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Neuropathic pain (NeP) is a type of persistent pain initiated by diseases or injuries of the nervous system. Although the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of NeP are poorly understood, the immune system plays a key role in this condition. M2 macrophages have a key role in tissue healing and the reduction of inflammation. This systematic study aims to provide an overview of the role and importance of M2 macrophages in NeP after spinal cord injury (SCI). A comprehensive systematic review was conducted utilizing Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and ISI Web of Science databases. Two independent reviewers conducted the article selection. All publications examine the impact of M2 macrophages on NeP following spinal cord injuries. A quality assessment was conducted on bias entities that had been predetermined. Eleven papers met the criteria. According to the findings, focusing on immune cell polarization presents viable therapeutic options for treating NeP and enhancing recovery after SCI. M2 macrophages are essential for reducing neuropathic pain and promoting recovery after spinal cord injury. The modulation of M2 macrophages by a number of therapeutic approaches, including ivermectin-functionalized MWCNTs, isorhamnetin, Neuregulin-1 administration, TMEM16F inhibition, lentivirus-mediated delivery of anti-inflammatory cytokines, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, and red-light therapy promotes neuroregeneration, decreases neuroinflammatory cytokines, and reduces NeP. The results of these preclinical investigations must, however, be interpreted with caution, according to the quality assessment and risk of bias analysis of the studies that were included. Targeting M2 macrophages may have therapeutic benefits as they are essential for the management of NeP and recovery following spinal cord damage., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the most important diseases which controlling its related risk factors, such as metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers, is necessary because of the increased mortality risk of that. The aim of our meta-analysis is to reveal the general effect of vitamin K supplementation on its related risk factors. Original databases were searched using standard keywords to identify all randomized clinical trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of vitamin K on CVD. Pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) were achieved by random-model effect analysis for the best estimation of outcomes. The statistical heterogeneity was determined using the Cochran's Q test and I 2 statistics. Seventeen studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled findings showed that vitamin K supplementation can reduce homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (WMD: -0⋅24, 95 % CI: -0⋅49, -0⋅02, P = 0⋅047) significantly compared to the placebo group. However, no significant effect was observed on other outcomes. Subgroup analysis showed a significant effect of vitamin K2 supplementation compared to vitamin K1 supplementation on HOMA-IR. However, no significant effect was observed on other variables. Also, subgroup analysis showed no potential effect of vitamin K supplementation on any outcome and omitting any articles did not affect the final results. We demonstrated that supplementation with vitamin K has no effect on anthropometrics indexes, CRP, glucose metabolism, and lipid profile factors except HOMA-IR., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

It is well known that vitamin D plays a pivotal role in immune system modulation; however, its role in liver transplantation (LT) has not yet been well elucidated. This study aimed to assess the association between vitamin D status and LT outcomes. This retrospective cohort study was conducted on 335 registered cirrhotic patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) who underwent LT during 2019-2021 and had measurement of serum vitamin D before LT. The association of vitamin D levels before LT with the odds of acute cellular rejection (ACR) and risk mortality was assessed by applying logistic and cox regression, respectively. The mean MELD-Na and serum level of vitamin D were 20.39 ± 9.36 and 21.52 ± 15.28 ng/ml, respectively. In the final adjusted model, there was a significant association between vitamin D deficiency in the pre-transplant period and odds of ACR (odds ratio [OR] 2.69; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.50-4.68). Although in the crude model, vitamin D deficiency in the pre-transplant period was significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality after two years of follow-up (Hazard ratio (HR) = 2.64, 95% CI 1.42-4.33), after adjustment for potential confounders, the association of vitamin D status and mortality became non-significant (HR = 1.46, 95% CI 0.71-3.00). The present study provides evidence that pre-transplant serum vitamin D levels may be a predictor for ACR in patients with cirrhosis undergoing LT., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Aims: Randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of nut consumption on the metabolic profile of healthy adults with overweight/obesity have yielded conflicting results. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the effects of incorporating nuts into the diet on serum lipid profile, glycemic markers, and blood pressure in healthy adults with overweight/obesity., Data Synthesis: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched up to April 2021. The random-effects model was used to determine the pooled effect sizes expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) with % 95 confidence intervals (CIs). Ten eligible RCTs (with 12 arms) were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that nut intake significantly decreased serum triglycerides (TG) (WMD: -13.19 mg/dL, 95% CI: - 25.90, - 0.48). Furthermore, subgroup analysis showed a significant reduction in serum LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) following adherence to normocaloric, nut-enriched diets (WMD: - 4.56 mg/dL, 95% CI: - 8.24, - 0.88). However, nuts did not affect serum total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glycemic markers, and blood pressure., Conclusions: Overall, incorporating nuts into the diet of healthy adults with overweight/obesity have favorable effects on serum TG and LDL-C. Thus, nuts might exert protective effects against dyslipidemia in this population., Registry Number: PROPSPERO CRD42021250662., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest for all potential sources of bias, including affiliations, funding sources, and financial or management relationships., (Copyright © 2022 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Chitosan