Zinc status before and after zinc supplementation of eating disorder patients.

Reduced food consumption is a major manifestation of zinc (Zn) deficiency. Many manifestations of Zn deficiency are complications of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. We evaluated serum and 24-hour urinary Zn values in 12 healthy volunteers and 33 eating disorder patients before and after hospitalization which included either Zn supplementation (75 mg Zn/day) or placebo. Bulimics had depressed serum Zn concentrations (p < 0.025). Admission urinary Zn was lower in bulimics (258 +/- 44 micrograms/day), and significantly depressed in anorexics (196 +/- 36 micrograms/day, p < 0.005) vs controls (376 +/- 45 micrograms/day). During hospitalization, serum Zn concentrations increased in all supplemented patients vs no change with placebo. Urinary Zn excretion increased in supplemented bulimics (p < 0.001) and placebo (p < 0.05). Urinary Zn excretion markedly increased in supplemented anorexics (179 +/- 65 to 1052 +/- 242 micrograms/day); however, placebo values fell or remained unacceptably low (admission 208 +/- 48 micrograms/day; discharge 160 +/- 17 micrograms/day). By dietary history, controls consumed the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for Zn (11.95 +/- 1.25 mg/day); anorexics 6.46 +/- 1.14 mg/day; and bulimics 8.93 +/- 1.29 mg/day. We suggest that Zn deficiency may act as a "sustaining" factor for abnormal eating behavior in certain eating disorder patients.     

Serum level changes after administration of a pharmacologic dose of beta-carotene

Results from a pilot study to assess the feasibility of conducting a full-scale lung-cancer-prevention trial using pharmacologic beta-carotene are reported. Participants in the study were randomized in a double-blind fashion to receive either 15 mg orally of beta-carotene or placebo daily. Findings for the first 300 men to complete 1 y on study are presented. After 10 mo of treatment, serum levels in the placebo group showed essentially no change whereas levels in the treated group increased almost 10-fold after 4 mo of treatment. The relationship between change in serum levels are evaluated in regard to body mass index, alcohol consumption, amount of smoking, lipids, and other variables. The results to date clearly indicate that substantial serum response can be achieved with only 15 mg/d and that with this dosage no skin discoloration or other toxicities are observed.     

腹泻患儿补锌治疗前后血锌水平及疗效研究

目的 探讨轮状病毒感染腹泻患儿补锌治疗前后血清锌水平变化及补锌治疗的临床疗效.方法 收集唐都医院儿科门诊及住院的轮状病毒感染腹泻患儿105例,随机分治疗组53例,对照组52例,健康对照组20例,分别检测对照组和治疗组补锌前后血清锌水平.对照组患儿给予蒙脱石散剂、微生态制剂、补液及指导合理饮食等常规治疗;治疗组在常规治疗的基础上口服元素锌20mg(6个月以上)和10mg(6个月以下),连续治疗14天.结果 轮状病毒腹泻患儿血锌水平明显低于正常儿童(P<0.01);治疗组疗效高于对照组(P<0.05);治疗组补锌后血清锌水平较对照组明显升高(P<0.01).结论 轮状病毒腹泻患儿血清锌水平明显低于正常儿童;在腹泻病常规治疗的基础上给予补锌治疗对提高疗效、缩短病程有良好的作用.     

Serum cholesterol, beta-carotene, and risk of lung cancer.

This paper hypothesizes that beta-carotene mediates the association between low serum cholesterol and increased risk of lung cancer, predicts that the association should be greater in population strata with low intake of beta-carotene than in those with high intake if the hypothesis is correct, and investigates this prediction with data from a 24-year cohort study of 1,960 middle-aged employed men. In the total cohort, serum cholesterol was not related to risk of lung cancer. The relative risk associated with a difference of -1.0 mmol per liter in serum cholesterol was 1.01 (95% confidence interval of 0.80-1.27) after adjustment for cigarette smoking, age, and intake of beta-carotene. In contrast, however, when the study group was restricted to men with intake of beta-carotene less than 5,000 (N = 929) or less than 3,000 IU per day (N = 272), comparable relative risks were 1.10 and 1.21, respectively. Although the 95% confidence intervals for these relative risks were broad and included unity, the result is consistent with expectation. We conclude that the hypothesis warrants further investigation.     

