Folate and nutrients involved in the 1-carbon cycle in the pretreatment of patients for colorectal cancer.

Ariana Ferrari,Samuel Aguiar,Dirce Marchioni,Juliana Teixeira,Josiane Steluti,Aline De Carvalho

doi:10.3390/nu7064318

Ariana Ferrari, Samuel Aguiar + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7064318

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Journal: Nutrients	Publication Date: Jun 2, 2015
Citations: 61	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: AC Camargo Hospital, Universidade de São Paulo

Abstract

To assess the ingestion of folate and nutrients involved in the 1-carbon cycle in non-treated patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma in a reference center for oncology in southeastern Brazil. In total, 195 new cases with colorectal adenocarcinoma completed a clinical evaluation questionnaire and a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Blood samples from 161 patients were drawn for the assessment of serum folate. A moderate correlation was found between serum concentrations of folate, folate intake and the dietary folate equivalent (DFE) of synthetic supplements. Mulatto or black male patients with a primary educational level had a higher intake of dietary folate. Of patients obtaining folate from the diet alone or from dietary supplements, 11.00% and 0.10%, respectively, had intake below the recommended level. Of the patients using dietary supplements, 35% to 50% showed high levels of folic acid intake. There was a prevalence of inadequacy for vitamins B2, B6 and B12, ranging from 12.10% to 20.18%, while 13.76% to 22.55% of patients were likely to have adequate choline intake. The considerable percentage of patients with folate intake above the recommended levels deserves attention because of the harmful effects that this nutrient may have in the presence of established neoplastic lesions.

Highlights

The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing in Brazil, especially in the major metropolitan regions of the Southeast, probably due to modifications in lifestyle habits [1]
A study conducted with 196 patients with CRC, which used a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) validated for Portuguese individuals, found a mean intake of vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate, methionine and alcohol of 2.80 mg day−1 (SD = 1.06), 14.50 μg day−1 (SD = 9.10), 401.60 μg day−1 (SD = 161.9) 2.85 mg day−1 (SD = 1.28) and
We found a considerable number of patients who had a folate intake above the Upper Intake Levels (UL), both those who only ingested this nutrient from the diet and, in many cases, those patients with supplementation

Summary

Introduction

The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing in Brazil, especially in the major metropolitan regions of the Southeast, probably due to modifications in lifestyle habits [1]. Epidemiological studies have shown the importance of folate in colorectal carcinogenesis due to its key role in the methylation and synthesis of nucleotides [2]. Because folate intake has a controversial but important association with colorectal carcinogenesis, we investigated the pattern of folate intake and other associated nutrients in a cohort of CRC patients from a single institution in Southeast Brazil. The objectives of this study were to assess the ingestion of folate and other nutrients involved in the 1-carbon cycle in untreated patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma at an oncology referral center in southeastern Brazil and to identify clinical variables that are associated with folate serum levels and intake

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