Understanding the link between gut microbiota, dietary intake, and nutritional status in children with autism and typical development

BackgroundGut microbiota plays a potential role in human health and different disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Therefore, we analyzed gut bacteria composition in children with ASD and typical development (TD), and its relationship with nutritional status and dietary intake.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 3- to 12-year-old children (ASD = 30, TD = 28). Dietary intake (applying food frequency questionnaires) and body mass index-for-age (expressed in z-score) were determined. Children were divided into normal weight and excess weight (risk of overweight + overweight + obesity), and the ASD group was categorized into gluten- and casein-free diet (ASD-diet) or no diet (ASD-no diet). The relative abundance of gut bacteria was analyzed in fecal samples by 16S rRNA sequencing.ResultsChildren with excess weight had lower Roseburia than normal weight. Fewer Bifidobacterium longum and higher Clostridium glycolicum were found in the ASD group compared with TD one. Participants with excess weight and ASD had lower Roseburia and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and higher Eubacterium ventricosum and Flavonifractor plautii than the TD group with the same nutritional status. Positive and negative associations were found between the bacteria genus and species, and the intake of dairy, vegetable drinks, cereals with and without gluten, food source of proteins, fish, food source of fat, and coconut oil, in unadjusted models and after adjustment for age, diet/no diet, ASD/TD.ConclusionSignificant differences in microbial community composition were found between children with ASD and TD, considering their nutritional status and dietary intake

Association of maternal weight with FADS and ELOVL genetic variants and fatty acid levels- The PREOBE follow-up.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes encoding the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) and elongase (ELOVL) enzymes affect long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) production. We aimed to determine if these SNPs are associated with body mass index (BMI) or affect fatty acids (FAs) in pregnant women. Participants (n = 180) from the PREOBE cohort were grouped according to pre-pregnancy BMI: normal-weight (BMI = 18.5-24.9, n = 88) and overweight/obese (BMI≥25, n = 92). Plasma samples were analyzed at 24 weeks of gestation to measure FA levels in the phospholipid fraction. Selected SNPs were genotyped (7 in FADS1, 5 in FADS2, 3 in ELOVL2 and 2 in ELOVL5). Minor allele carriers of rs174545, rs174546, rs174548 and rs174553 (FADS1), and rs1535 and rs174583 (FADS2) were nominally associated with an increased risk of having a BMI≥25. Only for the normal-weight group, minor allele carriers of rs174537, rs174545, rs174546, and rs174553 (FADS1) were negatively associated with AA:DGLA index. Normal-weight women who were minor allele carriers of FADS SNPs had lower levels of AA, AA:DGLA and AA:LA indexes, and higher levels of DGLA, compared to major homozygotes. Among minor allele carriers of FADS2 and ELOVL2 SNPs, overweight/obese women showed higher DHA:EPA index than the normal-weight group; however, they did not present higher DHA concentrations than the normal-weight women. In conclusion, minor allele carriers of FADS SNPs have an increased risk of obesity. Maternal weight changes the effect of genotype on FA levels. Only in the normal-weight group, minor allele carriers of FADS SNPs displayed reduced enzymatic activity and FA levels. This suggests that women with a BMI≥25 are less affected by FADS genetic variants in this regard. In the presence of FADS2 and ELOVL2 SNPs, overweight/obese women showed higher n-3 LC-PUFA production indexes than women with normal weight, but this was not enough to obtain a higher n-3 LC-PUFA concentration

Changes in plasma fatty acid composition are associated with improvements in obesity and related metabolic disorders: A therapeutic approach to overweight adolescents

“This is an original manuscript published by Churchill Livingstone in Clinical Nutrition on February 2018, available at: doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2016.11.006.”Background & aims: In recent years, obesity has reached alarming levels among children and adolescents. The study of plasma fatty acid (FA) composition, as a reflection of diet, and its associations with other parameters, that are closely linked to obesity and the cardiometabolic profile, may be useful for setting nutritional goals for obesity treatment and prevention. This study explored the role of plasma FA levels as modulators of body fat and cardiometabolic risk markers, in overweight adolescents. Methods: A multidisciplinary weight loss program was followed by 127 overweight and obese adolescents aged 12-17 years old. Plasma FA composition, anthropometric indicators of adiposity and biochemical parameters were analyzed at baseline, two months (the end of the intensive intervention phase) and six months (the end of the extensive phase). Results: While saturated fatty acid (SFA) and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels decreased significantly during the intervention, monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and n-3 PUFA showed the opposite trend. The decrease in SFA C14:0 was associated with a reduction in total and LDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B and insulin. The increase in MUFAs, especially C18:1n-9, was related to a reduction in weight, fat mass, fat mass index and glucose. Regarding PUFAs, changes in the n-3 series were not associated with any of the parameters studied, whereas the reduction in n-6 PUFAs was directly related to weight, fat mass, total and HDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1, glucose and insulin, and inversely associated with diastolic blood pressure. The adolescents with greater weight loss presented significant changes in MUFAs, n-6 PUFAs and C14:0. Conclusions: Modifications in plasma FA composition could help modulate adiposity and the cardiometabolic profile in anti-obesity programs aimed at adolescents. The changes observed in FA composition were related to the success of the treatment, since the individuals most affected by these variations were those who presented the greatest weight loss.This work is part of the EVASYON study funded by the Spanish 326 Ministry of Health and Consumption (Carlos III Institute of Health. FIS. Grant PI 051579). The EVASYON study has received the award from AESAN (Spanish Agency for Food Security and Nutrition) from the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumption to the best applied research project in 2009

