The study of body water distribution between extra- and intra-cellular spaces has the potential to improve our knowledge on the mechanisms of disease. A major challenge is that of establishing whether commonly detected subclinical alterations of body water distribution have prognostic or clinical implications.

Primary objective : To study the relationship between bone mineral content (BMC), lean tissue mass (LTM) and fat mass (FM) in a large sample of young and elderly women. Research design : Cross-sectional. Methods and procedures : BMC, LTM and FM were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 2009 free-dwelling Caucasian women aged 63 - 7 years (mean - SD; range: 37-88 years). The majority of women were postmenopausal (96%). Results : LTM explained 13% more variance of BMC than FM ( R 2 adj = 0.39 vs 0.26, p < 0.0001) but weight (Wt) explained 5% more variance of BMC than LTM ( R 2 adj = 0.44, p < 0.0001). The prediction of BMC obtained from LTM and FM ( R 2 adj = 0.46, p < 0.0001) was only slightly better than that obtained from Wt. After the effects of age, Wt and height (Ht) on BMC were taken into account by multiple regression, the contribution of LTM and FM to BMC was just one-fifth of that of Wt ( R 2 adj for full models r 0.56, p < 0.0001). After a further correction for bone area (BA), the contribution of LTM and FM to BMC was just one-tenth of that of BA and not different from that of Wt and Ht on practical grounds ( R 2 adj for full models = 0.84, p < 0.0001). Thus, after inter-individual differences in age, Wt, Ht (and bone size) are taken into account, the relationship between body composition and BMC is substantially weakened. Conclusions : In Caucasian women, (1) LTM is a stronger predictor of BMC than FM, but (2) Wt is a better predictor of BMC than body composition for practical purposes, and (3) Wt and body composition are not able to explain more than 46% of BMC variance.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of body mass index (BMI) as a predictor of body fat in elderly women.Research Methods and Procedures: A total of 1423 women aged 67 +/- 5 (mean +/- SD, range: 60 to 88) years were consecutively enrolled into the study. Fat mass (FM) was measured using DXA.Results: BMI explained 72.9% of FM variance (p < 0.0001), with a root mean square en or of estimate (RMSE) of 3.5 kg. After standardization of RMSE on the dependent variable as RMSE%, the prediction error equaled 15%. BMI explained 54.8% of FM% variance (p < 0.0001), with an RMSE of 4.1%, corresponding to an RMSE% of 11%.Discussion: The relatively high RMSE% of the FM and FM%-BMI associations caution against the use of BMI as an adiposity index in individual elderly women. However, an error corresponding to 11% of FM% may be accepted for population studies of body fat in elderly women.

