Os métodos de investigação do metabolismo protéico no homem, de uso clínico, incluem desde a avaliação da proteína ingerida até a determinação específica da capacidade de síntese protéica total. Na presente revisão, são discutidos aspectos práticos relacionados ao: teor protéico, digestibilidade e composição, em aminoácidos, de alimentos; excreção urinária de produtos nitrogenados; balanço nitrogenado; nível de aminoácidos plasmáticos; níveis de substâncias específicas, relacionadas ao metabolismo protéico, incluindo técnicas de biologia molecular; e, por fim, determinação da taxa corpórea de síntese protéica. O método a ser utilizado e/ou recomendado vai variar de acordo com as necessidades e objetivos específicos de cada situação clínica. A avaliação da ingestão protéica, sua correlação com o estado geral do paciente, bem como a forma de oferta, resultam em melhora da qualidade geral do atendimento médico, bem como beneficiam a própria recuperação do paciente.

Background: Obesity was consistently associated with a poor prognosis in patients with COVID-19. Epigenetic mechanisms were proposed as the link between obesity and comorbidities risk.Aim: To evaluate the methylation levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) gene, the main entry receptor of SARS-CoV-2, in different depots of adipose tissue (AT) and leukocytes (PBMCs) in obesity and after weight loss therapy based on a very-low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD), a balanced hypocaloric diet (HCD) or bariatric surgery (BS).

“Nutrition transition” describes the shifts in dietary consumption and energy expenditure influenced by economic, demographic, and epidemiological changes at a population level. This phenomenon has been associated with rising obesity rates worldwide, especially in developed countries. In Brazil, the historical analysis of temporal trends between malnutrition and obesity characterized the nutrition transition in the country and interweaved it with the formulation and implementation of public food and nutrition policies. Such analysis is crucial for understanding certain principles in each context. Thus, this review contextualized the consolidation of obesity as a critical health and public policy issue in Brazil. Our review suggested that the country may still be at the initial stage of care for obesity, and more efforts are needed to contain the advance of the disease in Brazil.

Background We aimed to identify and describe different types of lifestyle interventions primarily or secondarily focused on weight loss in SLE patients. Methods A systematic search of controlled trials published until June 2021 that assigned adults patients after dietary or exercise intervention resulted in 248 studies initially screened. Results Six studies with seven interventions (3 dietary and 4 exercise training programs) fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in the meta-analysis with a median of age 35.8 (31.3 to 49.0 years); median of BMI 26.6 (25.2 to 33.6 kg/m 2 ). After six to twelve weeks of diet or exercise program, no differences were observed in body weight [-1.539 (-4.482 to 1.405) kg (CI 95%), p = 0.306]. Also, a subgroup analysis also revelated no body weight difference following dietary intervention [-3.561 (-9.604 to 2.481) kg (CI 95%), p = 0.248] or exercise intervention [-0.910 (-4.279 to 2.460) kg (CI 95%), p = 0.597]. Conclusion The results showed that different protocols of exercise intervention or diets were not effective to reduce body weight in patients with SLE. However, only one of the selected trials had a specific study design and protocol focusing on weight loss management.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and their endogenous inhibitor, the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP), are expressed in many different cell types and play an important role in physiologic and pathological degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM). Starting from these observations and considering the activation state of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in obesity, we investigated the gene expression of metalloproteinases before and after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYBG). The study was performed in the Ribeirão Preto Medical School University Hospital. Seventy-three women were divided into a study group (SG), composed of 53 individuals with severe obesity before and after 6 months of RYGB, and a control group (CG), composed of 20 normal-weight individuals. Anthropometric and body composition data were collected, and peripheral blood for ribonucleic acid (RNA) extraction. The biological samples were submitted to a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to evaluate the expression of MMP2 and TIMP2 genes. Alterations in weight loss, body mass index (BMI), and fat mass (FM) were observed after 6 months of RYGB (p < 0.05). A reduction of gene expression of TIMP2 was observed after 6 months of RYGB, contributing positively to the weight loss (R2 = 0.33 p = 0.04). The enrichment analyses highlighted the interaction between TIMP2 and MMP2 genes and the molecular pathways involving the ECM remodeling in the obesity condition. RYGB contributes significantly to weight loss, improved BMI, reduced FM, and reduced TIMP2 expression in PBMCs, which might contribute to the ECM remodeling in the obesity and could be useful as a circulating biomarker.