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Nutritional Metabolomics in Cancer Epidemiology

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutritional Epidemiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (22 February 2023) | Viewed by 18166

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Mary C. Playdon

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Guest Editor

University of Utah and Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program, Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
Interests: diet; nutrition; metabolic health; epidemiology; biomarkers; cancer; diabetes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Diet plays an important role at different stages of carcinogenesis, from initiation to progression of disease. While the evidence for the relationships of certain foods, beverages, dietary patterns, and dietary supplements with some cancers is considered convincing, there is a lack of clarity on many dietary exposures, particularly in relation to cancer subtypes. Evidence for the role of diet after cancer diagnosis on survival outcomes remains limited. Moreover, a better understanding of the biological mechanisms underpinning dietary associations with cancer is needed.

The emergence of nutritional metabolomics has uncovered a multitude of food-derived dietary metabolites and endogenous metabolites reflecting the influence of diet on human metabolism. These developments provide an avenue for improving dietary measurement to resolve outstanding research questions that have been limited by measurement error and biases. In addition, nutritional metabolomics serves as a window into the biological pathways that may be responsible for epidemiological observations of diet and cancer associations.

This Special Issue will encompass recent research in the field of nutritional and cancer epidemiology with an emphasis on the application of metabolomics (including lipidomics) technology to the study of diet and cancer. Both original articles and reviews spanning clinical and observational research studies are welcome.

Dr. Mary C. Playdon
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

diet
nutrition
metabolomics
cancer
biomarker
metabolism

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 2298 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vitamin E Intake and Risk of Prostate Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

by Wei Qi Loh, Jiyoung Youn and Wei Jie Seow

Nutrients 2023, 15(1), 14; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu15010014 - 21 Dec 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2921

Abstract

Vitamin E is a group of antioxidative tocopherols and tocotrienols that play a potential role in chemoprevention. Studies investigating the association between vitamin E and prostate cancer risk have been conflicting. We identified observational and interventional studies examining the association between vitamin E intake and prostate cancer risk from PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library. A random-effects model was used to perform a meta-analysis and estimate relative risks (RRs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of prostate cancer risk according to vitamin E intake. Subgroup analyses were conducted by study design, sample size, study population characteristics, geographical region, and dose of vitamin E intake. The association between dietary (RR = 0.97; 95% CI = 0.92–1.02) and supplemental (RR = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.94–1.04) vitamin E intake on prostate cancer risk was non-significant. In subgroup analyses, supplemental vitamin E was significantly associated with reduced prostate cancer risk in studies in Europe (RR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.69–0.97). Overall, this meta-analysis demonstrates little evidence for a beneficial effect of vitamin E intake on prostate cancer risk but suggests that there may be some conditions in which supplements could confer a protective effect on prostate cancer risk. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Metabolomics in Cancer Epidemiology)

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23 pages, 10385 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Probing Folate-Responsive and Stage-Sensitive Metabolomics and Transcriptional Co-Expression Network Markers to Predict Prognosis of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

by Yu-Shun Lin, Yen-Chu Chen, Tzu-En Chen, Mei-Ling Cheng, Ke-Shiuan Lynn, Pramod Shah, Jin-Shing Chen and Rwei-Fen S. Huang

Nutrients 2023, 15(1), 3; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu15010003 - 20 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2823

Abstract

Tumour metabolomics and transcriptomics co-expression network as related to biological folate alteration and cancer malignancy remains unexplored in human non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). To probe the diagnostic biomarkers, tumour and pair lung tissue samples (n = 56) from 97 NSCLC patients were profiled for ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS/MS)-analysed metabolomics, targeted transcriptionomics, and clinical folate traits. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) was performed. Tumour lactate was identified as the top VIP marker to predict advance NSCLC (AUC = 0.765, Sig = 0.017, CI 0.58–0.95). Low folate (LF)-tumours vs. adjacent lungs displayed higher glycolytic index of lactate and glutamine-associated amino acids in enriched biological pathways of amino sugar and glutathione metabolism specific to advance NSCLCs. WGCNA classified the green module for hub serine-navigated glutamine metabolites inversely associated with tumour and RBC folate, which module metabolites co-expressed with a predominant up-regulation of LF-responsive metabolic genes in glucose transport (GLUT1), de no serine synthesis (PHGDH, PSPH, and PSAT1), folate cycle (SHMT1/2 and PCFR), and down-regulation in glutaminolysis (SLC1A5, SLC7A5, GLS, and GLUD1). The LF-responsive WGCNA markers predicted poor survival rates in lung cancer patients, which could aid in optimizing folate intervention for better prognosis of NSCLCs susceptible to folate malnutrition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Metabolomics in Cancer Epidemiology)