Annals of the New York Academy of SciencesVolume 904, Issue 1 p. 489-490 Influence of Body Composition on Bone Mineral Content in Elderly Women: A Preliminary Report G. BEDOGNI, Corresponding Author G. BEDOGNI Departments of Biomedical Sciences (Human Nutrition Chair) and Internal Medicine (Geriatrics Chair and Clinical Medicine II), Modena and Reggio Emilia University, Italy Address for correspondence: G. Bedogni, Human Nutrition Chair, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287, 41100 Modena, Italy. Voice: 039–059–428232; fax; 039–059–428236. bedogni.giorgio@unimo.itSearch for more papers by this authorA. PIETROBELLI, A. PIETROBELLI Departments of Biomedical Sciences (Human Nutrition Chair) and Internal Medicine (Geriatrics Chair and Clinical Medicine II), Modena and Reggio Emilia University, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorS. B. HEYMSFIELD, S. B. HEYMSFIELD Obesity Research Center, Weight Control Unit, St. Luke's/Roosevelt Hospital, Columbia University, New York, New York 10025, USASearch for more papers by this authorC. ROUNTAUROLI, C. ROUNTAUROLI Departments of Biomedical Sciences (Human Nutrition Chair) and Internal Medicine (Geriatrics Chair and Clinical Medicine II), Modena and Reggio Emilia University, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorA. BORGHI, A. BORGHI Departments of Biomedical Sciences (Human Nutrition Chair) and Internal Medicine (Geriatrics Chair and Clinical Medicine II), Modena and Reggio Emilia University, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorF. FERRARI, F. FERRARI Departments of Biomedical Sciences (Human Nutrition Chair) and Internal Medicine (Geriatrics Chair and Clinical Medicine II), Modena and Reggio Emilia University, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorN. BATTISTINI, N. BATTISTINI Departments of Biomedical Sciences (Human Nutrition Chair) and Internal Medicine (Geriatrics Chair and Clinical Medicine II), Modena and Reggio Emilia University, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorG. SALVIOLI, G. SALVIOLI Departments of Biomedical Sciences (Human Nutrition Chair) and Internal Medicine (Geriatrics Chair and Clinical Medicine II), Modena and Reggio Emilia University, ItalySearch for more papers by this author G. BEDOGNI, Corresponding Author G. BEDOGNI Departments of Biomedical Sciences (Human Nutrition Chair) and Internal Medicine (Geriatrics Chair and Clinical Medicine II), Modena and Reggio Emilia University, Italy Address for correspondence: G. Bedogni, Human Nutrition Chair, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287, 41100 Modena, Italy. Voice: 039–059–428232; fax; 039–059–428236. bedogni.giorgio@unimo.itSearch for more papers by this authorA. PIETROBELLI, A. PIETROBELLI Departments of Biomedical Sciences (Human Nutrition Chair) and Internal Medicine (Geriatrics Chair and Clinical Medicine II), Modena and Reggio Emilia University, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorS. B. HEYMSFIELD, S. B. HEYMSFIELD Obesity Research Center, Weight Control Unit, St. Luke's/Roosevelt Hospital, Columbia University, New York, New York 10025, USASearch for more papers by this authorC. ROUNTAUROLI, C. ROUNTAUROLI Departments of Biomedical Sciences (Human Nutrition Chair) and Internal Medicine (Geriatrics Chair and Clinical Medicine II), Modena and Reggio Emilia University, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorA. BORGHI, A. BORGHI Departments of Biomedical Sciences (Human Nutrition Chair) and Internal Medicine (Geriatrics Chair and Clinical Medicine II), Modena and Reggio Emilia University, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorF. FERRARI, F. FERRARI Departments of Biomedical Sciences (Human Nutrition Chair) and Internal Medicine (Geriatrics Chair and Clinical Medicine II), Modena and Reggio Emilia University, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorN. BATTISTINI, N. BATTISTINI Departments of Biomedical Sciences (Human Nutrition Chair) and Internal Medicine (Geriatrics Chair and Clinical Medicine II), Modena and Reggio Emilia University, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorG. SALVIOLI, G. SALVIOLI Departments of Biomedical Sciences (Human Nutrition Chair) and Internal Medicine (Geriatrics Chair and Clinical Medicine II), Modena and Reggio Emilia University, ItalySearch for more papers by this author First published: 25 January 2006 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2000.tb06504.xCitations: 1Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume904, Issue1IN VIVO BODY COMPOSITION STUDIESMay 2000Pages 489-490 RelatedInformation

In a previous study we found that plasma levels of retinol and tocopherol tend to decrease for increasing degrees of liver cirrhosis (LC) (J Lab Clin Med 1991;118: 176). Aiming to verify whether retinol and tocopherol could be employed as markers of LC severity, we measured them in 141 consecutive cirrhotics and 48 healthy controls. Statistically significant differences in plasma retinol levels were found between controls (2.37 ± 0.94 μmol/l), Child-Pugh (CP) A (1.50 ± 0.90 μmol/l, n = 60), CPB (0.84 ± 0.42 μmol/l, n = 51) and CPC patients (0.56 ± 0.38 μmol/l, n = 30; p < 0.01 for CPA vs CPB, CPA vs CPC, CPA vs controls, CPB vs controls, CPC vs controls and p < 0.05 for CPB vs CPC). Patients with hepatocarcinoma (HCC) superimposed on LC showed lower levels of retinol as compared to those without HCC (0.38 ± 0.07, n = 34 vs 0.83 ± 0.08 μmol/l, n = 107, p < 0.05). While a decreasing trend was observed also for tocopherol, between-group differences were not always significant. Moreover, tocopherol levels were similar in cirrhotics with and without HCC. Age, sex and body mass index did not influence the relationship between retinol or tocopherol levels and LC degree (p = ns, ANCOVA). Our study suggests that retinol has the potential to be employed as an index of disease severity in LC patients.