Zinc plus beta-carotene supplementation of pregnant women is superior to beta-carotene supplementation alone in improving vitamin A status in both mothers and infants

BACKGROUND: Deficiencies of vitamin A, iron, and zinc are prevalent in women and infants in developing countries. Supplementation during pregnancy can benefit mother and infant. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether supplementation during pregnancy with iron and folic acid plus beta-carotene or zinc or both improves the micronutrient status of mothers and infants postpartum. DESIGN: Pregnant women (n = 170) were supplemented daily only during pregnancy with beta-carotene (4.5 mg), zinc (30 mg), or both or placebo plus iron (30 mg) and folic acid (0.4 mg) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Micronutrient status was assessed 1 and 6 mo postpartum. RESULTS: Six months postpartum, plasma retinol concentrations were higher in the women who received zinc during pregnancy than in women who did not. Infants born to mothers supplemented with beta-carotene + zinc had higher plasma retinol concentrations, with the frequency of vitamin A deficiency reduced by >30% compared with the other 3 groups. Breast-milk beta-carotene concentrations were higher in all women supplemented with beta-carotene, but breast-milk retinol concentrations were higher only in women who received beta-carotene + zinc. Zinc concentrations did not differ among groups in mothers and infants. CONCLUSIONS: Zinc supplementation during pregnancy improved the vitamin A status of mothers and infants postpartum, which indicates a specific role of zinc in vitamin A metabolism. Addition of both beta-carotene and zinc to iron supplements during pregnancy could be effective in improving the vitamin A status of mothers and infants.     

Serum lipid levels before and after vasectomy in men

The blood lipid profile was determined in sixty-two men, 24 to 62 years old, before and two, six and twelve months after surgical occlusion of the vas deferens. No statistically significant differences were found in mean body weight, blood pressure, serum levels of non-esterified fatty acids, total lipids, triglycerides, total cholesterol and alpha, beta and prebeta fractions of the lipoproteins, which were measured before and after surgery. When the serum levels of the alpha and beta fractions were considered in the same subject, it was observed that 12 months after vasectomy a similar percentage of cases showed a predominance of either one of them. Hence, no modifications on the lipid profile of these subjects were found that could indicate an increased risk of arteriosclerotic disease.     

肺癌化疗后血浆VEGF水平与CEA变化的相关性

目的：探讨肺癌患者血浆血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）水平及其化疗后与CEA变化的相关性。方法：采用酶联免疫吸附法（ELISA）检测30例肺癌患者化疗前后血浆VEGF及CEA水平并进行比较分析。结果：肺癌患者血浆VEGF水平与性别、年龄无关（P〉O．05）;腺癌、鳞癌、小细胞肺癌三组之间比较,差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ期肺癌患者化疗前三组之间比较,差异具有统计学意义（P〈O．05）。化疗后VEGF与CEA变化成正相关（P〉0．05））。结论：肺癌患者血浆VEGF水平显著升高,且分期越晚血浆VEGF水平升高越明显;化疗后VEGF与CEA变化成正相关。     

Serum hormone levels before and two years after vasectomy

Some alterations in plasma testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone have been reported post-vasectomy. Long-term studies are needed to determine whether prolonged vas deferens ligation alters hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal function in any fashion. Nine men were studied in a longitudinal prospective manner and no alteration of plasma testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, luteinizing hormone, or follicle-stimulating hormone was noted for as long as 2.5 years after vasectomy. This study is at variance with previously published reports which have shown some minor alterations in these hormones.     

