Plasma lipids and apolipoprotein A-I and A-II levels in alcoholic patients

This prospective study compared total plasma lipids, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and apolipoproteins A-I (apo A-I) and A-II (apo A-II) in 72 alcoholic patients and in 285 nonalcoholic controls. The HDL-C in the alcoholic group was not significantly different from that in the nonalcoholic controls. Alcoholic men had significantly higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides and lower levels of apo A-I when compared with nonalcoholic controls. Alcoholic women had significantly higher levels of cholesterol and apo A-II when compared with nonalcoholic controls. Serial measurements in 25 alcoholic patients showed a significant decline in HDL-C, apo A-I, and apo A-II levels during the 4-wk hospital stay. HDL-C demonstrated its expected inverse relationship with plasma triglyceride level and its direct relationship with apo A-I, apo A-II, and the hepatic enzyme aspartate aminotransferase.     

Apolipoprotein A-I positively associated with diabetes in women independently of apolipoprotein E genotype and apolipoprotein B levels

ObjectiveGiven the elevated apolipoprotein (apo) A-I level enhancement of type 2 diabetes among Turks, the interrelation among it, apoB, and apoE genotype with respect to the likelihood of diabetes and metabolic syndrome (MetS), and the role of gender need further investigation.MethodsA random sample of Turkish adults genotyped for apoE with measured serum apoB and apoA-I concentrations was studied cross-sectionally. Apo ?2/?4 genotype was excluded to avoid confounding. MetS was identified by modified criteria of the Adult Treatment Panel III.ResultsAmong 1673 participants, ?3 homozygotes prevailed in 74%, apoE2 (?2/?3, ?2/?2) in 12%, and apoE4 (?3/?4, ?4/?4) in 13%. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apoB levels were significantly lower and apoE concentrations higher in the apoE2 than in the remaining groups. ApoA-I levels in female subjects were significantly higher than in the E4 group. Multivariable analysis for determinants of apoB showed apoE genotype, serum apoE, C-reactive protein, apoA-I, and triacylglycerol levels to be major independent covariates. Logistic regression analyses for MetS, adjusted for potential confounders, revealed that apoB is linked to MetS in men independently of serum triacylglycerols and apoE2 group, whereas that in women in the apoE2 group was associated with MetS by mediation by triacylglycerols or apoB. The independent inverse association of apoA-I with MetS was considered apparent. Multi-adjusted likelihood of diabetes was associated only with triacylglycerol levels and, in women, with apoA-I (odds ratio 1.43, 95% confidence interval 1.10–1.86, per 1 SD increment).ConclusionThe confirmed positive association of serum apoA-I with diabetes in Turkish women is independent of apoE genotype and apoB levels.     

Effect of cigarette smoking and coffee consumption on apolipoprotein B levels

Apolipoprotein B levels were studied in relation to cigarette smoking, coffee and alcohol consumption, physical activity, age and body mass index in 253 men aged 21–61 years. The mean apolipoprotein B level was 7.3 ± 3.2 mg/dl and was higher for smokers compared with non-smokers. Considering the smokers of over 20 cigarettes/day and the non-smokers, this difference reached 12.6 ± 4.3 mg/dl. A significant increase of 7.2 ± 3.5 mg/dl in apolipoprotein B levels was observed in the subjects who drank over 3 cups of coffee/day compared with the remaining subjects, but the increase was only 4.3 ± 3.7 mg/dl when we made a correction for cigarette consumption. Furthermore, for cigarette smoking and coffee consumption, there is apparently an interactive effect with BMI and/or age (vs apolipoprotein B levels). However, with a stepwise selection among explicative variables [age, BMI, smoking (yes/no) and coffee consumption ( 3, > 3 cups/day)] and all their interactions of first order, only the interaction between BMI and smoking (BMI^*smoking: b± ES (b) = 0.3029±0.0303), and age and BMI (age^*BMI), are significantly and positively related to serum levels of apolipoprotein B. Thus cigarette smoking, interacting with high BMI, appear related to higher apolipoprotein B levels.Corresponding author.     

The effects of tomato consumption on serum glucose, apolipoprotein B, apolipoprotein A-I, homocysteine and blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients

Tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, β-carotene, potassium, vitamin C, flavonoids, folate and vitamin E that may provide protection against the development of type 2 diabetic patients, so the present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of tomato intake on serum glucose, homocysteine, apolipoprotein (apo) B, apoA-I and blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients. In a quasi-experimental study, 32 type 2 diabetes patients received 200 g raw tomato daily for 8 weeks. Serum glucose enzymatically, apoB and apoA-I immunoturbidometrically and homocysteine by high-performance liquid chromatography were measured at the beginning and end of 8 weeks. There were significant decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and also a significant increase in apoA-I at the end of study compared with initial values (P = 0.0001, P = 0.0001 and P = 0.013, respectively). In conclusion, 200 g raw tomato per day had a favored effect on blood pressure and apoA-I so it might be beneficial for reducing cardiovascular risk associated with type 2 diabetes.     

