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Self-reported dietary flavonoid intake and serum markers of inflammation: the multiethnic cohort

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Abstract

Purpose

To examine if dietary intake of foods rich in flavonoids, which have been shown to be inversely associated with chronic diseases, is associated with inflammatory processes.

Methods

This analysis includes controls of case–control studies nested within the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) who completed a validated food frequency questionnaire at cohort entry. Biomarkers were assessed in blood donated during follow-up (mean = 9.6 years). We used multivariate linear regression adjusted for potential confounders to estimate associations between intake of flavanones, flavonols, and isoflavones and levels of adiponectin, leptin, C-reactive protein, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-α.

Results

Among the 1,287 participants, the respective median intakes of flavanones, flavonols, and isoflavones were 26.5, 12.4, and 1.3 mg/day at cohort entry. With the exception of flavanone intake, which was statistically significantly inversely associated with adiponectin (p = 0.01) and IL-6 concentrations (p = 0.01), none of the examined flavonoids was related with levels of adipokines or inflammatory markers. Heterogeneity by ethnicity was only observed for flavonol intake and IL-10 (pinteraction = 0.04) and may be the result of multiple testing. These null findings were confirmed in a subset of participants who completed a second dietary history within 2.6 years of blood draw.

Conclusion

The current results do not support a consistent association between dietary intake of flavonoids and markers of inflammatory processes.

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Acknowledgments

The Multiethnic has been supported by Grants R37CA54281 (PI: LN Kolonel), P01 CA 033619 (PI: LN Kolonel), and UM1CA164973 (PIs: L Le Marchand/LR Wilkens/BE Henderson) from the National Cancer Institute.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI), University of Zurich, Hirschengraben 84, 8001, Zürich, Switzerland

    Sabine Rohrmann

  2. Epidemiology Program, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Yurii B. Shvetsov, Yukiko Morimoto, Lynne R. Wilkens, Loïc Le Marchand, Adrian A. Franke, Laurence N. Kolonel & Gertraud Maskarinec

  3. Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Kristine R. Monroe

Authors
  1. Sabine Rohrmann
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  2. Yurii B. Shvetsov
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  3. Yukiko Morimoto
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  4. Lynne R. Wilkens
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  5. Kristine R. Monroe
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  6. Loïc Le Marchand
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  7. Adrian A. Franke
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  8. Laurence N. Kolonel
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  9. Gertraud Maskarinec
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Correspondence to Sabine Rohrmann.

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Rohrmann, S., Shvetsov, Y.B., Morimoto, Y. et al. Self-reported dietary flavonoid intake and serum markers of inflammation: the multiethnic cohort. Cancer Causes Control 29, 601–607 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-018-1034-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-018-1034-z

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