Hyperhomocysteinemia is Associated with Aortic Atheroma Progression in Stroke/TIA Patients

Significance: Aortic arch (AA) atheroma and AA atheroma progression are independent risk factors for recurrent vascular events in stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients. Total homocysteine level (tHcy) is an independent risk marker for atherosclerosis including that found in AA. The purpose of this study was to prospectively test the association between AA atheroma progression and tHcy. Methods: This is a cohort study of 307 consecutive hospitalized stroke/TIA patients undergoing transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) as a part of their clinical workup. Measurable AA atheroma was detected in 167 patients of whom 125 consented to a protocol-mandated follow-up TEE at 12 months. Patients had evaluation for vascular risk factors, dietary factors (folate, B12 and pyridoxine), and methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphism. One hundred eighteen stroke/TIA patients had tHcy, acceptable paired AA images, and detailed plaque measurements. An increase by ≥1 grade of AA atheroma was defined as progression. Results: Of the 118 patients, 33 (28%) showed progression and 17 (14%) showed regression of their index arch lesion at 1 year. tHcy (≥14.0 μmol/l) was significantly associated with progression on both univariate (RR = 3.4, 95% CI 2.0–5.8) and multivariate analyses (adjusted RR = 3.6, 95% CI 2.2–4.6). The changes in AA plaque thickness (r2 = 0.11; p < 0.001) and AA plaque area (r2 = 0.08; p = 0.002) correlated with tHcy. tHcy was associated with change in plaque thickness over 12 months, independent of age, dietary factors, renal function and MTHFR polymorphism (Standardized β-coefficient 0.335, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Our results validate the association and a linear correlation between tHcy and progression of AA atheroma

Effects of a prolonged standardized diet on normalizing the human metabolome

Background: Although the effects of acute dietary interventions on the human metabolome have been studied, the extent to which the metabolome can be normalized by extended dietary standardization has not yet been examined

Assessment and correction of skinfold thickness equations in estimating body fat in children with cerebral palsy

To assess the accuracy of skinfold equations in estimating percentage body fat in children with cerebral palsy (CP), compared with assessment of body fat from dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)

Ad Libitum Choline Intake in Healthy Individuals Meets or Exceeds the Proposed Adequate Intake Level

Choline is an essential nutrient for humans that is used to synthesize membrane phospholipids and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Betaine, a metabolite of choline, functions as a methylgroup donor in the conversion of homocysteine to methionine, and is important for renal function. Accurate analysis of choline intake was previously not possible because the choline content of most foods was not known. Using new and recently published data on the concentrations of choline in common foods, we measured the choline content of diets consumed ad libitum by healthy adult volunteers housed in a clinical research center and compared these with estimates of choline intake derived from 3-d food records kept by subjects immediately before study enrollment. Mean choline intake in this subject population met or slightly exceeded the current Adequate Intake (AI) of 7 mg/(kg · d) set by the Institute of Medicine. Men and women consumed similar amounts of choline per day (8.4 and. 6.7 mg/kg, respectively; P = 0.11). Choline intakes estimated from the 3-d food records were significantly lower than this (when expressed as mg/kg, or as total mg, but not when normalized to energy intake), suggesting underreporting of food intake. Intake of betaine, which may spare choline utilization as a methylgroup donor, was 5.3 mg/(kg · d) in men and 4.7 mg/(kg · d) in women. Intake of folate, vitamin B-12, and methionine + cysteine, were similar and sufficient in all subjects. The current recommended AI for choline seems to be a good approximation of the actual intake of this nutrient

Effects of a prolonged standardized diet on normalizing the human metabolome123

Background: Although the effects of acute dietary interventions on the human metabolome have been studied, the extent to which the metabolome can be normalized by extended dietary standardization has not yet been examined

Evolutionary trade-offs between male secondary sexual traits revealed by a phylogeny of the hyperdiverse tribe Eumaeini (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Male butterflies in the hyperdiverse tribe Eumaeini possess an unusually complex and diverse repertoire of secondary sexual characteristics involved in pheromone production and dissemination. Maintaining multiple sexually selected traits is likely to be metabolically costly, potentially resulting in trade-offs in the evolution of male signals. However, a phylogenetic framework to test hypotheses regarding the evolution and maintenance of male sexual traits in Eumaeini has been lacking. Here, we infer a comprehensive, time-calibrated phylogeny from 379 loci for 187 species representing 91% of the 87 described genera. Eumaeini is a monophyletic group that originated in the late Oligocene and underwent rapid radiation in the Neotropics. We examined specimens of 818 of the 1096 described species (75%) and found that secondary sexual traits are present in males of 91% of the surveyed species. Scent pads and scent patches on the wings and brush organs associated with the genitalia were probably present in the common ancestor of Eumaeini and are widespread throughout the tribe. Brush organs and scent pads are negatively correlated across the phylogeny, exhibiting a trade-off in which lineages with brush organs are unlikely to regain scent pads and vice versa. In contrast, scent patches seem to facilitate the evolution of scent pads, although they are readily lost once scent pads have evolved. Our results illustrate the complex interplay between natural and sexual selection in the origin and maintenance of multiple male secondary sexual characteristics and highlight the potential role of sexual selection spurring diversification in this lineage.ISSN:1471-295