Elvira Larqué’s research while affiliated with University of Murcia and other places

Background/Objectives: Our aim was to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for the assessment of usual nutrient and food intakes in children of 18 months old. Methods: We included 103 toddlers aged 18 months from the Nutrition in Early Life and Asthma (NELA) birth cohort study. A 47-item FFQ was administered twice to parents with a 3-month interval. During that period, we also performed three non-consecutive 24 h dietary recalls (24hDRs) and oral mucosa samples for determining the fatty acid profile (glycerophospholipids). We estimated correlation coefficients of reproducibility for nutrient and food group intakes by comparing both FFQs and validity coefficients by comparing nutrient intakes between the second FFQ and the average of the three 24hDRs. We also explored biochemical validity by comparing the intake of fish from the FFQ with the percentage of fatty acids in oral mucosa cells. Results: The average of correlation coefficients for FFQ reproducibility was r = 0.48 for energy-adjusted nutrient intakes (ranging from r = 0.28 for Na to r = 0.62 for Mg and Zn) and r = 0.35 for the intake of energy-adjusted food groups. The average correlation coefficient for FFQ validity on nutrient intakes was r = 0.48, ranging from r = 0.16 for α-carotene to r = 0.75 for vitamin E. We also found a positive correlation between total omega-3 fatty acids and docosahexaenoic acid percentages in oral mucosa cells and the intake of total and white fish, r = 0.31 and r = 0.34, respectively. Conclusions: This study shows that our short FFQ demonstrated moderate reproducibility (mean r = 0.48) and validity (mean r = 0.48) for dietary assessment of most nutrients and foods in 18-month-old children in Spain. This FFQ provides an efficient and minimally invasive method for evaluating toddler dietary intake, particularly in Mediterranean contexts.

Maternal dietary fat intake during pregnancy and lactation may influence the bioavailability of essential lipophilic nutrients, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), that are important for both the mother and her child's development.

Background Some studies have reported that polyamine levels may influence immune system programming. The aim of this study was to evaluate the polyamine profile during gestation and its associations with maternal allergy and cytokine production in cord blood cells in response to different allergenic stimuli. Methods Polyamines were determined in plasma of pregnant women (24 weeks, N = 674) and in umbilical cord samples (N = 353 vein and N = 160 artery) from the Mediterranean NELA birth cohort. Immune cell populations were quantified, and the production of cytokines in response to different allergic and mitogenic stimuli was assessed in cord blood. Results Spermidine and spermine were the most prevalent polyamines in maternal, cord venous, and cord arterial plasma. Maternal allergies, especially allergic conjunctivitis, were associated with lower spermine in umbilical cord vein. Higher levels of polyamines were associated with higher lymphocyte number but lower Th2‐related cells in cord venous blood. Those subjects with higher levels of circulating polyamines in cord showed lower production of inflammatory cytokines, especially IFN‐α, and lower production of Th2‐related cytokines, mainly IL‐4 and IL‐5. The effects of polyamines on Th1‐related cytokines production were uncertain. Conclusions Spermidine and spermine are the predominant polyamines in plasma of pregnant women at mid‐pregnancy and also in umbilical cord. Maternal allergic diseases like allergic conjunctivitis are related to lower levels of polyamines in cord vein, which could influence the immune response of the newborn. Cord polyamine content is related to a decreased Th2 response and inflammatory cytokines production, which might be important to reduce an allergenic phenotype in the neonate.