Serum apolipoprotein A-I levels: relationship to lipoprotein lipid levels and selected demographic variables

Serum apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) and lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides were measured in 289 persons randomly selected from a Northern California industrial population in 1974-1976. Apo A-I and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were strongly correlates with one another and both were inversely correlated with very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglycerides. The decrease in HDL-cholesterol with increasing VLDL-triglycerides was relatively much larger than the concomitant decrease in apo A-I. The relative decrease in the sum of cholesterol and triglycerides in the HDL fraction was similar to that for apo A-I, suggesting that the decreasing HDL-cholesterol:apo A-I ratio with increasing VLDL-triglycerides is due in large part to reciprocal transfer of cholesteryl esters for triglycerides between HDL and VLDL. Mean apo A-I level was 16 mg/dl higher in women not taking exogenous sex steroids than in men, 31 mg/dl higher in women taking estrogens without progestins and 10 mg/dl higher in contraceptive drug users than in other women, and 8 mg/dl higher in black than in white men. The first two of these differences were statistically significant. Apo A-I level was unrelated to age, but increased with ethanol consumption and decreased with adiposity. An inverse relationship between Apo A-I and cigarette smoking was found among women.     

Changes of plasma levels of apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, and B and their isoforms in patients with intestinal failure receiving long-term parenteral nutrition

We have studied the plasma lipid and apolipoprotein profiles of 19 patients with intestinal failure who are receiving long-term total parenteral nutrition (TPN). These patients had significantly reduced levels of total and HDL cholesterol and normal levels of triglycerides. Radioimmunoassay determination of apolipoproteins showed a 30% and 50% reduction in apo A-I and A-II levels, respectively. Apolipoprotein B was normal in all but three patients. Isoelectric focusing showed two major isoforms of apo A-I in patients as compared with four isoforms observed in normal subjects and one major isoform of apo A-II compared with multiple isoforms. Recent epidemiologic studies indicate that an increased apo B:apo A-I ratio may be an important factor in atherogenesis. We suggest that patients with small-bowel syndrome who are currently on TPN may be at greater risk for atherosclerosis. Since TPN has restored a reasonably normal life expectancy for these patients, long-term follow-up will likely provide answers.     

Effects of serum lipid concentrations and smoking and drinking habits on serum vitamin A and E levels

Serum retinol and tocopherol concentrations in 419 males and 478 females, aged 10 to 49 years, were determined by an HPLC method. Then their relationships to serum lipid concentrations and smoking and drinking habits were examined. Retinol levels were higher in males than in females but tocopherol showed little difference by sex. The sex differences in age-related serum levels of retinol and triglyceride (TG) were similar to those of tocopherol and total cholesterol (TC), respectively. Retinol had a significant correlation with TC and TG, with coefficients of 0.20-0.29 (p less than 0.001). These were smaller than those of tocopherol (R = 0.32-0.52, p less than 0.001) both in males and females, suggesting that it had a higher susceptibility to factors other than serum lipids than tocopherol did. Both the retinol and tocopherol levels were significantly higher in the groups with smoking and drinking habits than in the groups without them among the males aged 30 years and over. Furthermore, the retinol level was positively dependent on the daily consumption of both cigarettes and alcohol, whereas tocopherol was dependent on the consumption of alcohol. Multiple regression analysis showed that smoking and drinking habits had statistically significant effects on the serum retinol level independent of other factors and that their effects were greater than those of TC and TG. Tocopherol was affected most by TC and TG and then by drinking habit. Less significant but similar results were obtained for the females of the same age group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Genetic determinants of serum vitamin B12 and their relation to body mass index