The high incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhosis, where previous studies have indicated a severe reduction in several antioxidant vitamin factors, prompted us to compare plasma liposoluble vitamins with tocopherol content in healthy and neoplastic liver tissue in humans. This, with a view to a more positive preventive dietary approach, given the conflicting results obtained by liposoluble vitamin dietary supplementation in different malignancies. Eleven patients with cirrhosis, 18 patients affected by cirrhosis with HCC, and 10 patients with liver metastases (LM) from digestive tract adenocarcinomas were compared with controls who had undergone perlaparoscopic cholecistectomy. Plasma alpha- and beta-carotene, retinol and tocopherol, together with liver tocopherol, from both nonmalignant portions and malignant nodules of the same organ, were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography following a well-assessed technique. The results confirm a trend towards a reduction in circulating carotenoids and tocopherol in cirrhosis and in patients affected by cirrhosis with HCC. Tocopherol content in liver tissue is significantly decreased in cirrhosis (0.26 + 0.03 micromol/g prot., mean + SEM, P < .001) and in cirrhotic areas of the HCC group (0.31 + 0.02, P < .002), with respect to its content in liver specimens of healthy controls (0.46 + 0.03) and in healthy areas of the same organ in patients with LM (0.41 + 0.03). Tocopherol concentration is further reduced by 50% in malignant liver nodules of HCC, with respect to surrounding cirrhotic tissue, whereas in metastatic liver nodules from digestive neoplasms the tocopherol content is almost twice that of healthy surrounding areas. This unpredictable tocopherol behavior in liver specimens, of secondary as opposed to primary malignancies of the liver, affords further insight into the conflicting effects of liposoluble vitamins employed in the chemopreventive treatment of different malignant diseases, where hepatic tocopherol concentration show opposite trends: halved in primary HCC and doubled in LM of digestive adenocarcinomas, with respect to healthy controls.

AbstractWe assessed total body water (TBW) and extracellular water (ECW) in thirty-four non-ascitic cirrhotics and twenty healthy controls by 2H2O and Br dilution. In the same subjects, bioelectric impedance (BI) was recorded at multiple frequencies. Body hydration was similar for controls (mean 55·6 (SD 6·7)), less-severe cirrhotics (Child-Pugh classification A; CPA; n 21, mean 56·2 (SD 6·2)) and moderately-severe cirrhotics (Child-Pugh classification B; CPB; n 13, mean 57·2 (SD 5·4)). However, intracellular water standardized per litre TBW was significantly higher in CPB subjects (mean 27·0 (SD 7·5); P<0·01) compared with CPA (mean 21·3 (SD 10·6)) and control subjects (mean 18·0 (SD 9·8)). Published formulas for predicting TBW and ECW from BI at multiple frequencies were applied to the cirrhotics. These formulas gave accurate predictions of TBW and ECW, although standard errors of estimates were higher for CPB subjects (TBW ≤ 2·5 and ECW ≤ 2·11) than those for CPA (TBW ≤ 2·0 and ECW ≤ 1·81) and control (TBW 1·4 and ECW 0·9 1) subjects

The role played by carotenoids, retinol and tocopherol in quencing oxidative cellular damage and combatting tumor growth is well documented, but little is known about their activity in human liver cirrhosis (LC), where oxidative damage and tumoral complications are common-place. We investigated 59 patients with LC of different etiology on admission to hospital and compared them with 32 healthy controls, matched for age and sex. Nutritional (cutaneous skinfolds, creatinine-height index) and serum parameters were determined; of these, alpha- and beta-carotene, cryptoxanthin, lycopene, retinol and alpha-tocopherol were detected by an high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) technique, devised in our laboratory, which afforded an accurate and simultaneous resolution of all six compounds. The results point to a significant reduction in almost all the vitamin factors in LC, as well as in total serum lipids. In consequence, the ratio tocopherol/total serum lipids remains almost unchanged: 2.45 +/- 0.08 (m +/- se) in controls and 2.34 +/- 0.16 in patients. The effects of age, sex, nutritional habits, alcohol, malnutrition and the severity of the disease were also evaluated in relation to the vitamin-factor levels. It is suggested that the reduced levels observed in LC patients are due to a number of factors including portal hypertension and lymphatic circulation impairment, and it is concluded that thorough screening and improved diet are beneficial in the follow-up of LC.