a. kalayi

Type 2 diabetes Mellitus usually threatens the affected individuals by its both short- term and long-term complications.This study examined the possible effects of lycopene at physiological dosage and body fat mass on the humoral immune response in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A total of 35 patients with Typ2 diabetes mellitus from both sexes aged 54±9 yrs from the Iranian Diabetes Society were introduced into a double blind placebo controlled clinical trial conducted for 2 months. After a 2-week lycopene free diet washout period, patients were allocated to either lycopene supplementation group (10mg/d) (n=16) or placebo age- and sex matched group (n=19) for 8 weeks. Patients were instructed to keep their diets and physical activities as unchanged as possible. Lycopene supplements increased serum lycopene levels (p<0.001). While intake of dietary energy and nutrients did not change in either groups, the ratio of total antioxidant capacity to malondialdehyde increased significantly in the lycopene group (p=0.007).

There was an inverse correlation between serum levels of lycopene and those of IgG (r= -0.338, p=0.008). On the contrary, changes of serum levels of lycopene directly correlated with those of IgM (r=0.466, p=0.005). Interestingly, changes of the amount of fat mass correlated directly with those of serum IgG (r=0.415, p=0.044) but inversely with of serum IgM (r= -0.469, p=0.021).

While truncal fat might promote adaptive humoral immunity, lycopene probably by inhibiting MDA-LDL formation might attenuate T cell dependent adaptive (pro-atherogenic) humoral immune response. These findings may have preventive implications in long term diabetic complications, notably atherogenesis.

Systemic inflammation is thought to have a central role in diabetic long-term complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of vitamin D either with or without extra calcium on certain inflammatory biomarkers in the subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

This was a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial conducted over 12 wk in 90 T2D subjects aged 30–60 yr from both sexes. Subjects were randomly allocated to one of three groups to receive two 250-ml bottles a day of plain Persian yogurt drink or doogh (PD, containing 150 mg calcium and no detectable vitamin D3/250 ml), vitamin D-fortified doogh (DD, containing 500 IU vitamin D3 and 150 mg calcium/250 ml), or calcium + vitamin D3-fortified doogh (CDD, containing 500 IU vitamin D3 and 250 mg calcium/250 ml). The changes in inflammatory markers were evaluated.

Compared to the baseline values, highly sensitive C-reactive protein, IL-1β, IL-6, fibrinogen, and retinol binding protein-4 concentrations significantly decreased in both the DD and CDD groups. Although the decrement in highly sensitive C-reactive protein and fibrinogen was more in CDD compared to DD (−4.0 ± 8.5 vs. −1.3 ± 2.8 mg/liter, and −0.40 ± 0.74 and −0.20 ± 0.52 mg/liter, respectively), the differences were not significant. There was a significant increase in serum adiponectin in both the DD and CDD groups (51.3 ± 65.3 vs. 57.1 ± 33.8 μg/liter P < 0.05). Mean adiponectin changes in CDD were significantly higher than in PD (P = 0.021).

Daily intake of vitamin D-fortified doogh improved inflammatory markers in T2D subjects, and extra calcium conferred additional benefit only for the antiinflammatory adipokine, i.e. adiponectin.

To assess vitamin D status of 9-12 years old primary school children in Tehran during fall and winter 2007-8. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study Setting: Primary schools of Tehran city, Iran.

A total of 1111 9-12 years old children (573 boys and 538 girls) from 60 primary schools were enrolled in the study. Weight, height, body mass index (BMI) and serum levels of calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, 25(OH)D, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), osteocalcin (OST), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) were assessed for all the participants. Dietary calcium intake was also evaluated using a quantitative food frequency questionnaire (qFFQ) for a sub-sample of the study population (n=503). Vitamin D sufficiency was defined based on serum levels of 25(OH)D as either ≥ 37nmol/L (criterion 1) or ≥ 50 nmol/L (criterion 2).

Daily intake of calcium did not differ significantly between boys and girls (929.6± 436.7 mg and 909.5±465.5 mg, respectively). However, based on the first criterion, some 86% of the children had vitamin D deficiency with 38.3% of severe deficiency (25(OH)D < 12.5 nmol/L). By using the second criterion, prevalence of vitamin D deficiency rose to 91.7%. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was higher in girls than in boys by either criterion. Serum levels of 25(OH)D inversely correlated with iPTH (r= -0.154, p<0.001) and BMI (r= -0.092, p=0.002) but directly correlated with duration of sun exposure (r= 0.115, p<0.001).

The high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among school children (especially girls) warrants immediate interventions for proper nutritional support.

High levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and oxidative stress play a key role in development of complications in type 2 diabetes (T2D). It has been reported that glycemic optimizing affects vitamin D in patients with T2D. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of daily consumption of vitamin D and vitamin D-calcium-fortified yogurt drink on serum levels of AGEs and ox-LDL in T2D patients.

Sixty diabetic subjects aged 30-60 years were assigned randomly to one of the three groups: 1- plain yogurt drink; 2-yogurt drink fortified with 500IU cholecalciferol per 250 mL bottle; and 3- yogurt drink fortified with 500IU cholecalciferol and 250 mg calcium per 250 mL bottle. Participants were instructed to consume 2 bottles of the yogurt drink daily for 12 weeks. The anthropometric، dietary and laboratory assessments were done at baseline and at the end of intervention.

Mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D increased significantly from 40. 6±30. 1 to 76. 8±32. 6 nmol/L (p<0. 001) in group 2 and from 45. 1±38. 7 to 72. 7±35. 3nmol/L in group 3. Fasting glucose (p =0. 016 and p=0. 040، respectively)، insulin (p<0. 001 and p=0. 009، respectively)، HbA1c (p=0. 001 and p=0. 003، respectively)، HOMA-IR (p<0. 001 and p=0. 002، respectively) and serum level of AGEs (p=0. 029 and p=0. 001، respectively) decreased significantly. There was no significant within and between group changes in ox-LDL serum levels.

Our results showed that daily intake of 1000 IU vitamin D with or without calcium significantly increased serum levels of 25 (OH) D، improved glycemic control and decreased serum levels of AGEs but had no effect on ox-LDL levels in diabetic patients.