Lower serum vitamin B12 levels have been related to adverse metabolic health profiles, including adiposity. We used a Mendelian randomization design to test whether this relation might be causal. We included two Danish population-based studies (n_total = 9311). Linear regression was used to test for associations between (1) serum vitamin B12 levels and body mass index (BMI), (2) genetic variants and serum vitamin B12 levels, and (3) genetic variants and BMI. The effect of a genetically determined decrease in serum vitamin B12 on BMI was estimated by instrumental variable regression. Decreased serum vitamin B12 associated with increased BMI (P < 1 × 10^?4). A genetic risk score based on eight vitamin B12 associated variants associated strongly with serum vitamin B12 (P < 2 × 10^?43), but not with BMI (P = 0.91). Instrumental variable regression showed that a 20% decrease in serum vitamin B12 was associated with a 0.09 kg/m² (95% CI 0.05; 0.13) increase in BMI (P = 3 × 10^?5), whereas a genetically induced 20% decrease in serum vitamin B12 had no effect on BMI [?0.03 (95% CI ?0.22; 0.16) kg/m²] (P = 0.74). Nevertheless, the strongest serum vitamin B12 variant, FUT2 rs602662, which was excluded from the B12 genetic risk score due to potential pleiotropic effects, showed a per allele effect of 0.15 kg/m² (95% CI 0.01; 0.32) on BMI (P = 0.03). This association was accentuated including two German cohorts (n_total = 5050), with a combined effect of 0.19 kg/m² (95% CI 0.08; 0.30) (P = 4 × 10^?4). We found no support for a causal role of decreased serum vitamin B12 levels in obesity. However, our study suggests that FUT2, through its regulation of the cross-talk between gut microbes and the human host, might explain a part of the observational association between serum vitamin B12 and BMI.     

Tea drinking, passive smoking, smoking deception and serum cotinine in the Scottish heart health study

Following a recent claim that the use of cotinine in body fluids, to assess passive smoking and smoking “deception”, was confounded by metabolic individuality, and by non-tobacco sources of dietary nicotine, particularly tea, data were examined from a large cross-sectional survey in a tea-drinking population. In 3383 men and women aged 44–59 years from the Scottish Heart Health Study, defined as non-smokers, both by self-report and by low thiocyanate and expired air carbon monoxide levels, serum cotinine showed minimal association with self-reported daily average tea consumption. However, there was a strong correlation between degree of self-reported passive tobacco smoke exposure and median serum cotinine level. In the same survey, serum cotinine in 4144 self-reported non-smokers and in 3326 smokers showed entirely different distributions, but the same range, suggesting heavy nicotine intake in some “non-smokers”. These analyses confirm that cotinine levels in true non-smokers reflect far more the nicotine in inhaled ambient tobacco smoke than they do nicotine in tea. Some smoking “deceivers” have the same degree of exposure to nicotine as heavy smokers. Despite individual variability, the claim of confounding is poorly supported, and cotinine is confirmed as an indicator both of passive smoking and of smoking deception.     

男性饮酒行为与吸烟行为及戒烟意愿的关系

目的探讨男性饮酒与吸烟行为及戒烟意愿之间的关系。方法按多阶段分层整群随机抽样方法,在江苏省14个慢病监测点,抽取≥18岁男性常住居民进行问卷调查,采用非条件logistic回归方法,分析饮酒与吸烟、戒烟意愿之间的关系。结果男性成人现在吸烟率和饮酒率分别为56.90%、60.16%。饮酒者现在吸烟率为66.54%,饮酒者现在吸烟的比例高于不饮酒者(OR=2.77,95%CI:2.40~3.19),且随饮酒频率和饮酒量的增加而显著增加。现在吸烟者中,打算戒烟比例为26.56%,饮酒频率越高者打算戒烟的比例越低(P=0.023)。结论饮酒会促进吸烟行为的发生,并降低吸烟者的戒烟意愿。     

Effects of smoking and drinking habits and vitamin A intake on serum concentrations of beta-carotene and retinol]

Serum samples from 341 males aged 10 to 59 years were obtained and stored at -40 degrees C until examined for retinol and beta-carotene concentrations by HPLC, and their relationships to smoking habit, alcohol drinking habit and vitamin A intake were studied. In univariate analysis the serum beta-carotene level was significantly lower in the smokers than in the non-smokers (smokers: 4.6 micrograms/dl, non-smokers: 7.1 micrograms/dl, p less than 0.01) and lower in the drinkers than in the non-drinkers (drinkers: 4.6 micrograms/dl, non-drinkers: 7.3 micrograms/dl, p less than 0.01). The serum retinol level was not different by smoking habit but was higher in the drinkers than in the non-drinkers (drinkers: 80.4 micrograms/dl, non-drinkers: 67.0 micrograms/dl, p less than 0.01). Serum beta-carotene was higher in the group with a greater intake of vitamin A of vegetable origin (6.1 micrograms/dl) than in the group with a smaller intake of it (4.7 micrograms/dl) (p less than 0.01), but serum retinol was not different by the amount of vitamin A intake of animal food origin. To estimate the respective effects and interactions of the above factors on serum beta-carotene and retinol levels by adjusting for the confounding effects of age, serum total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride, analysis of covariance was performed. For serum beta-carotene, smoking habit (p less than 0.01), drinking habit (p less than 0.01) and the amount of vitamin A intake of vegetable food origin (p less than 0.05) had significant main effects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