Obesidad en embarazo y adolescencia: Estudio de ácidos grasos y vitaminas antioxidantes

Objetivo: El principal objetivo de esta tesis fue estudiar la relación de los ácidos grasos y de las vitaminas liposolubles antioxidantes y carotenoides plasmáticos con la obesidad en la etapa gestacional y la adolescencia. Además, se planteó desarrollar un método analítico para analizar vitaminas y carotenoides en muestras de plasma. Metodología: Por una parte, se incluyeron 165 mujeres embarazadas (normopeso, sobrepeso y obesas) de 18 a 44 años de edad, y 162 recién nacidos. Se determinaron los ácidos grasos de los fosfolípidos plasmáticos (por cromatografía de gases) de las gestantes a las 24 y 34 semanas de gestación y en el parto, así como de los hijos al nacer. Por otra parte, se reclutaron 127 adolescentes con sobrepeso u obesidad, de 12 a 17 años de edad, los cuales fueron sometidos a un tratamiento integral de adelgazamiento. En éstos se analizaron las vitaminas A y E, β-caroteno y licopeno (por cromatografía líquida rápida de alta eficacia, UHPLC) y los ácidos grasos totales (por cromatografía de gases), tanto en condiciones basales como a los 2 y 6 meses de tratamiento. Asimismo, se estimó la actividad de algunas enzimas involucradas en el metabolismo de los ácidos grasos, empleando los siguientes índices: elongasa-6 de ácidos grasos=C18:0/C16:0, estearoil-coenzima A desaturasa-16=16:1n-7/16:0, estearoil-coenzima A desaturasa-18=C18:1n-9/C18:0, delta-5-desaturasa=C20:4n-6/C20:3n-6 y delta-6-desaturasa=C18:3n-6/C18:2n-6. Resultados: Las embarazadas obesas presentaron una menor proporción de los ácidos grasos C18:1 n-9, C17:0 y C18:3 n-3 que las gestantes con un estado nutricional normal, en los tres períodos de estudio. Los hijos de embarazadas obesas tuvieron una menor cantidad de C20:5 n-3 que el grupo control. La proporción de C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C20:3 n-9, C22:5 n-3, C18:2 n-6 en plasma materno y el contenido plasmático de C20:2 n-6 y C22:5 n-3 de los hijos se relacionaron con los indicadores antropométricos de crecimiento fetal. Los recién nacidos macrosómicos presentaron una menor cantidad de C18:0 que los niños de peso normal. En los adolescentes, el aumento de las concentraciones de α-tocoferol, retinol y β-caroteno, ocurrido durante el tratamiento, se relacionó con la reducción de los indicadores antropométricos de adiposidad general, con una mayor pérdida de peso y con la mejora de los marcadores de riesgo cardiometabólico. El descenso plasmático de los ácidos C14:0 y C18:2 n-6, y el incremento del C18:1 n-9 y de la actividad enzimática estimada de estearoil-coenzima A desaturasa-18 también se asociaron con la reducción de los indicadores antropométricos de adiposidad general y con una mayor pérdida de peso. La disminución del C14:0 y de la actividad estimada de elongasa-6 de ácidos grasos y delta-6-desaturasa, y el aumento de delta-5-desaturasa se relacionaron con la mejora de los marcadores de riesgo cardiometabólico de los adolescentes. Conclusiones: se desarrolló y validó un método analítico rápido, preciso y sensible, con linealidad y exactitud óptimas, que permite, en sólo tres minutos, la determinación simultánea de α-tocoferol, retinol, β-caroteno y licopeno en plasma por cromatografía líquida rápida de alta eficacia. La obesidad materna se relacionó con la composición plasmática de ácidos grasos de las embarazadas y de sus hijos. Los ácidos grasos saturados y poliinsaturados de las madres, y los ácidos grasos poliinsaturados de cadena larga y el ácido esteárico de los hijos se relacionaron con el crecimiento fetal. Los cambios de la composición plasmática de ácidos grasos, de la actividad enzimática estimada y de las vitaminas liposolubles antioxidantes y carotenoides de los adolescentes se asociaron con el descenso de la adiposidad, con una mayor pérdida de peso y con la mejora del perfil cardiometabólico de los adolescentes.Aim: The main objective of this thesis was to explore the relationships between fatty acids (FA) and antioxidant lipo-soluble vitamins and carotenoids plasma levels and the obesity during pregnancy and adolescence. Moreover, the improvement of the analytical methodology to analyze vitamins and carotenoids in plasma samples was addressed. Methods: Two different populations were studied. On the one hand, 165 pregnant women (obese, overweight and normal weight) and their newborns were included. FA of plasmatic phospholipids were determined in maternal plasma at 24 and 34 weeks of gestation and at delivery, as well as in cord blood by gas chromatography (GC). On the other hand, 127 adolescents (obese and overweight) involved in a weight-loss program were recruited. Samples of plasma were obtained during the intervention, at baseline, 2 and 6 months. Vitamins A and E, β-carotene and lycopene were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) and total plasmatic FA by GC. Moreover, the enzymatic activity of some enzymes involved in FA metabolism was estimated using the respective product:substrate ratio. Results: Obese pregnant women presented lower levels of C18:1 n-9, C17:0 and C18:3 n-3 than normal weight ones, and the newborns from obese women had lower levels of C20:5 n-3. Maternal plasmatic levels of C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C20:3 n-9, C22:5 n-3, C18:2 n-6 and cord blood levels of C20:2 n-6 and C22:5 n-3 were related to anthropometric indicators of fetal growth. In adolescents, the observed increase of α-tocopherol, retinol and β-carotene during the treatment was related with the decrease in anthropometric indicators of adiposity, weight loss and with an improvement in the cardiometabolic risk markers. Additionally, plasmatic variations during treatment of C14:0, C18:2 n-6, C18:1 n-9 and some of the studied enzymatic activities were also related with anthropometric indicators of adiposity and cardiometabolic risk markers. Conclusions: A reliable, sensitive and low-time consuming method for the simultaneous determination of α-tocopherol, retinol, β-carotene and lycopene by UHPLC was developed. The maternal and umbilical cord plasma FA composition was associated with maternal obesity. Some maternal and cord blood FA were related to fetal growth. In obese adolescents, the changes in plasmatic FA and vitamins levels during the intervention were associated with weight loss and an improvement in adiposity and cardiometabolic profile