Determinants of increase in plasma concentration of beta-carotene after chronic oral supplementation. The Skin Cancer Prevention Study Group

We studied the relationship between eight variables, including age, sex, baseline plasma beta-carotene (BC) concentration, and smoking status and the increase in plasma BC in 582 subjects receiving oral supplementation with 50 mg BC/d. Median plasma BC concentrations after 1 y of supplementation increased from 335 nmol/L at entry to 3163 nmol/L. Changes in plasma BC concentrations ranged widely from -313 to 16,090 nmol/L (median 2721 nmol/L). Multivariate analysis revealed that the subject's plasma BC concentration before supplementation was the most important indicator of the amount of increase after supplementation. Nonsmokers, women, and leaner subjects all had larger increases in plasma concentrations although the statistical model could account for relatively little of the variability in subjects' plasma response to BC supplementation (R2 = 0.14). We conclude that between-subject variability in response to daily supplementation with oral BC is very large and that the best predictor of this response is the initial plasma BC concentration.     

Serum beta-carotene in anorexia nervosa patients: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of hypercarotenemia in a large cohort of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), to compare serum beta-carotene (betaC) values among restricting and purging AN subjects, and to investigate whether hypercarotenemia is related to an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. METHOD: Retrospective case-control study including 101 female patients and 95 age-matched normal controls in whom fasting serum betaC and lipid profiles were determined. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypercarotenemia (>200 microg/dl) in the AN population was 62%. Mean serum betaC level was significantly higher in AN patients than in controls (237 +/- 103 vs. 160 +/- 45 microg/dl, p <.0001). Among AN patients, the level was higher in restricters than in purgers (271 +/- 110 vs. 186 +/- 78 microg/dl, p <.005). Fasting serum total and LDL cholesterol levels were also significantly higher in patients with AN than in controls, but no correlation was found between serum betaC and LDL cholesterol values. DISCUSSION: Hypercarotenemia is a common finding in AN patients, especially in the restricter subgroup. The high prevalence of elevated serum betaC in AN patients supports its diagnostic value in atypical forms of eating disorders.     

Serum response of all-trans and 9-cis isomers of beta-carotene in humans.

Little work has been performed on the serum response of various carotene isomers. The present study was carried out to examine the serum response of all-trans and 9-cis isomers of beta-carotene (BC) using frequent blood sample collections at early time points.

Serum responses of all-trans BC and a mixture of BC isomers containing 80% 9-cis BC were studied in 15 men by measuring the serum concentrations of BC at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, and 24 hours after a single large oral dose of all-trans BC or 9-cis BC.

The serum response to an oral dose of all-trans BC (120 mg) significantly increased from baseline at 24 hr (p < 0.004). After an oral dose of a mixture of BC isomers (120 mg, 80% 9-cis BC), the peak concentration of 9-cis BC was significantly greater that baseline values (p < 0.016).

Increases in serum all-trans BC levels, in part, may be due to greater intestinal absorption, whereas the inability to measure a significant increase in the concentration of 9-cis BC may indicate poor absorption, isomerization to all-trans BC, or a very rapid tissue uptake.     

Effect of beta-carotene supplementation on photosuppression of delayed-type hypersensitivity in normal young men.

The aim of this study was to examine whether beta-carotene protects against the immunosuppression seen with long-wave ultraviolet-light (UV-A) exposure. Free-living, healthy men, aged 19-39 y received 30 mg beta-carotene/d or a placebo while on a single-menu, low-carotenoid diet. After 28 d all subjects received 12 exposures to a UV-A/B light source over a 16-d period. The total UV-A dose received ranged from 15.9 to 19.3 J/cm2. The total shorter-wave ultraviolet-light (UV-B) dose varied from 1.59 to 1.96 J/cm2. Follow-up continued for 21 d. Carotenoid assays and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) tests were performed at baseline, pre-UV, post-UV, and after follow-up. The DTH-test responses were significantly suppressed in the placebo group after UV treatments. The suppression was inversely related to plasma beta-carotene concentrations in this group. There was no significant suppression of DTH test responses in the beta-carotene group. It is concluded that beta-carotene protects against photosuppression of immune function.     

