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Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that affects approximately 11% of people worldwide. The exact mechanisms underlying IBS remain unclear, but evidence suggests that low-grade inflammation is involved in its pathophysiology. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key cytokine that mediates inflammatory responses in the intestinal mucosa and has been linked to the development of IBS. Our study aimed to provide an overview of the current knowledge on the role of IL-6 in IBS. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted based on a search on the PubMed database, where only 26 articles investigated the role of IL-6 in irritable bowel syndrome were found. Results: Our review revealed that patients with IBS had higher levels of IL-6 in their serum/plasma. Furthermore, increased expression of IL-6 mediated by cholinergic signalling was associated with increased abdominal pain/discomfort and bloating. More recently, an interaction between IL-6 and corticotrophin-releasing factor was shown to provide more insight into the mechanisms underlying IBS symptoms during stressful periods, which are experienced by almost two-thirds of patients with IBS. Elevated levels of IL-6 were also correlated with increased fatigue and intestinal inflammation. Targeting IL-6 expression or IL-6 signalling pathway using probiotics, vitamin D3 or a replacement diet may offer a novel therapeutic strategy to improve IBS symptoms, abdominal pain, bloating and fatigue after consumption of ancient wheat products. Conclusion: Further studies are needed to elucidate the causal relationship between IL-6 and IBS, as well as the molecular pathways and cellular targets of IL-6 in the gut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: On December 12, 2019, Covid-19 an infectious disease pandemic caused by the corona virus has become a major global threat to the city of Wuhan, China. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause disease in humans and other animals. The new coronavirus seriously attacks lung epithelial cells and causes respiratory disorders that require ventilatory support in severe cases. Elderly people, especially those with underlying diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and high blood pressure, such as people who have a suppressed immune system, are exposed to severe symptoms and mortality. Also, in addition to the lung tissue, the new coronavirus also targets other organs such as the heart, kidney, digestive system and brain. In the pathogenesis of this disease, there is a cytokine storm and changes in immune responses. Two factors, the uncontrolled inflammatory response and the reduction of the immune system in people with corona can cause the symptoms to worsen during and after infection. The immune system and the digestive system both play key roles in terms of access to nutrients and the defense of the host body as the intestinal microbiota against external foreign factors. Therefore, one of the biggest concerns is related to reducing inflammation and not reducing the patient's immune response, and to solve this concern, in addition to drug therapy, diet therapy should also be at the top of these approaches. The importance of proper eating patterns and habits in the Covid19 epidemic showed that this issue is not only to prevent the presence of non-communicable diseases that can subsequently lead to more severe infections but is also considered a solution for modulating the inflammatory condition of patients. It is a fact that ignoring the importance of nutrition in patients with Covid-19 leads to the worsening of symptoms and complications of the disease in these patients. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between nutrition, the body's immune system, and covid-19 to formulate appropriate food plans and patterns for prevention and improvement during treatment and after. Methods: In this review study, we have examined the importance of proper nutrition on the immune system and its effects on the prevention and treatment of covid-19 disease. For this purpose, articles from international databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Scopus were analyzed by entering the key words of the Covid-19 pandemic, immune system, nutritional factors, and food supplements. Results: The immune system needs sufficient amounts of vitamin A for its various defense functions, such as keratin and mucus expression, cell death, growth, development, immune cell activity, antibody production, and cytokine expression against pathogens. Several studies have shown the effect of vitamin A deficiency on the disease severity of patients with coronavirus. Vitamin A and retinoid cause the secretion of compounds that inhibit virus replication in immune cells. Therefore, using this vitamin as a supplement in patients suffering from viral diseases reduces complications and mortality. This group of vitamins is an essential micronutrient that has different roles such as improving the function of the immune system and promoting the growth of cells. Also, this vitamin has an anti-inflammatory and inhibitory role in the entry of neutrophils into the damaged lung. Vitamin B6 plays a coenzyme role in T-cells production and interleukin 2. Therefore, when faced with a deficiency of group B vitamins, the immune system response in dealing with foreign agents becomes weaker. With these interpretations, group B vitamins can be considered as an auxiliary treatment in Covid-19 treatment. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is a water-soluble vitamin that has a very strong antioxidant role, which becomes very important in the conditions of oxidative stress caused by coronaviruses. Vitamin C can strengthen the immune system and resistance against the infection caused by coronaviruses through various ways such as the migration of leukocytes to the sites of infection, phagocytosis and killing of bacteria, the activity of natural killer cells, the function of T lymphocytes (especially cytotoxic T lymphocytes) and the production of antibodies. Vitamin C supplementation has also been shown to reduce the duration and severity of upper respiratory tract infections such as the common cold, especially in people who are under severe physical stress. The role of vitamin D in bone health is known, but another essential role of this vitamin is in strengthening the response of the immune system and the growth and maturation of immune cells. Vitamin D can reduce the risk of viral infections such as coronaviruses by several mechanisms. Vitamin D moderates this process by reducing the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and