Validation of repeated self-reported n-3 PUFA intake using serum phospholipid fatty acids as a biomarker in breast cancer patients during treatment.

Background: The role of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in breast cancer is not clear and under debate. To explore this relationship it is important to have proper validated dietary assessment methods for measuring the intake of n-3 PUFAs. The aim of the current study is to validate two different methods used to assess the intake of selected n-3 PUFAs as well as food sources of long-chained n-3 PUFAs.

Trans-fatty Acids and Survival in Renal Transplantation.

Objective: High consumption of trans-fatty acids (TFAs) is associated with increased mortality.

Design And Methods: Observational cohort study of 1.988 Norwegian renal transplant recipients with a median follow-up time of 9.

Serum levels of leptin and adiponectin are not associated with disease activity or treatment response in multiple sclerosis.

Adipokines secreted by fatty tissue have inflammatory properties and are suggested biomarkers of MS disease activity. To assess this, 88 MS patients were followed with nine repeated measurements of leptin and adiponectin and 12 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans for two years; six months without any immunomodulatory treatment followed by 18 months during interferon-beta (IFNB) treatment. Serum levels of leptin dropped and adiponectin increased upon initiation of IFNB-therapy, but were not associated with clinical or MRI disease activity or with treatment response.

α-Linolenic acid is associated with MRI activity in a prospective cohort of multiple sclerosis patients.

Background: The plant-based ω-3 fatty acid α-linolenic acid (ALA) has been associated with lower MS risk. It is currently unknown whether ALA affects disease activity.

Objective: To investigate the association between ALA levels and disease activity.

Development of Kidney Transplant Fibrosis Is Inversely Associated With Plasma Marine Fatty Acid Level.

Objective(s): We assessed associations between plasma levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and degree of inflammation and interstitial fibrosis in transplanted kidneys.

Design: The design of the study was single center cohort study.

Subjects: A study population of 156 patients who received a kidney transplant at Oslo University Hospital during 2010.

Gestational diabetes and offspring birth size at elevated environmental pollutant exposures.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with increased availability of glucose and macronutrients in fetal circulation and macrosomia. Therefore, the role of GDM in the association between metabolism-disrupting chemicals and birth size deserves attention.

Objective: We examined whether GDM may mediate or modify the associations between maternal environmental pollutant exposures and offspring birth size measures.

Plasma Levels of Marine n-3 Fatty Acids Are Inversely Correlated With Proinflammatory Markers sTNFR1 and IL-6 in Renal Transplant Recipients.

Objective: Marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) exert potential anti-inflammatory effects and might improve long-term outcomes after renal transplantation. We assessed associations between plasma phospholipid levels of marine n-3 PUFAs and plasma inflammatory biomarkers 10 weeks after renal transplantation.

Design: Cross-sectional single-center study.

No association of tobacco use and disease activity in multiple sclerosis.

Objective: To study whether tobacco use is associated with MRI and clinical disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: Prospective cohort study of 87 patients with relapsing-remitting MS originally included in a randomized placebo-controlled trial of omega-3 fatty acids in MS (the OFAMS Study). Serum levels of cotinine (biomarker of tobacco use) were analyzed at baseline and every 6 months for 2 years.

Body mass index influence interferon-beta treatment response in multiple sclerosis.

Obesity is a possible risk factor of multiple sclerosis (MS), but the association between obesity and MS disease activity has not been explored. In a cohort of 86 MS patients, 80% of overweight or obese patients (BMI≥25kg/m(2)) had MRI activity compared to 48% of the normal-weight patients (BMI<25kg/m(2)) (p=0.001) during interferon-beta treatment.

Plasma levels of marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and renal allograft survival.

Background: Marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may exert beneficial effects on inflammation, fibrosis, endothelial function, lipid profile and blood pressure that may prevent graft loss.

Methods: In this observational cohort study in Norwegian renal transplant recipients (n = 1990), transplanted between 1999 and 2011, associations between plasma marine n-3 PUFA levels and graft loss were assessed by multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Plasma phospholipid fatty acid composition was determined by gas chromatography and individual fatty acids recorded as weight percentage (wt%) of total fatty acids in a stable phase 10 weeks after transplantation.

The association between marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels and survival after renal transplantation.

Background And Objectives: Several studies have reported beneficial cardiovascular effects of marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. To date, no large studies have investigated the potential benefits of marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in recipients of renal transplants.

Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: In this observational cohort study of 1990 Norwegian recipients of renal transplants transplanted between 1999 and 2011, associations between marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels and mortality were investigated by stratified analysis and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analysis adjusting for traditional and transplant-specific mortality risk factors.

Vitamin D status and effect of interferon-β1a treatment on MRI activity and serum inflammation markers in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

To explore if vitamin D modulates interferon-β1a treatment effects in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, we examined relationships between serum vitamin D and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) activity and ten systemic inflammation markers in 88 patients, before and during treatment. Odds ratios for all MRI parameters were negatively associated with vitamin D levels before therapy, but converged to equally low values irrespective of vitamin D status during treatment. During therapy, similar alterations of MRI activity and inflammation markers were found across patients categorized by mean vitamin D values.

Antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus and MRI disease activity in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Previous reports indicate an association between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody levels and multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity, but the results have been conflicting.