Dietary Intake, Nutritional Status and Sensory Profile in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typical Development

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may consume a restricted diet, whether due to sensory sensitivities or an adherence to a gluten and casein free (GCF) diet. Our objective was to analyze dietary intake, nutritional status, and sensory profile in children with and without ASD. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out in 65 children (3–12 years, ASD = 35, typical development (TD) = 30). Short Sensory Profile and food frequency questionnaires were applied. All participants were categorized into normal weight and excess weight, typical sensory performance (TP), and probable + definite difference (PD + DD); and ASD group into GCF dieters (ASD-diet) and non-dieters (ASD-no diet). Children with ASD had a higher intake (gr or ml/d) of vegetable drinks (p = 0.001), gluten-free cereals (p = 0.003), and a lower intake of fish (p p p = 0.019), and more cereals (p = 0.036) and protein foods (p = 0.034) than those with TP. These findings confirm the need to consider the neurodevelopment, sensory profile, and type of diet to improve the ASD child’s nutrition. Further long-term research is needed to explore their impact on health

Gene expression of desaturase (FADS1 and FADS2) and elongase (ELOVL5) enzymes in peripheral blood: association with polyunsaturated fatty acid levels and atopic eczema in 4-year-old children

Background: It is unknown if changes in the gene expression of the desaturase and elongase enzymes are associated with abnormal n-6 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) levels in children with atopic eczema (AE). We analyzed whether mRNA-expression of genes encoding key enzymes of LC-PUFA synthesis (FADS1, FADS2 and ELOVL5) is associated with circulating LC-PUFA levels and risk of AE in 4-year-old children. Methods: AE (n=20) and non-AE (n=104) children participating in the Sabadell cohort within the INfancia y Medio Ambiente (INMA) Project were included in the present study. RT-PCR with TaqMan Low-Density Array cards was used to measure the mRNA-expression of FADS1, FADS2 and ELOVL5. LC-PUFA levels were measured by fast gas chromatography in plasma phospholipids. The relationship of gene expression with LC-PUFA levels and enzyme activities was evaluated by Pearson’s rank correlation coefficient, and logistic regression models were used to study its association with risk of developing AE. Results: Children with AE had lower levels of several n-6 PUFA members, dihomo-γ-linolenic (DGLA) and arachidonic (AA) acids. mRNA-expression levels of FADS1 and 2 strongly correlated with DGLA levels and with D6D activity. FADS2 and ELOVL5 mRNA-expression levels were significantly lower in AE than in non-AE children (-40.30% and -20.36%; respectively), but no differences were found for FADS1. Conclusions and Significance: Changes in the mRNA-expression levels of FADS1 and 2 directly affect blood DGLA levels and D6D activity. This study suggests that lower mRNA-expressions of FADS2 and ELOVL5 are associated with higher risk of atopic eczema in young children.The following sources of funding supported the work: The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for the financial support given to the research project AGL2009-09730/ALI. www.micinn.es. The Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for the financial support given to the research project BUF2012-40254-C03-02. www.mineco.gob.e

Changes in plasma fatty acid composition are associated with improvements in obesity and related metabolic disorders: A therapeutic approach to overweight adolescents.

