Relationship between alcohol intake and dietary pattern: Findings from NHANES III

AIM: To examine the association between macronutrient dietary patterns and alcohol consumption using the Third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey III. METHODS: A total of 9877 subjects (5144 males) constituted the study cohort. Dietary interviews were conducted with all examinees by a trained dietary interviewer in a mobile examination center (MEC). Subjects reported all foods and beverages consumed except plain drinking water for the previous 24-h time period. Physical examination and history of alcohol consumption were obtained. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the association of the levels of alcohol consumption and the percentage of energy derived from macronutrients. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed accounting for the study sampling weight to further explore the relationships between alcohol consumption and calories derived from each macronutrient. RESULTS: Subjects who drank were younger than non-drinker controls in both genders (P < 0.01). Alcohol intake was inversely associated with body mass index and body weight in women. Of all macronutrients, carbohydrate intake was the first to decrease with increasing alcohol consumption. In the multivariate analyses, the level of alcohol consumption was found to be an independent predictor associated with lower intake of other macronutrients. CONCLUSION: Our results show that there is an alteration in the daily dietary pattern with increasing alcohol consumption and that energy derived from alcoholic beverages substitutes that from other macronutrients such as carbohydrate, protein, and fat

Critical Role of microRNA-21 in the Pathogenesis of Liver Diseases

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that range in length from 18 to 24 nucleotides. As one of the most extensively studied microRNAs, microRNA-21 (miR-21) is highly expressed in many mammalian cell types. It regulates multiple biological functions such as proliferation, differentiation, migration, and apoptosis. In this review, we summarized the mechanism of miR-21 in the pathogenesis of various liver diseases. While it is clear that miR-21 plays an important role in different types of liver diseases, its use as a diagnostic marker for specific liver disease or its therapeutic implication are not ready for prime time due to significant variability and heterogeneity in the expression of miR-21 in different types of liver diseases depending on the studies. Additional studies to further define miR-21 functions and its mechanism in association with each type of chronic liver diseases are needed before we can translate the bedside observations into clinical settings

Association between metabolic syndrome and its individual components with viral hepatitis B

BACKGROUND: The association between hepatitis B and metabolic syndrome (MetS) has not been well described. Overall epidemiologic evidences for this association have suggested conflicting results. The aim this study was to determine the association between hepatitis B infection and MetS using large U.S. population database, the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. METHODS: Individuals aged ≥18 years were included in this study. MetS was defined according to the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel guideline. The chronic hepatitis B was defined as the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen. The presence of hepatitis B core antibody with/without surface antibody, in the absence of surface antigen, was considered as past exposure to hepatitis B. To represent national estimates, weighted frequencies for chronic hepatitis B and past exposure to hepatitis B are reported. Multivariate logistic regression analysis accounting for age, gender, race, smoking and alcohol status was conducted to identify the independent predictor(s) of MetS. RESULTS: This study cohort consisted of total population of 593,594 with chronic hepatitis B and 7,280,620 with past exposure to hepatitis B. Prevalence of MetS among included study cohort was 25.7%. Inverse association was observed between MetS and chronic hepatitis B (adjusted odds ratio, 0.32; 95% confidence interval, 0.12-0.84). Among individual components of MetS, waist circumference was inversely associated with chronic hepatitis B (adjusted odds ratio, 0.31; 95% confidence interval, 0.14-0.71). No significant association was noted between past exposure to hepatitis B and MetS or its individual components. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the authors noted significant inverse association between MetS and chronic hepatitis B

Circadian clock control of hepatic lipid metabolism: role of small heterodimer partner (Shp)

Hepatic steatosis, the accumulation of triglyceride droplets in the hepatocytes, is a common hepatic pathology seen in subjects with obesity/metabolic syndrome and those with excessive alcohol use. The pathogenesis underlying hepatic steatosis is complex. Recent studies have shown the specific role played by the molecular clock mechanism in the control of lipid metabolism and that the disruption of these tissue clocks may lead to the disturbances in lipid homeostasis. This review reports a novel role of small heterodimer partner in maintaining triglyceride and lipoprotein homeostasis through neuronal PAS domain protein 2

