Although the role of vitamin D is well known, the possibility of assessing its intake may be constricted in countries with no vitamin D data in food composition tables, as in the case of Croatia. The aim of the presented study was to adjust the VIDEO-FFQ (Vitamin D Estimation Only—Food Frequency Questionnaire), previously validated in Poland, to the Croatian population and to assess the validity and reproducibility of the adjusted Cro-VIDEO-FFQ (Croatian—VIDEO-FFQ). The study involved a group of Croatian women aged 20–30 and the Polish questionnaire was adjusted for a population due to similarities of the nutritional habits between countries. 106 individuals were recruited and 63 completed all the stages of the study. Participants conducted a 3-day dietary record and filled out the Cro-VIDEO-FFQ1 (first stage), as well as the same questionnaire (Cro-VIDEO-FFQ2) 6 weeks after (second stage). The following vitamin D intakes were observed in the studied group: 1.9 µg (0.2–8.0 µg) for 3-day dietary record, 3.3 µg (1.1–10.6 µg) for Cro-VIDEO-FFQ1, 3.6 µg (1.4–7.8 µg) for Cro-VIDEO-FFQ2. The Bland-Altman indexes in assessment of validity and reproducibility were 4.8% and 6.3%, respectively, with mean differences of 0.55 µg and 0.12 µg, as well as limits of agreement −0.91–2.01 µg and −0.44–0.69 µg. The kappa coefficient indicated a fair agreement for validity (0.21) and substantial for reproducibility (0.62), while correlations were significant (p = 0.0027, r = 0.37 for validity; p < 0.0001, r = 0.80 for reproducibility). It was observed that VIDEO-FFQ may be adjusted as a simple tool to assess vitamin D intake in a population with no vitamin D data in food composition tables, while Cro-VIDEO-FFQ may be a valid tool for nutritional assessment in Croatia.

SUMMARYGastrointestinal tract is an important connector between food intake and body weight, it senses basic tastes in a similar manner as the tongue. The aim of the study was to find out how gut hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) influences taste preference. Fourteen healthy participants (six male and eight female) were included in this double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. After overnight fast and salty fluid (oral sodium load), participants were randomized to receive placebo (500 mL of 0.9% saline) or GLP-1 infusion (1.5 pmol/kg/min) over a 3-hour period. At the end of infusion, participants chose food preferences from illustrations of food types representing 5 tastes. After 7 days, the protocol was repeated, this time those that had received placebo first got GLP-1 infusion, and those having received GLP-1 first got placebo. Change of taste preference after GLP-1 infusion but not after placebo was reported as response, and non-response was reported in case of taste persistence. A statistically significant difference in response type was found between genders, with women being more likely to change their taste preference after GLP-1 than men. The change of taste upon GLP-1 infusion observed in women might be ascribed to estrogen weight-lowering effects accomplished by receptor-mediated delivery.

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Gyrate atrophy (GA) of the choroid and retina is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that occurs due to deficiency of the mitochondrial enzyme ornithine aminotransferase (OAT). Hyperornithinemia causes degeneration of the retina with symptoms like myopia, reduced night vision and progressive vision loss. Our patient is a 10-year-old girl with impaired vision and strabismus. As part of the metabolic work-up, plasma amino acid analysis revealed significantly increased concentration of ornithine (1039 μmol/L; reference interval 20 - 155 μmol/L). Molecular genetic analysis revealed homozygous mutation in exon 7 of the OAT gene that has not been reported previously (c.868_870delCTT p.(Leu290del)). This in frame deletion was predicted to be deleterious by in silico software analysis. Our patient was treated with pyridoxine (vitamin B6 in a dose of 2 x 100 mg/day), low-protein diet (0.6 g/kg/day) and L-lysine supplementation which resulted in a significant reduction in plasma ornithine concentrations to 53% of the initial concentration and the ophthalmologic findings showed significant improvement. We conclude that low protein diet and lysine supplementation can lead to long-term reduction in plasma ornithine concentrations and, if started at an early age, notably slow the progression of retinal function loss in patients with GA. The effect of therapy can be reliably monitored by periodical measurement of plasma ornithine concentration. To our knowledge, this is the first report of OAT deficiency in Croatia.

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