Hepatic subcellular storage of beta-carotene in rats following diet supplementation

Beta-carotene (BC) storage was measured in liver and its subcellular fractions (plasma membranes, mitochondria, microsomes and nuclei) of rats fed BC added to diet. The BC supplementation dose was about 350 mg/week/rat. After 15 weeks of this supplementation, rats were killed and their livers were immediately excised and processed to obtain total liver tissue and its subcellular fractions. Their BC contents were measured by HPLC as pmols/mg. protein Intact BC was found to be stored in all the above subcellular fractions, thus showing that BC is probably taken up by liver cell lipid moiety. Interestingly, the mean BC concentrations in plasma membranes and mitochondria were significantly higher than that in total liver tissue. Our data confirmed that rodents are a good animal model for the study of BC metabolism and its effects on several pathologies, and cancer prevention and treatment in humans in spite of the fact that rodents are classified as white-fat animals because of their poor BC absorption and storage in fat and blood plasma, whereas humans are classified as yellow-fat organisms because of their opposite behavior in BC uptake and organ distribution.     

Serum beta-carotene in persons with cancer and their immediate families

A unique case-control study design including family members of cases and controls was used to assess the association between serum beta-carotene and cancer. The cases (n = 389) were incident cancer cases diagnosed between 1981 and 1984 in Wellington, New Zealand, and the controls (n = 391) were hospital patients without cancer. Both cases and controls were on a home diet at the time beta-carotene levels were measured. Since findings concerning patients who have already been diagnosed with cancer may reflect changes that occurred subsequent to development of cancer, family members of cancer patients (n = 618) and control patients (n = 675) were included, giving a total of 2,073 study participants. Low levels of beta-carotene were observed for individuals with a number of cancers, including cancers of the lung stomach, esophagus, small intestine, cervix, and uterus. Low levels of beta-carotene were also found in the relatives of these cancer patients. These differences persisted after stratification by current cigarette smoking. The strongest findings were those for lung cancer. Excluding adenocarcinoma, lung cancer patients had average serum beta-carotene levels of 40.2 micrograms/dl, 25.9 micrograms/dl lower than those of controls, adjusted for age, sex, and length of sample storage (p less than 0.01). Family members of the lung cancer patients also had lower values than family members of control patients, with an adjusted difference of 10.8 micrograms/dl (p less than 0.01). Odds ratio estimates for lung cancer by quartiles of beta-carotene residuals ranged from 3.6 (90% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-12.2) for the second-highest quartile to 6.6 (90% CI 1.9-23.0) for the lowest quartile (test for trend, p less than 0.001). Patients with cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, and skin did not have lower levels of serum beta-carotene than expected. Family members of individuals with these cancers also did not have lower levels of serum beta-carotene. The cancer sites that were associated with serum beta-carotene are, in general, sites for which smoking is a strong risk factor, and the sites that were not associated with beta-carotene do not have smoking as a risk factor.     

Cigarette smoking during pregnancy in rural Nepal. Risk factors and effects of beta-carotene and vitamin A supplementation

OBJECTIVE: We examined risk factors of smoking and the association between smoking and pregnancy-related and 6-month infant mortality in rural Nepal, where 30% women reported smoking during pregnancy. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of risk factors associated with smoking status and health consequences of smoking, using prospective data collected as part of a randomized community trial to examine the effect of maternal vitamin A or beta-carotene supplementation on maternal mortality. SETTING: Rural, southeastern plains of Nepal. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 17 767 women contributed at least one pregnancy during 3.5 y of the study. Data on cigarette or bidi (rolled tobacco) smoking were collected using a 7-day recall, twice during pregnancy. Associations between smoking status and maternal diet, morbidity profile, household socioeconomic status and serum concentration of retinol, carotenoids and tocopherols were examined. Further, relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to estimate supplement effects on pregnancy-related mortality, stratified by smoking status during pregnancy. RESULTS: Smokers were more likely to be older, illiterate and poor compared to nonsmokers. Fruit and vegetable consumption among smokers and nonsmokers did not vary. However, smokers were more likely to consume meat/fish/eggs and less likely to consume milk than nonsmokers. They were also more likely to report symptoms of vaginal bleeding, edema, severe headache and convulsions during pregnancy relative to nonsmokers. Mortality per 100,000 pregnancies appeared to be higher among smokers than nonsmokers in the placebo group (915 vs 584, RR=1.57, 95% CI: 0.80-3.08). beta-Carotene supplementation reduced pregnancy-related mortality both among smokers (RR=0.31 95% CI: 0.11-0.89) and nonsmokers (RR=0.41, 95% CI: 0.19-0.89). Similar results obtained with vitamin A supplementation were not statistically significant. Infant mortality up to 6 months was approximately 30% higher among smokers compared to nonsmokers in the placebo group both before and after adjusting for confounding factors. Neither supplement given to women reduced infant mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Cigarette smoking during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of maternal and infant mortality in rural Nepal. beta-Carotene and to some extent vitamin A may reduce the risk of pregnancy-related mortality, but not infant mortality, among both smokers and nonsmokers.     