is one of dietary fiber that has received great attention in improving obesity-related markers, but little is known on its effects on adolescents., Objectives: To analyze the effects of chitosan supplementation on obesity-related cardiometabolic markers and appetite-related hormones in adolescents with overweight or obesity., Methods and Analysis: A randomized clinical trial was performed on 64 adolescents with overweight and obesity, who were randomly allocated to receive chitosan supplementation (n = 32) or placebo as control (n = 32) for 12 weeks. Anthropometric measures, lipid and glycemic profiles, and appetite-related hormones were examined., Results: Sixty-one participants completed study (chitosan = 31, placebo = 30). Chitosan supplementation significantly improved anthropometric indicators of obesity (body weight: - 3.58 ± 2.17 kg, waist circumference: - 5.00 ± 3.11 cm, and body mass index: - 1.61 ± 0.99 kg/m 2 and - 0.28 ± 0.19 Z-score), lipid (triglycerides: - 5.67 ± 9.24, total cholesterol: - 14.12 ± 13.34, LDL-C: - 7.18 ± 10.16, and HDL-C: 1.83 ± 4.64 mg/dL) and glycemic markers (insulin: - 5.51 ± 7.52 μIU/mL, fasting blood glucose: - 5.77 ± 6.93 mg/dL, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance: - 0.24 ± 0.44), and appetite-related hormones (adiponectin: 1.69 ± 2.13 ng/dL, leptin - 19.40 ± 16.89, and neuropeptide Y: - 41.96 ± 79.34 ng/dL). When compared with the placebo group, chitosan supplementation had greater improvement in body weight, body mass index (kg/m 2 and Z-score), waist circumference, as well as insulin, adiponectin, and leptin levels. Differences were significant according to P-value < 0.05., Conclusion: Chitosan supplementation can improve cardiometabolic parameters (anthropometric indicators of obesity and lipid and glycemic markers) and appetite-related hormones (adiponectin, leptin, and NPY) in adolescents with overweight or obesity., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Despite mounting evidence that dietary factors might have a protective role against risk of cancer, few studies have assessed the relationship between diet diversity with colorectal cancer (CRC) and colorectal adenoma (CRA). Thus, we examined the relationship between dietary diversity score (DDS) and the odds of CRC and CRA. Overall, 129 CRC diagnosed patients, 130 CRA diagnosed cases and 240 healthy hospitalised controls were studied. DDS was calculated based on information on the usual diet that was assessed by a valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the relationship between DDS and odds of colorectal cancer and adenoma. After adjusting for potential confounders, the diversity of grains is associated with the increased odds of CRC (OR grains : 2·96 (1·05-8·32); P = 0·032), while the diversity of vegetables and fruits are associated with decreased odds of CRC (OR vegetables : 0·31 (0·16-0·62); P = 0·001, OR fruits : 0·37 (0·23-0·61); P < 0·001). The diversity of vegetables, fruits and dairy are inversely associated with odds of CRA (OR vegetables : 0·41 (0·21-0·78); P = 0·007, OR fruits : 0·58 (0·36-0·93); P = 0·021, OR dairies : 0·56 (0·37-0·83); P = 0·004). Also, higher DDS was related to decreased odds of both CRC (OR: 0·41 (0·23-0·72); P for trend = 0·002) and CRA (OR: 0·36 (0·21-0·65); P for trend = 0·001). Our results indicated that higher dietary diversity and particularly a diet varied in fruits and vegetables may reduce the odds of CRC and CRA. Also, the consumption of dairy products may decrease the odds of CRC, whereas the consumption of grains may increase the odds of CRC., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Background: Several mechanisms have been proposed for the effect of vitamin E on weight loss. Yet various interventional studies with wide ranges of doses and durations have reported contradictory results., Methods: Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases were searched up to December 2020. Meta-analysis was performed using random-effect method. Effect size was presented as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity was evaluated using the I 2 index. In order to identification of potential sources of heterogeneity, predefined subgroup and meta regression analyses was conducted., Results: A total of 24 studies with 33 data sets were included. There was no significant effect of vitamin E on weight (WMD: 0.15, 95% CI: -1.35 to 1.65, P = 0.847), body mass index (BMI) (WMD = 0.04, 95% CI: -0.29 to 0.37, P = 0.815), and waist circumference (WC) (WMD = -0.19 kg, 95% CI: -2.06 to 1.68, P = 0.842), respectively. However, subgroup analysis revealed that vitamin E supplementation in studies conducted on participants with normal BMI (18.5-24.9) had increasing impact on BMI (P = 0.047)., Conclusion: There was no significant effect of vitamin E supplementation on weight, BMI and WC. However, vitamin E supplementation might be associated with increasing BMI in people with normal BMI (18.5-24.9)., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest All authors declared no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Few epidemiological data are available regarding the associations of dietary intakes of polyphenols with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We sought to examine the associations of dietary intake of polyphenols with the prevalence of NAFLD., Methods: We analyzed data from a case-control study of 225 patients with NAFLD cases and 450 controls. All participants completed a validated 168-item food frequency questionnaire, the results of which were subsequently used to calculate dietary polyphenol., Results: Based on multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjustment for age and sex, it was shown that participants who were in the highest tertile of total flavonoids (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.44-0.98) and total phenolic acids (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.42-0.94) were associated with a lower odds of NAFLD compared with the lowest tertile. Although the association of total flavonoids and the odds of NAFLD disappeared after additional adjustment for BMI, physical activity, smoking, SES, dietary fat, and energy intake (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.38-1.19). The odds of NAFLD was 66% lower (OR = 0.44, CI = 0.24-0.78, p for trend = 0.006) among participants who were in the highest tertile of lignans intake compared with the lowest tertile., Conclusion: Our study showed that a high intake of lignans lowers the odds of NAFLD. We strongly recommend that the concepts proposed in this study must be tested in future longitudinal researches, to determine the association of total and subgroup of polyphenol intake with different stages of fatty liver diseases., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)