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This study aimed to validate a food frequency questionnaire for foods high in sodium (FFQ-FHS) in a population aged ≥18 years and to test its reproducibility. This cross-sectional study included 50 individuals (≥18 years) of both sexes. In addition to the FFQ-FHS, four 24-h dietary recalls (24hRs) were conducted and a socioeconomic and lifestyle questionnaire was administered. Two 24-h urinary excretions were collected for sodium analysis, and anthropometry was performed. For validation, the triad method was applied using the validity coefficient (ρ). For reproducibility, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), 95% confidence interval, kappa coefficient, and Bland–Altman plots were used to check for agreement. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to verify the data distribution. The validity coefficients for daily energy-adjusted sodium intake were high for the 24hR (ρRAI = 0.85) and weak for the FFQ-FHS (FFQAI = 0.26) and biomarker (ρBAI = 0.20). The ICC values were 0.68 for unadjusted sodium and 0.54 for energy-adjusted sodium intake. The weighed Kappa scores were 0.49 (p<0.01) and 0.260 (p = 0.02) for unadjusted and adjusted sodium intake, respectively. Although the FFQ-FHS is reproducible, it is not valid for the assessment of sodium intake and cannot be the sole instrument used for this purpose.

Background: Children and adolescents with obesity have altered serum copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) levels, which are associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and health outcomes. The inclusion of cashew nuts in an adequate diet may provide health benefits and help improve the mineral status of individuals with obesity. Objective: To evaluate the effects of cashew nut consumption on biomarkers of Cu and Zn status in adolescents with obesity. Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial conducted in adolescents. The participants were divided into a control group (CON) and a cashew nut group (CASN). The CASN group received 30 g/day of roasted cashew nuts for 12 weeks, and both groups received nutritional counseling during the study. Anthropometric, dietary, and biochemical parameters (Zn, Cu, and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) were assessed at the baseline and at the end of the study. Association tests, within-group and between-group mean comparisons, and analyses of variation between study periods (Δ T12-T0) were performed. Results: The sample consisted of 81 adolescents who completed the intervention period, resulting in 54 in the CASN group and 27 in the CON group. After the intervention, the CASN group presented a decrease in plasma Cu (p = 0.004) and an increase in SOD (p = 0.030). Both groups showed an increase in plasma Zn (p < 0.050) and a decrease in the Cu/Zn ratio (p < 0.001). CASN had a negative effect on the Cu concentration, which was significantly different from that of CON (p = 0.004). Conclusions: The consumption of cashew nuts for 12 weeks reduced plasma Cu levels in adolescents with obesity. Nutritional counseling may have contributed to the increase in plasma Zn levels in all the study participants.

This study aimed to validate a food frequency questionnaire for foods high in sodium (FFQ-FHS) in a population aged ≥18 years and to test its reproducibility. This cross-sectional study included 50 individuals (≥18 years) of both sexes. In addition to the FFQ-FHS, four 24-h dietary recalls (24hRs) were conducted and a socioeconomic and lifestyle questionnaire was administered. Two 24-h urinary excretions were collected for sodium analysis, and anthropometry was performed. For validation, the triad method was applied using the validity coefficient (ρ). For reproducibility, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), 95% confidence interval, kappa coefficient, and Bland–Altman plots were used to check for agreement. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to verify the data distribution. The validity coefficients for daily energy-adjusted sodium intake were high for the 24hR (ρRAI = 0.85) and weak for the FFQ-FHS (FFQAI = 0.26) and biomarker (ρBAI = 0.20). The ICC values were 0.68 for unadjusted sodium and 0.54 for energy-adjusted sodium intake. The weighed Kappa scores were 0.49 (p<0.01) and 0.260 (p = 0.02) for unadjusted and adjusted sodium intake, respectively. Although the FFQ-FHS is reproducible, it is not valid for the assessment of sodium intake and cannot be the sole instrument used for this purpose.

The innate immune system is the first line of defense against pathogens such as the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The type I-interferon (IFN) response activation during the initial steps of infection is essential to prevent viral replication and tissue damage. SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 can inhibit this activation, and individuals with a dysregulated IFN-I response are more likely to develop severe disease. Several mutations in different variants of SARS-CoV-2 have shown the potential to interfere with the immune system. Here, we evaluated the buffy coat transcriptome of individuals infected with Gamma or Delta variants of SARS-CoV-2. The Delta transcriptome presents more genes enriched in the innate immune response and Gamma in the adaptive immune response. Interactome and enriched promoter analysis showed that Delta could activate the INF-I response more effectively than Gamma. Two mutations in the N protein and one in the nsp6 protein found exclusively in Gamma have already been described as inhibitors of the interferon response pathway. This indicates that the Gamma variant evolved to evade the IFN-I response. Accordingly, in this work, we showed one of the mechanisms that variants of SARS-CoV-2 can use to avoid or interfere with the host Immune system.