Objectives: The objective of this paper is to study if EBV antibody levels reflect MRI disease activity in MS and examine the potential for EBV antibody levels as biomarkers for treatment response.

Methods: A total of 87 MS patients were followed for two years prior to and during interferon beta (IFNB) treatment, with MRI examinations and serum measurement of IgM and IgG antibodies to viral capsid antigen (VCA), EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) and early antigen (EA).

Increasing serum levels of vitamin A, D and E are associated with alterations of different inflammation markers in patients with multiple sclerosis.

To explore the relationships between vitamin A, D and E and inflammation in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, we assessed their associations with 11 inflammation markers in 9 serial serum samples from 85 patients, before and during interferon-β1a treatment. A negative association was found between vitamin A and pentraxin 3 independent of interferon-β1a use, whereas positive associations between vitamin D and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist and secreted frizzled-related protein 3 were seen before, and between vitamin E and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 16 during interferon-β1a treatment. These findings suggest associations with diverse inflammatory pathways, which may be differentially influenced by interferon-β1a treatment.

Negative confounding by essential fatty acids in methylmercury neurotoxicity associations.

Background: Methylmercury, a worldwide contaminant of fish and seafood, can cause adverse effects on the developing nervous system. However, long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in seafood provide beneficial effects on brain development. Negative confounding will likely result in underestimation of both mercury toxicity and nutrient benefits unless mutual adjustment is included in the analysis.

Inflammation markers in multiple sclerosis: CXCL16 reflects and may also predict disease activity.

Background: Serum markers of inflammation are candidate biomarkers in multiple sclerosis (MS). ω-3 fatty acids are suggested to have anti-inflammatory properties that might be beneficial in MS. We aimed to explore the relationship between serum levels of inflammation markers and MRI activity in patients with relapsing remitting MS, as well as the effect of ω-3 fatty acids on these markers.

Visual evoked potentials in children prenatally exposed to methylmercury.

Prenatal exposure to methylmercury can cause both neurobehavioral deficits and neurophysiological changes. However, evidence of neurotoxic effects within the visual nervous system is inconsistent, possibly due to incomplete statistical adjustment for beneficial nutritional factors. We evaluated the effect of prenatal methylmercury exposure on visual evoked potential (VEP) latencies in Faroese children with elevated prenatal methylmercury exposure.

Alpha-tocopherol and MRI outcomes in multiple sclerosis--association and prediction.

Objective: Alpha-tocopherol is the main vitamin E compound in humans, and has important antioxidative and immunomodulatory properties. The aim of this study was to study alpha-tocopherol concentrations and their relationship to disease activity in Norwegian multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

Methods: Prospective cohort study in 88 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients, originally included in a randomised placebo-controlled trial of omega-3 fatty acids (the OFAMS study), before and during treatment with interferon beta.

Plasma phospholipid EPA and DHA are divergently associated with overall mortality in newly diagnosed diabetic patients: results from a follow-up of the Nord-Trøndelag Health (HUNT) Study, Norway.

Data concerning the long-term effects of n-3 and n-6 PUFA on disease control and development of complications in diabetic patients are inconsistent. The relationship between plasma phospholipid PUFA and total mortality in type 2 diabetes is unknown. The present study aims to investigate the association between plasma phospholipid fatty acid relative concentrations expressed as weight percentage and total mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Retinol levels are associated with magnetic resonance imaging outcomes in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Vitamin A has immunomodulatory properties and may regulate the transcription of genes involved in remyelination.

Objective: To investigate the association between retinol and disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: Cohort study of 88 relapsing-remitting MS patients, originally included in a randomised placebo-controlled trial of omega-3 fatty acids in MS (the OFAMS study), followed prospectively for 24 months with repeated assessments of serum-retinol and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Long-term tracking of plasma phospholipid fatty acid concentrations and their correlation with the dietary intake of marine foods in newly diagnosed diabetic patients: results from a follow-up of the HUNT Study, Norway.

Analysis of long-chain n-3 and n-6 fatty acid (FA) concentrations is used to evaluate their potential health effects in epidemiological studies, and, recently, also to counsel patients with a suboptimal intake of n-3 FA. Data on the method's ability to track and detect differences within and between individuals in appropriate populations are, however, lacking. The present study provides such data for twenty-nine plasma phospholipid (PL) FA concentrations and indices measured in 214 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients at baseline and after 3 years.

Vitamin D and disease activity in multiple sclerosis before and during interferon-β treatment.

Objective: Studies based on deseasonalized vitamin D levels suggest that vitamin D may influence the disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS), and high doses are suggested as add-on treatment to interferon-β (IFN-β). Seasonal fluctuation of vitamin D varies between individuals, thus the relationship to disease activity should preferentially be studied by repeated and simultaneous vitamin D and MRI measurements from each patient.

Methods: This was a cohort study comprising 88 patients with relapsing-remitting MS who were followed for 6 months with 7 MRI and 4 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurements before initiation of IFN-β, and for 18 months with 5 MRI and 5 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurements during IFN-β treatment.

ω-3 fatty acid treatment in multiple sclerosis (OFAMS Study): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Objective: To investigate whether ω-3 fatty acids reduce magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis, both as monotherapy and in combination with interferon beta-1a treatment.

Design: Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted from 2004 to 2008.

Setting: Thirteen public neurology departments in Norway.