Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha −308 G>A Polymorphism, Adherence to Mediterranean Diet, and Risk of Overweight/Obesity in Young Women

Abstract

The present study was conducted in order to (i) characterize the adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) pattern and fatty acids (FAs) intakes and (ii) explore interactions between TNFA −308 G>A polymorphism and adherence to MD and FAs intakes, respectively, on overweight/obesity risk. From 2010 to 2013, 380 healthy women were enrolled, and MD score (MDS) and FAs intakes were evaluated by a Food Frequencies Questionnaire in relation to nutritional status. TNFA −308 G/A polymorphism was characterized using PCR-RFLP. A total of 32.6% of women were overweight or obese. Lower mean MDS values were more observed in the younger age group than in the older age group (3.60 versus 4.45). The risk of being overweight/obese was 3.5-fold increased due to poor adherence to MD and was about twofold increased in less educated women. Furthermore, younger age was associated with poor adherence to MD. No evidence for an independent effect of the polymorphism on overweight/obesity risk was found. There was no evidence of biological interaction from the gene-diet interaction analyses. Young women, less educated and with poor adherence to MD, are a target group for the nutritional interventions that aimed to control the obesity risk, thus improving the adherence to MD and particularly the intake of unsaturated FAs.

Dietary Folate Intake and Folic Acid Supplements among Pregnant Women from Southern Italy: Evidence from the “Mamma & Bambino” Cohort

“…Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) was evaluated using the 9-item Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), as previously described [54,55]. For this reason, ranged from 0 (non-adherence) to 9 (perfect adherence) and adherence to MD was classified as low (MDS ≤ 3), medium (MDS = 4-6), or high (MDS > 6) [56].…”

The Association of Dietary Patterns with High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Infection and Cervical Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study in Italy

“…The MDS ranges from 0 (no-adherence) to (perfect adherence). MD adherence was categorized, according to MDS, as follows: low adherence (MDS range: 0-3), medium adherence (MDS range: 4-6), or high adherence (MDS range: 7-9) [24]. Low adherence to MD was used as the reference for further analyses.…”

The impact of TNF-α 308G>A gene polymorphism on children’s overweight risk and an assessment of biochemical variables: A cross-sectional single-center experience

“…21 Barchitta et al noted that women carrying the variant genotype of TNF-a 308 G>A gene polymorphism who manifested a weak adherence to the Mediterranean diet had a 3.5-fold increased risk of becoming overweight/ obese, similarly to those with a low economic level, who also presented a higher risk of obesity. 36 On the other hand, Brand et al hypothesized that the G-308 G>A polymorphism of the TNF-a gene was associated with BMI, therefore representing a genetic marker for increased susceptibility to obesity in the Caucasian population. 9 To our knowledge, only a limited number of studies have evaluated the relationship of TNF-a 308 G>A gene polymorphism with anthropometric and laboratory variables.…”