In recent years, obesity has reached alarming levels among children and adolescents. The study of plasma fatty acid (FA) composition, as a reflection of diet, and its associations with other parameters, that are closely linked to obesity and the cardiometabolic profile, may be useful for setting nutritional goals for obesity treatment and prevention. This study explored the relationship between plasma FA levels and body fat and cardiometabolic risk markers, in overweight adolescents. A multidisciplinary weight loss program was followed by 127 overweight and obese adolescents aged 12-17 years old. Plasma FA composition, anthropometric indicators of adiposity and biochemical parameters were analyzed at baseline, two months (the end of the intensive intervention phase) and six months (the end of the extensive phase). While saturated fatty acid (SFA) and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels decreased significantly during the intervention, monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and n-3 PUFA showed the opposite trend. The decrease in SFA C14:0 was associated with a reduction in total and LDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B and insulin. The increase in MUFAs, especially C18:1n-9, was related to a reduction in weight, fat mass, fat mass index and glucose. Regarding PUFAs, changes in the n-3 series were not associated with any of the parameters studied, whereas the reduction in n-6 PUFAs was directly related to weight, fat mass, total and HDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1, glucose and insulin, and inversely associated with diastolic blood pressure. The adolescents with greater weight loss presented significant changes in MUFAs, n-6 PUFAs and C14:0. Modifications in plasma FA composition were associated with adiposity reduction and cardiometabolic profile improvement in an anti-obesity program aimed at adolescents. The changes observed in FA composition were related to the success of the treatment, since the individuals most affected by these variations were those who presented the greatest weight loss

Changes in plasma fatty acid composition are associated with improvements in obesity and related metabolic disorders: A therapeutic approach to overweight adolescents

EVASYON Study Group.[Background & aims]: In recent years, obesity has reached alarming levels among children and adolescents. The study of plasma fatty acid (FA) composition, as a reflection of diet, and its associations with other parameters, that are closely linked to obesity and the cardiometabolic profile, may be useful for setting nutritional goals for obesity treatment and prevention. This study explored the relationship between plasma FA levels and body fat and cardiometabolic risk markers, in overweight adolescents. [Methods]: A multidisciplinary weight loss program was followed by 127 overweight and obese adolescents aged 12–17 years old. Plasma FA composition, anthropometric indicators of adiposity and biochemical parameters were analyzed at baseline, two months (the end of the intensive intervention phase) and six months (the end of the extensive phase). [Results]: While saturated fatty acid (SFA) and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels decreased significantly during the intervention, monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and n-3 PUFA showed the opposite trend. The decrease in SFA C14:0 was associated with a reduction in total and LDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B and insulin. The increase in MUFAs, especially C18:1n-9, was related to a reduction in weight, fat mass, fat mass index and glucose. Regarding PUFAs, changes in the n-3 series were not associated with any of the parameters studied, whereas the reduction in n-6 PUFAs was directly related to weight, fat mass, total and HDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1, glucose and insulin, and inversely associated with diastolic blood pressure. The adolescents with greater weight loss presented significant changes in MUFAs, n-6 PUFAs and C14:0. [Conclusions]: Modifications in plasma FA composition were associated with adiposity reduction and cardiometabolic profile improvement in an anti-obesity program aimed at adolescents. The changes observed in FA composition were related to the success of the treatment, since the individuals most affected by these variations were those who presented the greatest weight loss.This work is part of the EVASYON study funded by the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumption (Carlos III Institute of Health. FIS. Grant PI 051579).Peer Reviewe