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Food and health

Dietary Inflammatory Index and clinical course of multiple sclerosis

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 73, pages 979–988 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

Objectives:

This study aims at analyzing the association between the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) and the clinical condition of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

Methods:

It is a quantitative, cross-sectional analytical study that included 137 MS patients assisted at a reference center for MS treatment in the Brazilian northeast. Data was collated through a structured questionnaire and medical records consultation, also involving demographic, clinical, and nutritional variables. Clinical variables included the MS type, diagnosis and follow-up start dates, investigation of recent urinary tract symptoms, use of immunomodulatory, vitamin D supplementation, number of recent pulse therapies, relapse rate in the last 2 years, muscular strength assessment (MRC), disability degree (EDSS), and a gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in the central white matter (CWM). The DII was calculated according to the Shivappa et al. methodology.

Results:

There was no difference in any of the variables according to the DII (p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

The Dietary Inflammatory Index did not affect the clinical condition of individuals with multiple sclerosis.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Public Health System Research Program—Shared Health Management—PPSUS-CE—FUNCAP/SESA/MS/CNPq (Call 07/2013. N° de process: 13506126-1). The PPSUS-CE Program had no involvement in the conception, analysis, and writing of this article. Drs. NS and JRH were supported by grant number R44DK103377 from the United States National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Author contributions

BYCS participated in the formulation of research questions, data collection, tabulation, analysis, edition, and writing. NS and JRH contributed with data analysis and writing. LSA collaborated with data collection and analysis. CSCM contributed to the study planning. HACS participated in the research questionnaire elaboration, data analysis, and writing. JACD’A collaborated with data collection. AAFC contributed with statistical analysis and writing. MLPM participated in the study planning, general coordination, and data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Postgraduate Program in Public Health, Ceará State University, Av. Dr. Silas Munguba, 1700—Itaperi, Fortaleza, CE, 60741-000, Brazil

    Bruna Yhang da Costa Silva & Helena Alves de Carvalho Sampaio

  2. Group of Research in Nutrition and Chronic Diseases, Ceará State University, Av. Dr. Silas Munguba, 1700—Itaperi, Fortaleza, CE, 60741-000, Brazil

    Bruna Yhang da Costa Silva, Helena Alves de Carvalho Sampaio, Antônio Augusto Ferreira Carioca & Maria Luisa Pereira de Melo

  3. South Carolina Statewide Cancer Prevention and Control Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Nitin Shivappa & James R. Hebert

  4. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Nitin Shivappa & James R. Hebert

  5. Connecting Health Innovations—LLC, Columbia, SC, 29201, USA

    Nitin Shivappa & James R. Hebert

  6. Graduate Course in Nutrition, University of Fortaleza, Av. Washington Soares, 1321—Edson Queiroz, Fortaleza, CE, 60811-905, Brazil

    Larissa da Silva Albuquerque & Antônio Augusto Ferreira Carioca

  7. Department of Nutrition, University of São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 925—Sumaré, São Paulo, SP, 01255-00, Brazil

    Antônio Augusto Ferreira Carioca

  8. Neurology Service of the Fortaleza General Hospital—Rua Ávila Goulart, 900—Papicu, Fortaleza, CE, 60175-295, Brazil

    José Artur Costa D’Almeida & Maria Luisa Pereira de Melo

  9. Masters in Nutrition and Health, Ceará State University, Av. Dr. Silas Munguba, 1700—Itaperi, Fortaleza, CE, 60741-000, Brazil

    Carla Soraya Costa Maia & Maria Luisa Pereira de Melo

Authors
  1. Bruna Yhang da Costa Silva
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  2. Helena Alves de Carvalho Sampaio
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  3. Nitin Shivappa
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  4. James R. Hebert
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  5. Larissa da Silva Albuquerque
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  6. Antônio Augusto Ferreira Carioca
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  7. José Artur Costa D’Almeida
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  8. Carla Soraya Costa Maia
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bruna Yhang da Costa Silva.

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Conflict of interest

Dr. JRH owns controlling interest in Connecting Health Innovations LLC (CHI), a company planning to license the right to his invention of the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) from the University of South Carolina in order to develop computer and smart phone applications for patient counseling and dietary intervention in clinical settings. Dr. NS is an employee of CHI. The remaining authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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da Costa Silva, B.Y., de Carvalho Sampaio, H.A., Shivappa, N. et al. Dietary Inflammatory Index and clinical course of multiple sclerosis. Eur J Clin Nutr 73, 979–988 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0294-8

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