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Background Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are of public health concern, because of their ubiquitous and extremely persistent occurrence, and depending on their structure, their bio-accumulative, mobile and toxic properties. Human health effects associated with exposure to PFAS include adverse effects on the immune system. In 2020, EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) defined adverse effects on the immune system as the most critical effect for human health risk assessment, based on reduced antibody responses to childhood vaccines and similar effects observed in experimental animal studies. Likewise, the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) considers PFAS-induced immunotoxicity, especially in children, as the critical effect for risk assessment. However, the mechanisms by which antibody concentrations are impacted are not completely understood. Furthermore, other targets of the immune system functions have been reported in the literature. Objective The aim of this review is to explore PFAS-associated immune-related effects. This includes, relevant mechanisms that may underlie the observed effects on the immune system, immunosuppression as well as immunoenhancement, such as i) modulation of cell signalling and nuclear receptors, such as NF-κB and PPARs; ii) alteration of calcium signalling and homoeostasis in immune cells; iii) modulation of immune cell populations; iv) oxidative stress and v) impact on fatty acid metabolism & secondary effects on the immune system. Methods A literature research was conducted using three databases (Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus), which were searched in July 2021 for relevant studies published in the time frame from 2018 to 2021. In total, 487 publications were identified as potentially eligible and following expert-based judgement, articles relevant for mechanisms of PFAS induced immunotoxicity are discussed. Conclusions Taken together, we show that there is substantial evidence from both in vitro and in vivo experimental as well as epidemiological studies, supporting that various PFAS, not only PFOA and PFOS, affect multiple aspects of the immune system. Timing of exposure is critical, because the developing immune system is especially vulnerable to toxic insults, resulting in a higher risk of particularly adverse immune effects but also other organs later in life.

Background Whole-body hydration status is associated with several health outcomes, such as dehydration, edema and hypertension, but little is known about the nonclinical determinants. Therefore, we studied the associations of sex, age, body composition, nutrition, and physical activity on several body hydration measures. Methods We assessed sociodemographic variables, dietary habits, and physical activity by questionnaire and body composition by bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA). We compared determinants between the sexes and calculated associations between determinants and BIVA hydration measures by multivariable linear regressions. Results A total of 242 adults from the general population (age 18–94, 47% women) were included. Women were younger, smaller, lighter, and had a smaller BMI (kg/m 2 ) than men ( p  < 0.05). Women had less muscle mass, less visceral fat mass and less extracellular and intracellular water than men ( p  < 0.001). Women showed less intracellular water per extracellular water than men, while men showed higher phase angle values than women (both p  < 0.001). Men had a stronger association of hydration measures with physical activity than women. Both sexes showed a decrease in hydration measures with age. Conclusions Sex, age, body composition, and physical activity influence body hydration. There seem to be differences in body water regulation between the sexes. Especially interesting are factors susceptible to preventive measures such as physical activity.

We compared the dietary behaviour of three different household types and explored developmental trends in food choices following a life event. The study is based on data from three Swiss Food Panel survey periods. A cross-sectional comparison between household types was conducted by using a one-way independent ANOVA. Repeated measures were analysed with a mixed ANCOVA to examine changes in dietary behaviour following a life event. Participants in the survey filled in a questionnaire in the years 2010, 2011 and 2012. The final sample consisted of 3559 persons with a mean age of 56 years (range 22-94 years; 46 % men). Seventy-two people moved in with their partner and sixty-five people reported the birth of their first child. Cross-sectional evidence confirmed that women living in households with a partner reported higher consumption frequencies for meat and processed meats compared with those living alone. Men living in cohabitation had a higher vegetable intake. The transitional effect of moving in with a partner, however, resulted in a higher intake of processed meats for both genders and a higher intake of pork and savoury items for men. Transition to motherhood was linked to an increase in vegetable consumption, while the transition to fatherhood did not change consumption patterns significantly. Individuals in life-stage transitions are more likely to change their nutritional strategies and life events can be a window of opportunity for changes towards better food choices.

Research has reported that both men and women experience body dissatisfaction. Among other instruments, a widely used method to assess perceived body size and body dissatisfaction are figure rating scales. Although a variety of illustration methods (e.g., three-dimensional, or 3D, models and line-drawing models) have been used to create these figure rating scales, to date, they have not been directly compared to one another. Thus, in the first study, which includes 511 participants at a mean age of 46 years old (range: 20–70), the present research work aims to assess how the line-drawing and 3D model scales, representing different body illustration methods, relate to each other. Furthermore, the first study assesses the validity of the indication of body dissatisfaction measured using these figure rating scales by comparing them to body checking or scrutinizing behavior and body appreciation levels. The project’s second study examines the two figure rating scales using objectively measured anthropometric data. In total, 239 participants at a mean age of 54 years (range: 18–94) were included. The results show that figure rating scales can be considered tools that measure perceptual body image due to their positive correlations with body checking behavior (for women) and their negative correlations with body appreciation. The 3D model and line-drawing scales show good to excellent inter-scale reliability, and both scales agree equally well with body mass index (BMI) measurements. Thus, the 3D model and line-drawing scales both seem well suited for assessing perceived body size and perceptual body dissatisfaction, suggesting that neither illustration method is superior to the other.