The incidence of allergic problems has notably increased in recent decades, affecting approximately 20% of the population and becoming a public health issue. Some studies have suggested that asthma and atopy could result from an increased dietary intake of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and a decreased intake of n-3 PUFA. During pregnancy, the fetus depends on the transplacental transfer of n-3 PUFA from maternal circulation, which implies that maternal lipid profile alterations might predispose to allergy onset during infancy and childhood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the circulating fatty acid profile in pregnant women with allergic problems as well as in fetal plasma at birth. Plasma samples from 73 allergic and 179 healthy pregnant women as well as cord venous plasma were collected at delivery in the NELA cohort (Murcia, Spain). Maternal allergy was diagnosed according to the symptoms and via a positive skin prick test. The fatty acid profile was determined by gas cromatography. The allergic mothers had a lower percentage of n-3 PUFA in the plasma compared to the healthy ones (Allergic: 4.06 ± 0.15 vs. Control: 4.66 ± 0.11, p = 0.002), especially in those with asthma or food allergies. This contributed to a significantly higher n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in women with allergies (Allergic: 9.45 ± 0.31 vs. Control: 8.28 ± 0.20, p = 0.002), mainly asthma and food allergies, which was indicative of a proinflammatory status. The same tendency was observed in women affected by atopic dermatitis (p = 0.094). In cord blood, despite the fact that there were no differences in the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio between the groups, the fetuses born from allergic mothers showed a tendency towards lower n-3 PUFA content compared to those born from healthy mothers (Allergic: 5.63 ± 0.19 vs. Control: 6.17 ± 0.21, p = 0.093). In conclusion, allergy led to a decreased n-3 PUFA and an increased n6-/n-3 ratio fatty acid profile in pregnant women at delivery, especially in those affected by asthma and food allergies. The same tendency was observed in cord plasma. A higher n-3 PUFA consumption could be desirable in women with allergic diseases in order to improve their lipid profile and proinflammatory status and their offspring’s health.

Introduction: Most of pregnant women do not achieve the recommended dietary intake of vitamins A and E. These vitamins may counteract oxidative stress involved in some adverse perinatal outcomes. We aimed to assess the associations between maternal vitamin A and E at mid-pregnancy with both maternal and fetal outcomes and to identify possible early biomarkers during pregnancy to predict and prevent oxidative stress in the offspring. Methods: Data on dietary and serum levels of vitamins A and E were collected from 544 pregnant women from the Nutrition in Early Life and Asthma (NELA) study, a prospective mother-child cohort set up in Spain. Results: There were large discrepancies between low dietary vitamin E intake (78% of the mothers) and low serum vitamin E levels (3%) at 24 weeks of gestation. Maternal serum vitamins A and E at mid-pregnancy were associated with higher antioxidant status not only in the mother at this time point (lower hydroperoxides and higher total antioxidant activity) but also with the newborn at birth (higher total antioxidant activity). Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was negatively associated with maternal serum vitamin A (OR: 0.95 CI 0.91-0.99, P=0.009) at mid-pregnancy. Nevertheless, we could not detect any association between GDM and oxidative stress parameters. Conclusions: In conclusion, maternal vitamin A and E serum levels may be used as an early potential biomarker of antioxidant status of the neonate at birth. Control of these vitamins during pregnancy could help to avoid morbid conditions in the newborn caused by oxidative stress in GDM pregnancies.

Introduction: Low dietary intake of vitamin E is a global public health issue. RRR-α-tocopherol (RRR-αT) is the only naturally occurring vitamin E stereoisomer, but the equimolecular mixture of all eight stereoisomers, synthetic vitamin E (S-αT), is commonly consumed. The objective of this study was to evaluate bioavailability and antioxidant activity of RRR-αT vs. S-αT, in both mother and fetus, after maternal supplementation during pregnancy. Methods: Female rats (7 weeks of age) received a modified AIN-93G diet supplemented with 75 IU/kg of RRR-αT (NVE, n=20) or S-αT (SVE, n=17). At delivery, the levels of αT, stereoisomer distribution and antioxidant capacity were analyzed in maternal and fetal plasma. Results: NVE administration significantly increased the proportion of RRR-αT stereoisomer in maternal and fetal plasma. The percentage of RRR-αT increased from 32.76% to 88.33% in maternal plasma, and 35.25% to 97.94% in fetal plasma, in the NVE group compared to SVE. Fetal plasma from the NVE group was found to have higher total antioxidant capacity compared to SVE. Lastly, fetal plasma RRR-αT stereoisomer percentage was positively associated with expression levels of scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-B1) in the placenta. Conclusions: Both natural and synthetic sources of vitamin E showed similar bioavailability. Still, NVE supplementation increased the proportion of RRR-αT and promoted higher antioxidant activity in fetal plasma at birth. Placental SR-B1 might be involved in the stereoselective transfer of RRR-αT stereoisomer across the placenta and may improve αT bioactivity in the fetus.