Introduction Folate deficiency is commonly reported in beta-thalassemia. Individuals heterozygous for beta-thalassemia may have higher folate requirements than normal individuals. Objectives: To document the concentration of serum total folate and its forms in beta-thalassemia heterozygote users (beta-TmU) and nonusers (beta-TmN) of 5 mg folic acid/d; to determine whether folic acid (FA) consumption from fortified foods allows beta-Tm patients, who do not take FA supplements, to meet their dietary folate requirements; and to investigate the association between higher serum unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA) and inflammatory cytokine concentrations. Methods Serum total folate and forms were measured in 42 beta-Tm (13 beta-TmU and 29 beta-TmN) and 84 healthy controls. The mononuclear leucocyte mRNA expression of relevant genes and their products and hematological profiles were determined. Results beta-TmU had higher serum total folate, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, UMFA, and tetrahydrofolate (THF) compared with beta-TmN. The beta-TmN had lower serum total folate and THF than controls. Plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) was lower in beta-TmU compared with both beta-TmN and controls, while beta-TmN had higher tHcy than controls. beta-TmU had higher IL-8 than their controls while beta-TmN had higher IL-6 and IL-8 than their controls. beta-TmU have higher levels of serum total folate, 5- methyltetrahydrofolate, UMFA, and THF than controls. There was no association between UMFA concentrations and cytokine levels. Conclusions Mandatory flour fortification with FA in Brazil may be insufficient for beta-TmN, since they have higher tHcy and lower serum total folate than controls. Furthermore, beta-TmN have higher IL-6 levels than beta-TmU. UMFA was not associated with inflammatory cytokine levels.

Bile acids (BA) play a vital physiological role in vivo. They are not only detergent of dietary lipids and nutrients, but also important hormones or nutrient signaling molecules in metabolic regulation process. Recent studies have also shown BA involvement in various cancers and diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and liver diseases. However, majority of the reported literature about BA is restricted to enterohepatic circulation. Hitherto, there has been no comprehensive study of the BA profile in all the major tissue and biofluids in rat has been reported. In this first bileomics study, BA profile of 14 different rat biological specimens (liver, serum, kidney, heart, stomach, ovary, mammary, uterus, small intestine, big intestine, spleen, brain, feces and urine) were studied by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Here I report the comprehensive identification and measurements of bile acids, the bileome, in rat. PCA analysis show distinct separate clusters of tissues as well as biofluids based on BA composition profile. Furthermore, we found that BA profiles of the organs that are involved in enterohepatic circulation were different than the other organs. Most of BA in brain, spleen, heart, ovary, urine, feces and uterus were in the unamidated form, and LCA and MOCA are the most abundant BAs in these organs. Whereas, most of BAs in liver, serum, mammary, large intestine, small intestine, stomach and kidney existed in amidated form, and TCA and T-beta-MCA are primary BAs. Finally, first time, BAs are found and measured in kidney, heart, stomach, ovary, mammary, uterus, and spleen of rats. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.