SGLT-2 inhibitors have been shown to be nephroprotective in diabetes. Here, we examined if one of these drugs (canagliflozin) could also ameliorate non-diabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD was induced in rats by feeding them adenine (0.25% for 35 days) and canagliflozin (10 or 25 mg/kg, by gavage) was given with or without adenine. Several conventional and novel plasma and urine biomarkers and tissues morphology were used to investigate the canagliflozin effect on kidney structure and function. Rats fed adenine showed the typical features of CKD that included elevation of blood pressure, decreased food intake and growth, increased water intake and urine output, decrease in creatinine clearance, and increase in urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, liver-type fatty acid binding protein, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, and plasma urea, creatinine, uric acid, calcium, indoxyl sulfate and phosphorus concentrations. Adenine also increased concentrations of several biomarkers of inflammation such as neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, clusterin, cystatin C and interleukin-1β, and decreased some oxidative biomarkers in kidney homogenate, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase, total antioxidant activity, and also urinary 8-isoprostane and urinary 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy guanosine. Adenine significantly increased the renal protein content of Nrf2, caused renal tubular necrosis and fibrosis. Given alone, canagliflozin at the two doses used did not significantly alter any of the parameters mentioned above. When canagliflozin was given concomitantly with adenine, it significantly and dose - dependently ameliorated all the measured adenine - induced actions. Canagliflozin ameliorated adenine - induced CKD in rats, through reduction of several inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters, and other indices such as uremic toxins, and by antagonizing the increase in the renal content of the transcription factor Nrf2. The drug caused no overt or significant untoward effects, and its trial in patients with CKD may be warranted.

Background/aimLittle is known about the measurement properties of the self-administered Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) in Europe. The aim was to validate the self-administered GPAQ against accelerometry in Switzerland in German, French and Italian.MethodsParticipants of this cross-sectional study were recruited among members of the Swiss Food Panel (German-speaking and French-speaking samples) and as a convenience sample (Italian-speaking sample). They completed the GPAQ and wore an Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometer during 7 days in 2014/2015. GPAQ and accelerometer data on total physical activity and different intensities, as well as sitting time, were compared using Spearman correlations and Bland-Altman plots.ResultsComplete data were available for 354 participants (50.6% women, mean age: 47.0 years) on physical activity, and for 366 on sitting time. Correlations were highest for vigorous physical activity (r=0.46) and sitting time (r=0.47). A significant sex difference was apparent for vigorous physical activity (men: r=0.35 vs women: r=0.55; p=0.02). Some age differences were present especially for total physical activity, with the lowest correlations found for those aged 60+ years. The correlation for sitting time was significantly higher in the youngest age group (r=0.61) compared with the middle (r=0.38, p=0.01) and the oldest age groups (r=0.37, p=0.03). Total physical activity was 2.8 times higher according to the GPAQ than to accelerometer data.ConclusionsThe self-administered version of the GPAQ showed fair-to-moderate validity in the three languages tested, both for men and women and individuals aged ≤60 years. For older individuals, a careful interpretation of total physical activity is required.

Breast milk holds an immense nutritional value as it contains health-promoting substances in a unique, optimal form. Additionally, breast milk’s significance extends to health and environmental protection, as it serves as an indicator of both maternal and infant exposure. In this study, breast milk samples collected in 2013 and in 2014–2016 from mothers in Vienna (Austria) were analysed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as well as further substances which have been listed under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) due to their persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic properties. The total concentration of the PBDE congeners in the samples (n = 18, sampled 2013) ranged from 0.055 to 52 ng/g lipid, and from 0.002 to 2.5 ng/g breast milk. In the pooled sample, the sum of PBDEs was detected at a level of 4.4 ng/g lipid. Based on the 2014–2016 study population, certain PFAS were detected in all samples (n = 40). Exposure to the sum of four specific PFAS including perfluorooctanesulphonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluoro-n-nonanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluoro-1-hexanesulfonate (PFHxS) ranged between 0.014 and 0.12 ng/L breast milk. In the pooled sample, PFOS and PFOA were found in concentrations of 0.025 ng/g and of 0.045 ng/g, respectively. In addition, the first generation of POPs, mainly organochlorine compounds, was measured in a pooled sample of breast milk from participants sampled in 2014–2016 as part of the WHO/UNEP breast milk monitoring program and compared to the POPs measured in pooled samples collected in 1987/1988 and 1992/1993, respectively. Therefore, this paper demonstrates the effectiveness of the Stockholm Convention on POPs by comparing the Austrian results from the WHO/UNEP global breast milk study from 1987 to 2016. However, the data also show that, despite these reductions, health-relevant levels are still being reached, particularly in terms of children’s health when the presence of the new generation of POPs, such as PBDEs and PFAS, in human breast milk is taken into account.

