Skin carotenoid status measured by resonance Raman spectroscopy as a biomarker of fruit and vegetable intake in preschool children

pre-printBackground/Objective: Dietary assessment in children is difficult, suggesting a need to develop more objective biomarkers of intake. Resonance Raman spectroscopy (RRS) is a noninvasive, validated method of measuring carotenoid status in skin as a biomarker of fruit/vegetable intake. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of using RRS in preschool children, including describing the inter-individual variability in skin carotenoid status and to identify factors associated with the biomarker in this population. Subjects/Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 381 economically-disadvantaged preschoolers in urban centers in Connecticut (U.S.). 85.5% were black non-Hispanic or Hispanic/Latino, and 14.1% were obese and 16.9% were overweight by age- and sex-specific BMI percentiles. Children had their skin carotenoid status assessed by RRS in the palm of the hand. Fruit/vegetable consumption was assessed by a brief parent/guardian-completed food frequency screener and a liking survey. Results: We observed inter-individual variation in RRS values that was nearly normally distributed. In multiple regression analysis, higher carotenoid status, measured by RRS, was positively associated with fruit/vegetable consumption (p=0.02) and fruit/vegetable preference (p<0.01). Lower carotenoid status was observed among younger children, those participating in the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and those with greater adiposity (p<0.05 for all). Conclusions: We observed wide variability in skin carotenoid status in a population of young children, as assessed by RRS. Parent-reported fruit/vegetable intake and several demographic factors were significantly associated with RRS-measured skin carotenoid status. We recommend further development of this biomarker in children, including evaluating response to controlled interventions

Skin colour predicts fruit and vegetable intake in young Caucasian men: A cross-sectional study

Aim: Current dietary assessment methods are prone to subjective bias, highlighting the demand for an objective marker of fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake. Carotenoids from F/V consumption deposit in skin and adipose tissue, contributing to changes in skin colour. Results from research in females have highlighted positive associations between skin colour assessed by reflectance spectroscopy and F/V intake. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between (i) F/V intake, (ii) carotenoid intake and skin colour in young Caucasian men. Methods: In this cross-sectional study reflectance spectroscopy was used to quantify skin colour in young Caucasian men. Skin colour was assessed at eight sun-exposed and unexposed body locations. A food frequency questionnaire was administered to assess F/V intake over the past month. Partial correlations were done to assess the associations between skin yellowness, F/V intake (grams) and carotenoid intake (milligrams), both with and without controlling for skin lightness. Results: Carotenoid intake was strongly associated with F/V intake (r = 0.8, p &lt; 0.001). Skin yellowness was found to be strongly associated with both carotenoid (r = 0.599, p &lt; 0.001) and F/V (r = 0.422, p = 0.02) intake. When skin colour was controlled for skin lightness and measured at the forehead, biceps, palm and foot sole, a stronger association was observed (carotenoid (r = 0.637, p &lt; 0.001); F/V (r = 0.431, p = 0.02)). Conclusion: Skin colour is a viable biomarker of F/V intake in young Caucasian men. These findings contribute to the development of an objective marker of F/V intake, however more research is required before the method can be applied to practice

Vitamin D exposure and Risk of Breast Cancer: a meta-analysis

The relationship between vitamin D and breast cancer is still controversial. The present meta-analysis examines the effects of the 25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)2D and vitamin D intake on breast cancer risk. For this purpose, a PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science-databases search was conducted including all papers published with the keywords "breast cancer" and "vitamin D" with at least one reported relative risk (RR) or odds ratio (OR). In total sixty eight studies published between 1998 and 2018 were analyzed. Information about type of study, hormonal receptors and menopausal status was retrieved. Pooled OR or RR were estimated by weighting individual OR/RR by the inverse of their variance Our study showed a protective effect between 25 (OH) D and breast cancer in both cohort studies (RR?=?0.85, 95%CI:0.74-0.98) and case-control studies (OR?=?0.65, 95%CI: 0.56-0.76). However, analyzing by menopausal status, the protective vitamin D - breast cancer association persisted only in the premenopausal group (OR?=?0.67, 95%CI: 0.49-0.92) when restricting the analysis to nested case-control studies. No significant association was found for vitamin D intake or 1,25(OH)2D. CONCLUSION: This systematic review suggests a protective relationship between circulating vitamin D (measured as 25(OH) D) and breast cancer development in premenopausal women

Premenopausal serum androgens and breast cancer risk: a nested case-control study.

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Prospective epidemiologic studies have consistently shown that levels of circulating androgens in postmenopausal women are positively associated with breast cancer risk. However, data in premenopausal women are limited. METHODS: A case-control study nested within the New York University Women's Health Study was conducted. A total of 356 cases (276 invasive and 80 in situ) and 683 individually-matched controls were included. Matching variables included age and date, phase, and day of menstrual cycle at blood donation. Testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) were measured using direct immunoassays. Free testosterone was calculated. RESULTS: Premenopausal serum testosterone and free testosterone concentrations were positively associated with breast cancer risk. In models adjusted for known risk factors of breast cancer, the odds ratios for increasing quintiles of testosterone were 1.0 (reference), 1.5 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.9 to 2.3), 1.2 (95% CI, 0.7 to 1.9), 1.4 (95% CI, 0.9 to 2.3) and 1.8 (95% CI, 1.1 to 2.9; Ptrend = 0.04), and for free testosterone were 1.0 (reference), 1.2 (95% CI, 0.7 to 1.8), 1.5 (95% CI, 0.9 to 2.3), 1.5 (95% CI, 0.9 to 2.3), and 1.8 (95% CI, 1.1 to 2.8, Ptrend = 0.01). A marginally significant positive association was observed with androstenedione (P = 0.07), but no association with DHEAS or SHBG. Results were consistent in analyses stratified by tumor type (invasive, in situ), estrogen receptor status, age at blood donation, and menopausal status at diagnosis. Intra-class correlation coefficients for samples collected from 0.8 to 5.3 years apart (median 2 years) in 138 cases and 268 controls were greater than 0.7 for all biomarkers except for androstenedione (0.57 in controls). CONCLUSIONS: Premenopausal concentrations of testosterone and free testosterone are associated with breast cancer risk. Testosterone and free testosterone measurements are also highly reliable (that is, a single measurement is reflective of a woman's average level over time). Results from other prospective studies are consistent with our results. The impact of including testosterone or free testosterone in breast cancer risk prediction models for women between the ages of 40 and 50 years should be assessed. Improving risk prediction models for this age group could help decision making regarding both screening and chemoprevention of breast cancer