Effects of chronic beta-carotene supplementation on vitamin K status in adults

Plasma vitamin K concentrations and prothrombin coagulation activity were determined in 26 normal adults who had received daily beta-carotene supplementation (0, 15, 30, or 60 mg) for six months. Neither plasma vitamin K nor coagulation activity were significantly decreased at any supplementation level. Thus, chronic beta-carotene supplementation, even at high daily doses, is not expected to result in clinical vitamin K deficiency. The data suggest separate mechanisms for intestinal absorption of beta-carotene and vitamin K.     

Serum lipids in young women before, during, and after pregnancy

The associations between pregnancy and serum lipids were investigated in a cohort of 831 Dutch women, initially aged 5-19 years. These women were examined yearly from 1975 to 1985 for an average period of six years, as part of a longitudinal survey of risk factors for coronary heart disease. During this period, 62 women became pregnant, and their serum total and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels were compared with those of an age-matched reference series of nonpregnant women, derived from the same cohort. Pregnant women showed higher total cholesterol levels (235 +/- 7.4 mg/100 ml) than nonpregnant women (205 +/- 2.7 mg/100 ml). Pregnant women also had higher levels of HDL cholesterol (66 +/- 2.1 mg/100 ml) than their referents (57 +/- 1.0 mg/100 ml). Total and HDL cholesterol increased with duration of pregnancy. When serum lipid levels of pregnant women were compared with the levels one year before and one year after pregnancy, it was observed that the year after pregnancy, HDL cholesterol levels dropped below pre-pregnancy concentrations. At the final examination, women who had ever been pregnant showed lower HDL cholesterol levels than those who had never been pregnant. The difference was most marked in users of oral contraceptives. These observations suggest that serum total and HDL cholesterol levels are elevated during pregnancy, probably because of hormonal changes. Furthermore, they point to a possibly lowering effect of parity on HDL cholesterol. These findings may help to explain the reported positive association between parity and the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases.     

Serum antibody levels in human paragonimiasis before and after therapy with praziquantel

Enzyme immunoassays (ELISA) and indirect haemagglutination (IHA) were used to determine IgG and IgE serum antibody levels in 43 patients from Ecuador before and after therapy with praziquantel. ELISA indicated infection more sensitively than IHA. The tendency of increasing antibody levels between the first and second month after therapy was more distinct when measured by IHA, whereas the decreases of antibody levels between the third and sixth month after treatment was more distinct when measured by ELISA. The IgG ELISA for detecting long persisting antibody was more sensitive than IHA.     

Serum vitamins A and E,beta-carotene,and selenium in patients with breast cancer.

A total of 89 subjects including 30 breast cancer patients with distal metastases, 29 patients with benign breast disease, and 30 healthy subjects were studied. Serum samples from these subjects were obtained from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Breast Cancer Serum Bank, Bethesda. Serum concentrations of vitamin A and its transport proteins (prealbumin and retinol-binding protein [RBP]), beta-carotene, vitamin E, and selenium were determined. For each of these parameters the mean for the breast cancer patients was lower than that of the healthy subjects. The differences between healthy subjects and patients with either breast cancer or benign breast disease were, however, statistically significant only in the case of RBP (p less than 0.05). In the case of vitamin A and its transport proteins these differences were reduced by comparing the cancer patients with the benign breast disease patients rather than with the healthy controls. This indicates that the low serum levels for those three parameters may be merely a consequence of disease in general rather than a feature of cancer per se.