Dietary factors, inflammation and oxidative stress related to metabolic syndrome – from molecular investigations to dietary patterns

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) affects approx. 25% of adult people in Westernized countries, increasing the risk of morbidities such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease resulting in a huge socio-economic burden [1]. MetS is characterized by inflammation and oxidative stress (OS) that impinge negatively on the immune system [2]. Important factors linked to MetS are diet and epigenetics [3, 4]. Both are linked to OS and inflammation, and thus to the immune system.
Objective: To study the functional and molecular links between MetS, dietary components, inflammation, OS, and epigenetic regulation of gene expression.
Methods: In a first step, dietary patterns from the ORISCAV-LUX-2 study will be investigated for the interrelation of the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and systemic immune-inflammation (SII) index to MetS and epigenetic markers thereof. Untargeted plasma metabolomics, microRNA and RNA methylation profiles will be obtained from selected participants (Expected outcomes: This project will highlight the interplay of bioactive plant compounds, metabolic profiling, epigenetic signatures and the risk of MetS, with the final goal of identifying novel clinically applicable strategies to combat this major condition.