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14 pages, 743 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diet and BMI Correlate with Metabolite Patterns Associated with Aggressive Prostate Cancer

by Zoe S. Grenville, Urwah Noor, Mathilde His, Vivian Viallon, Sabina Rinaldi, Elom K. Aglago, Pilar Amiano, Louise Brunkwall, María Dolores Chirlaque, Isabel Drake, Fabian Eichelmann, Heinz Freisling, Sara Grioni, Alicia K. Heath, Rudolf Kaaks, Verena Katzke, Ana-Lucia Mayén-Chacon, Lorenzo Milani, Conchi Moreno-Iribas, Valeria Pala, Anja Olsen, Maria-Jose Sánchez, Matthias B. Schulze, Anne Tjønneland, Konstantinos K. Tsilidis, Elisabete Weiderpass, Anna Winkvist, Raul Zamora-Ros, Timothy J. Key, Karl Smith-Byrne, Ruth C. Travis and Julie A. Schmidt Show full author list Hide full author list

Nutrients 2022, 14(16), 3306; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu14163306 - 12 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2837

Abstract

Three metabolite patterns have previously shown prospective inverse associations with the risk of aggressive prostate cancer within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Here, we investigated dietary and lifestyle correlates of these three prostate cancer-related metabolite patterns, which included: 64 phosphatidylcholines and three hydroxysphingomyelins (Pattern 1), acylcarnitines C18:1 and C18:2, glutamate, ornithine, and taurine (Pattern 2), and 8 lysophosphatidylcholines (Pattern 3). In a two-stage cross-sectional discovery (n = 2524) and validation (n = 518) design containing 3042 men free of cancer in EPIC, we estimated the associations of 24 dietary and lifestyle variables with each pattern and the contributing individual metabolites. Associations statistically significant after both correction for multiple testing (False Discovery Rate = 0.05) in the discovery set and at p < 0.05 in the validation set were considered robust. Intakes of alcohol, total fish products, and its subsets total fish and lean fish were positively associated with Pattern 1. Body mass index (BMI) was positively associated with Pattern 2, which appeared to be driven by a strong positive BMI-glutamate association. Finally, both BMI and fatty fish were inversely associated with Pattern 3. In conclusion, these results indicate associations of fish and its subtypes, alcohol, and BMI with metabolite patterns that are inversely associated with risk of aggressive prostate cancer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Metabolomics in Cancer Epidemiology)

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13 pages, 973 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sarcopenia as an Independent Risk Factor for Specific Cancers: A Propensity Score-Matched Asian Population-Based Cohort Study

by Ming-Yang Sun, Chia-Lun Chang, Chang-Yun Lu, Szu-Yuan Wu and Jia-Qiang Zhang

Nutrients 2022, 14(9), 1910; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu14091910 - 02 May 2022

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 2788

Abstract

Purpose: Whether preexisting sarcopenia is an independent risk factor for cancer incidence remains unclear. Therefore, we performed this propensity score (PS)-matched (PSM) population-based cohort study to compare the incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of specific cancers between patients with and without sarcopenia. Patients and Methods: The patients were categorized into two groups according to the presence or absence of sarcopenia, matched at a 4:1 ratio. Results: PS matching yielded a final cohort of 77,608 patients (15,527 in the sarcopenia and 62,081 nonsarcopenia groups) eligible for further analysis. In our multivariate Cox regression analysis, compared with the nonsarcopenia group, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR; 95% confidence interval (CI)) for cancer risk in the sarcopenia group was 1.277 (1.10 to 1.36; p < 0.001). Furthermore, the adjusted IRRs (95% CIs) for sarcopenia patients were pancreatic cancer 3.77 (1.79 to 4.01), esophageal cancer 3.38 (1.87 to 4.11), lung cancer 2.66 (1.15 to 2.90), gastric cancer 2.25 (1.54 to 3.23), head and neck cancer 2.15 (1.44 to 2.53), colorectal cancer 2.04 (1.77 to 2.30), hepatocellular carcinoma 1.84 (1.30 to 2.36), breast cancer 1.56 (1.12 to 1.95), and ovarian cancer 1.43 (1.10 to 2.29), respectively. Conclusions: Sarcopenia might be a significant cancer risk factor for lung, colorectal, breast, head and neck, pancreas, gastric, esophageal, and ovarian cancer, as well as hepatocellular carcinoma. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Metabolomics in Cancer Epidemiology)