Diets lower in meat are considered both highly beneficial for human health and more environmentally friendly. The present study compared consumer groups with different self-declared diet styles regarding meat (vegetarians/vegans, pescatarians, low- and regular meat consumers) in terms of their motives, protein consumption, diet quality and weight status. Cross-sectional data from the Swiss Food Panel 2.0 (survey 2017). Switzerland, Europe. Data of 4213 Swiss adults (47·4 % females) from a nationally representative sample living in the German- and French-speaking regions of Switzerland (mean age 55·4 years). For vegetarians, vegans and pescatarians, ethical concerns about animal welfare and environmental friendliness, as well as taste preferences are stronger reasons to avoid meat consumption. Female low-meat consumers are more likely to be motivated by weight regulation. Only 18 % of the sample and 26 % of self-declared low-meat consumers met the official dietary recommendations for meat intake. Concerns about animal welfare and taste preferences predicted lower meat intake, whereas perceived difficulty of practising a low-meat diet and weight-loss motives were associated with higher meat consumption in consumers who reported eating little or no meat. Our study demonstrates that there can be large discrepancies between consumers' self-perception and their actual meat consumption. This has to be taken into account when designing public health interventions. Addressing ethical concerns about animal welfare (e.g. through awareness campaigns), further improving the range of vegetarian options and increasing consumers' knowledge about the dietary recommendations may be ways to promote diets lower in meat.

Previous observational research showed that one of the most common strategies used to lose weight is to avoid or restrict the consumption of specific food items. However, the question of how people behave and implement strategies in actual decision-making situations involving food choices for weight loss purposes remains inconclusive. This experimental study using a food buffet aimed to examine people’s different dietary strategies and motives for selecting foods for an entire day for weight loss purposes compared with a normal-day (ND) food selection. A total of 111 participants (55 % women) had to choose foods for both a ND and a weight loss day (WLD) (within-study design). Kilocalories and nutrients were calculated based on the weights of the foods selected, and food choice motives were assessed using a questionnaire. The results showed that for weight loss purposes, the participants selected more vegetables (both sexes) and unsweetened beverages (only men) while reducing their choices of high-fat and high-energy products (both sexes). Participants’ food choices in both conditions (ND and WLD) differed from the official nutrition recommendations. They chose less carbohydrates and fibres and more fat and sugar than recommended. Health, kilocalories and nutrient content (carbohydrates, sugar, fat and protein) were more important food choice motives for weight loss purposes than for a ND food selection, while taste became less important. In conclusion, the participants appeared to be well capable of implementing several appropriate dietary strategies. Further research is needed to explore strategies to help them maintain these dietary changes over the long term.

Interleukin (IL)-18 has been described to play a role in several inflammatory skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. In this study, we aimed to elucidate keratinocytes as potential targets for IL-18 effects. In human primary keratinocytes expression of IL-18Rα as well as responses to IL-18 were determined. In keratinocytes freshly isolated from skin biopsies of lesional atopic dermatitis or psoriasis, we observed a significantly higher expression of the IL-18Rα as compared with keratinocytes from normal donors. A marked upregulation was induced in vitro upon stimulation with interferon (IFN)γ+tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α or poly I:C. IL-4 led to downregulation of IL-18Rα. IL-18-induced CXCL10/IP-10 production in freshly isolated keratinocytes from lesional psoriasis as well as in cultured normal keratinocytes. Furthermore, IL-18 upregulated major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II expression on IFNγ-stimulated keratinocytes. This was of functional significance as verified in coculture experiments with CD4+ T cells in the presence of superantigen. T cells produced significant amounts of IFNγ after coculture with IL-18-induced MHC class II expressing keratinocytes. In conclusion, we have shown that keratinocytes functionally respond to IL-18 with upregulation of MHC II and production of the chemokine CXCL10/IP-10. These findings further support an important role of IL-18 in inflammatory skin diseases in the epidermal compartment.