Alcohol and fat promote steatohepatitis: a critical role for fat-specific protein 27/CIDEC

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a major public health problem worldwide and is the leading cause of end-stage liver disease. While the ultimate control of ALD will require the prevention of alcohol abuse, better understanding of the mechanisms of alcohol-induced liver injury may lead to treatments of fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and prevention or delay of occurrence of cirrhosis. The elucidation and the discovery of several new concepts in ALD pathogenesis have raised our understanding on the complex mechanisms and the potential in developing the new strategies for therapeutic benefits. In this review, we provide the most up-to-date information on the basic molecular mechanisms focusing on the role of fat-specific protein 27/CIDEC in the pathogenesis of ALD

Early activation of peripheral monocytes with hallmarks of M1 and M2 monocytic cells in excessive alcohol drinkers: a pilot study

Excessive drinking can lead to the development of immune dysfunction. Our aim is to investigate the effect of alcohol on immune activation from circulating peripheral blood monocytes in excessive drinkers (EDs). Twenty-two EDs and healthy controls were enrolled. Time line follow-back was used to quantify the amount of alcohol consumed in the past 30 days before enrollment. Peripheral blood-derived CD14+ monocytes were isolated for gene expression analyses. Serum interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10 and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were also measured. We found that serum LPS concentrations were significantly higher in EDs compared with controls (P<0.05). While no differences in the levels of circulating IL-6 and IL-10 were observed, the relative levels of gene transcripts (RQ) for Il6 (an M1-polarizing cytokine) and Il10 (an M2-polarizing cytokine) were significantly higher in peripheral blood-derived monocytes from EDs compared with controls (Il6: P<0.01. Il10: P<0.05). EDs exhibit early immune activation of peripheral blood monocyte mRNA transcripts, notably Il6 and Il10 Future studies are needed to explore the clinical implications of our findings and determine whether the levels of Il6 and Il10 mRNA expression can be used to identify those with excessive drinking and to monitor for alcohol abstinence

Role of hepatic macrophages in alcoholic liver disease

Alcohol consumption can lead to the increase in gut permeability and cause the translocation of bacteria-derived lipopolysaccharides from the gut to the liver, which subsequently activates immune responses. In this process, macrophages play a critical role and involve in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). To define the mechanism underpinning the function of macrophages, it is important to conduct extensive studies to further explicate the phenotypic diversity of macrophages in the context of ALD., In this review, the role of hepatic macrophages in the pathogenesis of ALD is discussed

Histamine H2-Receptor Antagonists Use Is Associated with Lower Prevalence of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Population-Based Study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2006

Background & Aim Recent basic mechanistic studies found that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or histamine antagonists inhibited multiple pathways involved in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) development. The aim of this study was to investigate an association between PPIs or H1/H2-receptor antagonists (H1RAs/H2RAs) use and NAFLD prevalence in the general US population. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001 – 2006. We included 10,398 adults aged 20 – 74 years who had alanine aminotransferase (ALT) data; of those, 2,058 were identified as having NAFLD and 8,340 as controls. PPIs or H1RAs/H2RAs use was defined as use of prescription medications in the preceding month. The length of use was categorized as ≤ 60 days and > 60 days. NAFLD was defined as elevated serum aminotransferases without any indication of other causes of chronic liver disease. Results In the multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis, H2RAs use was inversely associated with prevalent NAFLD (odds ratio [OR] = 0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.18 – 0.99), a finding that was primarily limited to men (OR = 0.18, 95% CI 0.04 – 0.79) and those with insulin resistance (OR = 0.22, 95% CI 0.05 – 0.95). However, no significant associations were found between PPIs or H1RAs use and prevalent NAFLD. Conclusion These findings, from the first human study to investigate an association of PPIs or H1RAs/H2RAs use with NAFLD, suggest that H2RAs use may be associated with a lower prevalence of NAFLD, primarily among men with insulin resistance