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13 pages, 1187 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Plasma Metabolite Profiles of Red Meat, Poultry, and Fish Consumption, and Their Associations with Colorectal Cancer Risk

by Fenglei Wang, Paulette D. Chandler, Oana A. Zeleznik, Kana Wu, You Wu, Kanhua Yin, Rui Song, Julian Avila-Pacheco, Clary B. Clish, Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt, Xuehong Zhang, Mingyang Song, Shuji Ogino, I-Min Lee, A. Heather Eliassen, Liming Liang, Stephanie A. Smith-Warner, Walter C. Willett and Edward L. Giovannucci

Nutrients 2022, 14(5), 978; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu14050978 - 25 Feb 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3040

Abstract

Background: Red and processed meat consumption has been consistently associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), but the association for fish intake is unclear. Evidence using objective dietary assessment approaches to evaluate these associations is sparse. Objectives: We aim to investigate the plasma metabolite profiles related to red meat, poultry, and fish consumption and examine their associations with CRC risk. Methods: We measured plasma metabolites among 5269 participants from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), NHSII, and Health Professionals Follow-Up study (HPFS). We calculated partial Spearman correlations between each metabolite and self-reported intake of seven red meat, poultry, and fish groups. Metabolite profile scores correlated to self-reported dietary intakes were developed using elastic net regression. Associations between self-reported intakes, metabolite profile scores, and subsequent CRC risk were further evaluated using conditional logistic regression among 559 matched (1:1) case-control pairs in NHS/HPFS and replicated among 266 pairs in Women’s Health Study. Results: Plasma metabolites, especially highly unsaturated lipids, were differentially associated with red meat and fish groups. Metabolite profile scores for each food group were significantly correlated with the corresponding self-reported dietary intake. A higher dietary intake of processed red meat was associated with a higher risk of CRC (pooled OR per 1 SD, 1.15; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.29). In contrast, higher metabolite profile scores for all fish groups, not dietary intakes, were consistently associated with a lower CRC risk: the pooled OR per 1 SD was 0.86 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.96) for total fish, 0.86 (95% CI: 0.77, 0.96) for dark meat fish, and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.97) for canned tuna fish. No significant associations were found for other food groups. Conclusions: Red meat and fish intake exhibited systematically different plasma metabolite profiles. Plasma metabolite profile of fish intake was inversely associated with CRC risk. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Metabolomics in Cancer Epidemiology)

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Review

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14 pages, 807 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Molecular Approach to Understanding the Role of Diet in Cancer-Related Fatigue: Challenges and Future Opportunities

by Sylvia L. Crowder, Mary C. Playdon, Lisa M. Gudenkauf, Jennifer Ose, Biljana Gigic, Leigh Greathouse, Anita R. Peoples, Alix G. Sleight, Heather S. L. Jim and Jane C. Figueiredo

Nutrients 2022, 14(7), 1496; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu14071496 - 02 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2705

Abstract

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is considered one of the most frequent and distressing symptoms for cancer survivors. Despite its high prevalence, factors that predispose, precipitate, and perpetuate CRF are poorly understood. Emerging research focuses on cancer and treatment-related nutritional complications, changes in body composition, and nutritional deficiencies that can compound CRF. Nutritional metabolomics, the novel study of diet-related metabolites in cells, tissues, and biofluids, offers a promising tool to further address these research gaps. In this position paper, we examine CRF risk factors, summarize metabolomics studies of CRF, outline dietary recommendations for the prevention and management of CRF in cancer survivorship, and identify knowledge gaps and challenges in applying nutritional metabolomics to understand dietary contributions to CRF over the cancer survivorship trajectory. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Metabolomics in Cancer Epidemiology)

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