate provides a labile source of methyl groups which may be used for cellular methylation reactions including DNA methylation. The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C-->T variant is an important determinant of folate nutriture and may influence DNA methylation.

Global leukocyte DNA methylation is similar in African American and Caucasian women under conditions of controlled folate intake.

DNA methylation is an epigenetic feature that may modify disease risk, and can be influenced by folate status as well as by methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T genotype. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of ethnicity/race on global leukocyte DNA methylation under conditions of controlled folate intake. Caucasian (n = 14) and African American (n = 14) women (18 - 45 y) possessing the MTHFR 677CC genotype consumed a folate restricted diet (135 mug/d as dietary folate equivalents, DFE) for 7 week followed by folate treatment with 400 or 800 microg DFE/d for 7 week.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677C-->T variant modulates folate status response to controlled folate intakes in young women.

A common genetic variant in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene involving a cytosine to thymidine (C-->T) transition at nucleotide 677 is associated with reduced enzyme activity, altered folate status and potentially higher folate requirements. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of the MTHFR 677 T allele on folate status variables in Mexican women (n = 43; 18-45 y) and to assess the adequacy of the 1998 folate U.S.