Junichi Ochiai

Background Et aims: Few epidemiological studies have investigated the relationship between abdominal adiposity and serum levels of carotenoids. This study investigated the relationship between total and abdominal obesity and serum Levels of carotenoids. Methods: Study population consisted of healthy Japanese males (n = 192) and females (n = 398) who attended a health examination screening (age: 49-86 years). Serum carotenoids were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to provide the muttivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of obesity indices for low levels of serum carotenoids. Results: In females, High waist circumference was associated with tow levels of serum canthaxanthin (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.26-3.19) and beta-carotene (BC) (OR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.23-3.28). High waist hip ratio was also associated with low levels of serum alpha-carotene and BC (OR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.49-4.03, and OR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.20-3.28, respectively). Similar results were obtained when body mass index was added to confounding factors. In mates, however, there were no significant associations between obesity indices and serum levels of carotenoids. Conclusions: Our results suggest that abdominal fat accumulation is associated with oxidative stress as determined by low levels of serum carotenoids in females. In mates, further study excluding the effect of strong confounding factors, including smoking, is needed. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

This study investigated the relationship between smoking habits and serum levels of 8-OHdG, oxidized LDL antibodies (oLAB), Mn-SOD, and carotenoids. Subjects were 79 males (mean age +/- standard deviation; 62.1 +/- 10.0 years) and 79 females (60.3 +/- 10.3 y) who attended a health examination screening in the town of Hokkaido, Japan. Serum 8-OHdG, Mn-SOD, and oLAB levels were measured by ELISA and serum carotenoids levels were measured by HPLC. Smoking habits were assessed by public health nurses using a questionnaire. Serum 8-OHdG levels were significantly higher in males than in females. On the other hand, serum levels of beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and zeaxanthin and lutein were significantly lower in males than in females. Serum beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and zeaxanthin and lutein were significantly lower in males who were current smokers, compared to non-smokers. Serum 8-OHdG levels were also significantly higher in current smokers. Furthermore, in males, serum oLAB and beta-carotene levels were significantly and negatively correlated with the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Serum Mn-SOD levels were unrelated to smoking habits in males. In conclusion, this preliminary study suggests that cigarette smoking increases serum 8-OHdG levels and reduces serum levels of oLAB and carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and zeaxanthin and lutein in healthy male subjects. Serum levels of 8-OHdG, oLAB, and carotenoids may be useful biomarkers of oxidative conditions affected by smoking.