increasing the expression of antiinflammatory factors. New studies also reported that by detecting the presence of the virus, vitamin D can prevent the rapid multiplication of the virus through programmed death and autophagy in tissues infected with infectious agents. Therefore, this vitamin can be effective in treating and preventing the covid-19 coronavirus in different ways. Studies related to the roles of vitamin E in host immunity and susceptibility to infection have been reported. When infected with coronaviruses, cell membranes, especially lungs, undergo oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids and subsequently increase their permeability. By maintaining the of the T-Cell membrane, vitamin E plays a significant role in improving the performance of immune system responses and clearing bacterial and viral infectious agents. Vitamin E supplementation increases antibody production, lymphocyte proliferation, T helper 1 cytokine production, natural killer cell activity, and macrophage phagocytosis. Therefore, vitamin E can be used as an effective antioxidant in the prevention and improvement of symptoms caused by Covid-19. Selenium deficiency occurs in two forms: mild deficiency and impairment of human health, and severe deficiency and defects in the response of the humoral and cellular immune system. Zinc deficiency may exacerbate the effects of Covid-19 in several ways; including by destroying the balance between innate and acquired immune cells, intensifying inflammatory responses that can lead to failure of various organs, excessive thrombus formation that can lead to an increased risk of thromboembolism, and finally, by reducing the function of the mucous barrier in many organs and tissues. Therefore, the nutrient zinc can be helpful for the optimal functioning of the immune system when the symptoms of the disease of Covid-19 appear in affected people. The favorable effect of iron on the functioning of the immune system and protection against foreign factors is well known. Probiotics, especially some lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, reduce the incidence of respiratory infections in humans and improve their consequences. However, a total of the evidence suggests that lactobacilli and bifidobacteria may improve immune function. The role of probiotics in the prevention of viral respiratory infections has also been recently noticed. Even though oral probiotic supplements are not currently part of any specific protocol for the treatment and prevention of respiratory viral infections, many studies have shown that their use can be beneficial in modulating the systemic immune system. Conclusion: Considering that a proper diet is effective in all diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and metabolic diseases, there is no doubt that nutrition is also important in infectious diseases. A suitable diet that contains helpful macronutrients and micronutrients, by affecting homeostasis in immune cells, maintains their function throughout life and strengthens immune mechanisms, especially in people at risk like the elderly, pregnant women, and children, and is a key element in improving the functioning of the immune system and strengthening resistance against viral and microbial infections. Therefore, insufficient lack of nutrients inception such as zinc, selenium, iron, vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, proteins, and omega-3 fatty acids can cause weak immune responses and make people susceptible to infectious diseases such as covid-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Growing evidence, shows that vitamin D deficiency and weight gain are associated with impaired physical and mental well-being. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Pilates training and vitamin D supplementation on quality of life and mental health of overweight men. Materials and Methods: This study was a randomized clinical trial performed by pre-test and post-test design. Initially, 50 overweight men were selected by convenience sampling method and then randomly divided into 4 groups including control, exercise, vitamin D and combined groups. The exercise and combined groups performed 8 weeks of Pilates training with the intensity of 50-75% of reserve heart rate, 3sessions/week. The vitamin D and combined groups received 50,000 IU vitamin D/week. Research tools were included the quality of life (SF-36) and general health (GHQ) questionnaires. The data were analyzed by paired t test, one way ANOVA and Kruskal Wallis tests (p˂0.05). Ethical Considerations: This study with research ethics code IR.IAU.BABOL.REC.1398.088 has been approved by research ethics committee at Islamic Azad University, Babol Branch, Iran Findings: Vitamin D status in subjects was lower than normal (less than 30 ng/ml). Eight weeks of Pilates training, vitamin D intake and the combined intervention were associated with a significant improve in quality of life )10.57%, 9.26% and 15.75%, respectively( and the increased mental health (12.66%, 10.72% and 17.90%, respectively). However, the effect of combined intervention focused method was more noticeable on the quality of life (p<0.001) and mental health (p<0.001) compared with two other interventions. Conclusion: Based on the findings, it seems that any of the Pilates training, vitamin D and combination interventions can improve the quality of life and mental health in overweight people with low levels of vitamin D, but the combination intervention is more effective on these variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, dietary supplements are used with trust to promote human health. Micronutrient deficiency as a result of insufficient nutrition is a common problem threatening general health. As a common rule, improvement of nutrition quality has a principal role in preventing the side effects of the lack of micronutrients. Nevertheless, consumption of dietary supplements including vitamins and essential minerals could have beneficial effects in specific age groups of people. For example: prescription of folic acid in women during reproductive ages and pregnancy prevents neural tube defects. Vitamin D in infants and children, and calcium plus vitamin D supplementations in older people have principal role in bone health adequacy. Due to the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases, especially various types of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, which may cause death and morbidity, a theory has been raised that supplements containing multivitamin and minerals can prevent these major health issues. However, there is a big debate regarding the beneficial effects of dietary supplements in preventing non-communicable diseases in people consuming high quality diet. This review has attempted to summarise the scientific evidence regarding the beneficial effects of multivitamin minerals supplementation, which may provide evidence based recommendation for general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Previous studies have shown that levels of vitamin D in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are lower than normal ones and it has a reverse relationship with hs-CRP serum levels. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of two methods of vitamin D supplementation and aquatic exercise training on vitamin D and hs-CRP serum levels in children with ASD. Materials and Methods: In this study, 30 boys with autism spectrum disorder in Rasht with an average age of 10.45 ± 2.83 were voluntarily selected and randomly divided into three groups of supplementation (N=10), aquatic exercise (N=10) and control groups (N=10). Participants in the supplementary group orally received vitamin D supplementation (50,000 units) for ten weeks, once a week. Aquatic exercise group received aquatic exercise training for ten weeks, 60 min/ 2 sessions per week. Serum levels of vitamin D and hs- CRP were measured before and after 10 weeks. For data analysis, ANCOVA was used at the level of p<0.05 and SPSS software, version 21 was utilized. Results: Both ten weeks aquatic exercise and supplementary improved serum levels of his-CRP in children with autism (p <0.05); However, only vitamin D supplementation improved vitamin D serum levels (p <0.05) and aquatic exercise intervention had no significant effect on vitamin D levels. Conclusion: Aquatic exercise and vitamin D supplementation, as low-cost therapies can reduce the level of hs-CRP and improve the serum level of vitamin D in children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vitamin D was recognized with protective effects on nerve cells of Parkinson's patients. The relationship between several VDR gene polymorphisms and age and risk of the disease was determined. Also, the relationship between VDR gene FOKI genotypes and PD was specified. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the relationship between polymorphic loci of FokI, TaqI, BsmI, ApaI and serum factor related to vitamin D metabolism in Isfahan population. Materials and Methods: Case- control study of 125 Parkinson's patients with their matched control individuals has been investigated based on Parkinson's disease brain bank criteria of Great Britain. After receiving consent, serum levels were measured. The genetic material was isolated by Miller protocol and polymorphisms has been analyzed and confirmed by repeated PCR-RFLP. Results: Comparing the five serum factors between healthy subjects and patients with Parkinson's disease, we have shown a significant reduction in the levels of calcium, ALP and PTH (p<0.01). However, none of the levels of vitamin D and phosphate show any kind of significant relationship between patients and control subjects. Concentration of blood serumic factors including calcium and PTH showed p-values less than 0.01 between Parkinson's patients and control subjects according to different genotypes containing FokI-F allele,ApaI-A allele and BsmI-b allele . Conclusion: The result of this study showed that each of FokI and ApaI recessive alleles can influence serum calcium and parathyroid hormone between healthy individuals and Parkinson's patients significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The efficacy of evening primrose oil has been reported in metabolic syndrome and other diseases.The role of vitamin D has been proposed in the risk reducing of chronic diseases such as obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes too. We are aware of no study that examined the effects of evening primrose oil and vitamin D supplementation on metabolic profiles in gestational diabetes (GDM). This study was designed to assess the effects of evening primrose oil and vitamin D supplementation on metabolic profiles among pregnant women with GDM. Materials and Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed among 60 women with GDM. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either evening primrose oil and vitamin D supplements (n=30) or placebo (n=30) for 6 weeks. Fasting blood samples were taken at study baseline and after 6 weeks of intervention to quantify biochemical variables. Results: Evening primrose oil and vitamin D supplementation led to a significant decrease in serum high sensitivity-C reactive protein (hs-CRP ) levels (change from baseline: -1.9±4.0 vs. +0.6±2.6 µg/mL, p=0.006) and MDA (-0.8±2.1 vs. +0.6±1.5 µmol/L,p=0.005) compared with placebo. Furthermore, a significant increase in plasma NO (+2.5±3.8 vs. 1.9±8.1 µmol/L, p=0.009) and TAC levels (+84.4±174.8 vs. -36.4±143.1 mmol/L, p=0.005) was seen after evening primrose oil and vitamin D supplementation compared with placebo. Conclusion: Evening primrose oil and vitamin D supplementation in GDM women had beneficial effects on metabolic profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vitamin D and its analogues are a part of preventing rapid bone loss after kidney transplantation. According to difference in cost of active and inactive forms of vitamin D, we decided to compare the effects of these drugs on bone mineral density (BMD) of kidney transplant patients. Methods: In a randomized, controlled, clinical trial, 37 kidney transplant patients were treated with vitamin D plus calcium or calcitriol plus calcium carbonate for one year. Drug dose in both groups was changing according to serum calcium and 24-hour urine calcium. BMD was measured before and one year after transplantation. Serum calcium and phosphorus were checked monthly. Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and alkaline phosphatase (ALKP) levels were checked before transplantation and every six months. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and 24-hour urine calcium were measured every three months. Findings: In the vitamin D group, T and Z scores in lumbar spine and hip were increased. However, in the calcitriol group, the scores decreased in lumbar spine and increased hip. The increment in Z scores of lumbar spine in vitamin D group and the difference between Z scores of the two groups were significant (P = 0.03). In both groups, PTH and ALKP decreased significantly. In the calcitriol group, 24 h urine calcium increased significantly (P = 0.01). Conclusion: Compared to calcitriol, vitamin D-calcium is cheaper and more effective on BMD. Therefore, we recommend the use of vitamin D-calcium in kidney transplant patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]