载脂蛋白E基因多态性对肥胖儿童体质指数与血脂的影响

目的 研究载脂蛋白E（ApoE)基因多态性对单纯肥胖儿童体质指数（BMI）与血脂的影响。方法 检测324名8～12岁单纯肥胖儿童的血脂,测量体重和身高,计算BMI,同时使用多聚酶链反应检测他们的ApoE基因型。结果 E3/3是最常见的基因型,ApoE基因型分布为:E3/3 198人（61.1%),E3/4 36人（11.1%),E2/3 54人(16.7%）,E4/4 36人（11.1%）,未检测到E2/2和E2/4两种基因型。在ApoE 3组中,BMI与所有血脂指标呈明显相关。除低密度脂蛋白-胆固醇（LDL-C）、TC、载脂蛋白B(ApoB）外,其他血脂指标与BMI的相关性在其他ApoE组中则不尽相同。在ApoE2组中,BMI与TG呈明显相关,与高密度脂蛋白-胆固醇（HDL-C）、ApoA I无明显相关;在ApoE 4组中,BMI与HDL-C,ApoA I明显相关,而与TG无明显相关。结论 ApoE基因多态性可能对单纯肥胖儿童BMI与血脂的关系有一定影响。     

Changes in haemoglobin levels according to changes in body mass index and smoking habits, a 20-year follow-up of a male cohort

Haemoglobin level declines with increasing age in cross sectional studies. Little is known about the longitudinal changes of haemoglobin. Because both high or low haemoglobin levels increase mortality and morbidity we examined how changes in lifestyle factors like body mass index (BMI) and smoking habits influence cohort changes in haemoglobin level. In all, 4159 men aged 20–49 years at baseline were examined in 1974 and 1994–1995 in a longitudinal, population-based study from the municipality of Tromsø, Northern Norway. Mean haemoglobin was 148 g/l. There was no difference in mean haemoglobin after 20 years in any strata of age. Mean BMI increased 2.1 kg/m². The prevalence of smokers decreased 20.1 percentage points. In a multiple regression analysis increase in BMI was associated with increased haemoglobin change. Smoking cessation lowered mean haemoglobin 1.6 g/l compared to never smokers. Haemoglobin increased 0.8 g/l in smoking quitters whose BMI increased >2.5 kg/m² compared to a decrease of 6.7 g/l in weight reducers. There was a positive dose–response relationship between changes in cigarettes smoked per day and change in haemoglobin among consistent smokers. In conclusion, in contrast to cross sectional studies, mean haemoglobin did not change during 20 years ageing of relatively young men. This could be explained by higher BMI and less smoking. The increase in BMI affected haemoglobin change to such an extent that the reduction in haemoglobin due to smoking cessation was counteracted. Prospective studies are needed to address the health implications.     

Cross-sectional study on the relationship between body mass index and smoking, and longitudinal changes in body mass index in relation to change in smoking status: the Tromso Study

AIMS: To evaluate the effects of smoking and other lifestyle factors on body mass index (BMI), and changes in BMI in relation to changes in smoking status. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed on 10,920 males (3937 smokers) and 12,090 females (4343 smokers) who participated in the fourth Troms? Study (performed in 1994-95). A longitudinal study was performed on 2364 males (732 smokers in 1994-95) and 2738 females (942 smokers in 1994-95) who participated in both the fourth and the fifth Troms? studies (performed in 2001). RESULTS: In the cross-sectional study, current smokers of both genders had a lower BMI (25.0+/-3.4 vs. 25.5+/-3.2 kg/m(2) in males, and 23.9+/-3.9 vs. 25.3+/-4.6 kg/m( 2) in females, p<0.01), a lower degree of physical activity, and a higher consumption of coffee and alcohol than never-smokers. We found a U-shaped relationship between number of cigarettes smoked per day and BMI, with the lowest BMI in those smoking 6- 10 cigarettes per day. Heavy smokers and never-smokers had similar BMI. In the longitudinal study, continuing smokers had a smaller increase in BMI than those who gave up smoking. In those who gave up smoking, there was a significant, positive relationship between number of cigarettes smoked in 1994-95 and increase in BMI. CONCLUSIONS: There is a U-shaped relationship between number of cigarettes smoked per day and BMI. Smoking cessation is associated with an increase in weight as compared to those who continue smoking.