The aim of the European Nutrition and Health Report (ENHR) 2009 is to provide a comprehensive view of the nutrition and health status in the European Union (EU). It is not intended to generate new data, but rather to collect available and authorised data, published or unpublished, on the nutrition and health situation in the countries of the EU

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European Nutrition and Health Report 2009

Micronutrient status during pregnancy influences maternal and fetal health, birth outcomes, and the risk of chronic disease in offspring. Research reporting dietary intake during pregnancy in nationally representative population samples, however, is limited. This review summarizes the micronutrient intakes of pregnant women from developed countries and compares them with relevant national recommendations. A systematic search without date limits was conducted. All studies reporting the micronutrient intakes of pregnant women were considered, irrespective of design. Two authors independently identified studies for inclusion and assessed methodological quality. Nutritional adequacy was summarized, with confounding factors considered. Meta-analysis data are reported for developed countries collectively, by geographical region, and by dietary methodology. Pregnant women in developed countries are at risk of suboptimal micronutrient intakes. Folate, iron, and vitamin D intakes were consistently below nutrient recommendations in each geographical region, and calcium intakes in Japan were below the Japanese recommendations and the average intake levels in other developed countries. Research examining the implications of potential nutrient insufficiency on maternal and offspring health outcomes is needed along with improvements in the quality of dietary intake reporting.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of micronutrient intakes during pregnancy in developed countries

Iron status in pregnant women and women of reproductive age in Europe.

Background: Use of dietary supplements during pregnancy may give an important contribution to nutrient intake, and for nutrients like folate and vitamin D supplements are recommende

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Dietary supplements contribute substantially to the total nutrient intake in pregnant Norwegian women.

OBJECTIVE: To assess maternal diet and nutritional adequacy prior to conception and during pregnancy. DESIGN: Follow-up of a cohort of pregnant women with collection of questionnaire data throughout pregnancy and after delivery. SETTING: Antenatal clinics at two public hospitals in Porto, Portugal. SUBJECTS: Two hundred and forty-nine pregnant women who reported a gestational age below 13 weeks at the time they attended their first antenatal visit. RESULTS: Intakes of energy and macronutrients were within recommended levels for most women. Pregnancy was accompanied by increases in the dietary intake of vitamins A and E, riboflavin, folate, Ca and Mg, but declines in the intake of alcohol and caffeine. The micronutrients with higher inadequacy prevalences prior to pregnancy were vitamin E (83%), folate (58%) and Mg (19%). These three micronutrients, together with Fe, were also those with the highest inadequacy prevalences during pregnancy (91%, 88%, 73% and 21%, respectively, for folate, Fe, vitamin E and Mg). Ninety-seven per cent of the women reported taking supplements of folic acid during the first trimester, but the median gestational age at initiation was 6.5 (interquartile range 5, 9) weeks. Self-reported prevalences of Fe and Mg supplementation were high, and increased throughout pregnancy. CONCLUSION: The study identified low dietary intakes of vitamin E, folate and Mg both in the preconceptional period and during pregnancy, and low intake of Fe during pregnancy only. The low dietary intake of folate and the late initiation of supplementation indicate that current national guidelines are unlikely to be effective in preventing neural tube defects.

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Dietary intake and nutritional adequacy prior to conception and during pregnancy: a follow-up study in the north of Portugal.

A comparison of the dietary and total intake of micronutrients in a group of pregnant Greek women with the Dietary Reference Intakes.

Background Dendritic cells activated by hepatitis C virus (HCV) produce high amounts of interleukin (IL)-12, considered to be associated with HCV clearance. The aim of this study was to investigate the IL-12 levels in HCV-infected patients, before and after the application of combination therapy with Pegylated Interferon-α2β plus Ribavirin. Methods Laboratory data of IL-12 levels and other clinical characteristics were selected from 26 HCV-infected patients. Comparisons of IL-12 serum levels before and after treatment or between responders and non-responders (including relapsers) were performed using nonparametric tests. The study moreover investigated the probable relationship of IL-12 concentrations with viral load, HCV genotypes, liver function tests (LFTs), histological activity and the response to combination treatment. Results The baseline IL-12 levels were found significantly higher in patients who achieved sustained virological response (SVR), compared to patients who did not respond to the combination treatment (P=0.029). The IL-12 levels at the end of treatment were not statistically different from the IL-12 baseline levels, in both responders and non-responders. Baseline serum levels of IL-12 higher than 3 pg/mL (cut-off) were found to positively predict patients who successfully responded to treatment. No statistical correlation was found between the baseline serum IL-12 levels and viral load, HCV genotypes, histological activity or LFTs among the HCV patients. Conclusion Pretreatment IL-12 levels seem to predict which patients will achieve SVR to treatment. Patients with increased IL-12 serum levels were more likely to achieve SVR. Keywords Cytokine, dendritic cells, hepatitis C, interleukin-12, Pegylated interferon α2β, T-helper cells

http://www.annalsgastro.gr/files/journals/1/earlyview/2013/ev-02-2013-02-1636.pdf

Pretreatment serum interleukin-12 levels in predicting sustained virological response among hepatitis C patients following Pegylated Interferon-α2β plus Ribavirin treatment.

Dimosthenis Panagiotakos

Papers

A comparison of the dietary and total intake of micronutrients in a group of pregnant Greek women with the Dietary Reference Intakes.

Pretreatment serum interleukin-12 levels in predicting sustained virological response among hepatitis C patients following Pegylated Interferon-α2β plus Ribavirin treatment.