Calidad de la dieta en estudiantes universitarios con distinto perfil académico

Introducción: En España son varios los estudios universitarios que abordan los temas de alimentación y estilo de vida, y demuestran que éstos son una estrategia eficaz para la prevención de enfermedades crónicas. Objetivos: Evaluar la ingesta de energía y nutrientes y la adhesión a la Dieta Mediterránea (DM) en un grupo de estudiantes universitarios con distinto perfil académico y comparar la calidad de la dieta entre estudiantes que cursan grados en Ciencias de la Salud (CS) y los de otras carreras (No CS). Métodos: 77 estudiantes (80,3% mujeres) del Campus de Soria, 37 de grados en CS y 40 de No CS de edad media 21,2 ± 2,1 años, cumplimentaron un cuestionario sobre datos socio-biográficos, el test KIDMED y registraron la ingesta de alimentos durante siete días. La estimación de la cantidad de energía y nutrientes se realizó mediante el programa informático NUTRIBER (versión 1.1.1.3r) y para la comparación de medias de muestras independientes se utilizaron las pruebas t de Student o U de Mann-Whitney y el criterio de significación se estableció en p < 0,05. Resultados y Discusión: Los estudiantes encuestados, con independencia de su perfil académico, siguen una dieta hipocalórica con mayor consumo de proteínas y de grasas de las recomendadas y menor de hidratos de carbono y fibra, lo que se refleja en el aporte insuficiente de algunas vitaminas y minerales. A pesar de ello, observamos un mayor porcentaje de encuestados con adhesión alta a los parámetros de la DM en el grupo CS (51,4%) que en el grupo no CS (30,8 %). Abstract Introduction: We can find in Spain several university studies concerning diet and lifestyle, showing them as an effective strategy to prevent chronic diseases. Objectives: To evaluate the energy and nutrient intake and adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (DM) in a group of college students with different academic profile and to compare the quality of the diet among students attending degrees in Health Science (HS) and those attending other degree courses (not HS). Methods: 77 students (80.3% female) from the Campus of Soria, 37 HS students and 40 not HS (mean age 21.2 ± 2.1 years), completed a questionnaire on socio-biographical data, the test KIDMED of adhesion to Mediterranean diet and recorded food intake for seven days. The amount of energy and nutrients was estimated using the software Nutriber (version 1.1.1.3r). Student t test or U Mann-Whitney were used to compare means of independent samples and the criterion of significance was set at p <0,05. Results and discussion: The respondent students, regardless of their academic profile, follow a low calorie diet with more protein and fat consumption than the recommended amount, and less carbohydrate and fiber, which is reflected in the insufficient intake of some vitamins and minerals. However, we observed a higher percentage of respondents with high adhesion to the parameters of the DM in the HS group (51.4%) than in the No HS group(30.8%)

Assessment of plasma chitotriosidase activity, CCL18/PARC concentration and NP-C suspicion index in the diagnosis of Niemann-Pick disease type C : A prospective observational study

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NP-C) is a rare, autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease caused by mutations in either the NPC1 or NPC2 genes. The diagnosis of NP-C remains challenging due to the non-specific, heterogeneous nature of signs/symptoms. This study assessed the utility of plasma chitotriosidase (ChT) and Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 18 (CCL18)/pulmonary and activation-regulated chemokine (PARC) in conjunction with the NP-C suspicion index (NP-C SI) for guiding confirmatory laboratory testing in patients with suspected NP-C. In a prospective observational cohort study, incorporating a retrospective determination of NP-C SI scores, two different diagnostic approaches were applied in two separate groups of unrelated patients from 51 Spanish medical centers (n = 118 in both groups). From Jan 2010 to Apr 2012 (Period 1), patients with ≥2 clinical signs/symptoms of NP-C were considered 'suspected NP-C' cases, and NPC1/NPC2 sequencing, plasma chitotriosidase (ChT), CCL18/PARC and sphingomyelinase levels were assessed. Based on findings in Period 1, plasma ChT and CCL18/PARC, and NP-C SI prediction scores were determined in a second group of patients between May 2012 and Apr 2014 (Period 2), and NPC1 and NPC2 were sequenced only in those with elevated ChT and/or elevated CCL18/PARC and/or NP-C SI ≥70. Filipin staining and 7-ketocholesterol (7-KC) measurements were performed in all patients with NP-C gene mutations, where possible. In total across Periods 1 and 2, 10/236 (4%) patients had a confirmed diagnosis o NP-C based on gene sequencing (5/118 [4.2%] in each Period): all of these patients had two causal NPC1 mutations. Single mutant NPC1 alleles were detected in 8/236 (3%) patients, overall. Positive filipin staining results comprised three classical and five variant biochemical phenotypes. No NPC2 mutations were detected. All patients with NPC1 mutations had high ChT activity, high CCL18/PARC concentrations and/or NP-C SI scores ≥70. Plasma 7-KC was higher than control cut-off values in all patients with two NPC1 mutations, and in the majority of patients with single mutations. Family studies identified three further NP-C patients. This approach may be very useful for laboratories that do not have mass spectrometry facilities and therefore, they cannot use other NP-C biomarkers for diagnosis