title: North-south gradients in plasma concentrations of B-vitamins and other components of one-carbon metabolism in Western Europe: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study.
abstract: Different lifestyle patterns across Europe may influence plasma concentrations of B-vitamins and one-carbon metabolites and their relation to chronic disease. Comparison of published data on one-carbon metabolites in Western European regions is difficult due to differences in sampling procedures and analytical methods between studies. The present study aimed, to compare plasma concentrations of one-carbon metabolites in Western European regions with one laboratory performing all biochemical analyses. We performed the present study in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort among 5446 presumptively healthy individuals. Quantile regression was used to compare sex-specific median concentrations between Northern (Denmark and Sweden), Central (France, Germany, The Netherlands and United Kingdom) and Southern (Greece, Spain and Italy) European regions. The lowest folate concentrations were observed in Northern Europe (men, 10·4 nmol/l; women, 10·7 nmol/l) and highest concentrations in Central Europe. Cobalamin concentrations were slightly higher in Northern Europe (men, 330 pmol/l; women, 352 pmol/l) compared with Central and Southern Europe, but did not show a clear north-south gradient. Vitamin B₂ concentrations were highest in Northern Europe (men, 22·2 nmol/l; women, 26·0 nmol/l) and decreased towards Southern Europe (P trend< 0·001). Vitamin B(6) concentrations were highest in Central Europe in men (77·3 nmol/l) and highest in the North among women (70·4 nmol/l), with decreasing concentrations towards Southern Europe in women (P trend< 0·001). In men, concentrations of serine, glycine and sarcosine increased from the north to south. In women, sarcosine increased from Northern to Southern Europe. These findings may provide relevant information for the study of regional differences of chronic disease incidence in association with lifestyle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care and Section for Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry and Medicine, University of Bergen, 5021 Laboratory Building, 9th Floor, Bergen, Norway. simone.eussen@farm.uib.no
authors.forename: Simone J P M
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Eussen
authors.forename: Roy M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Nilsen
authors.forename: Øivind
authors.initials: Ø
authors.lastname: Midttun
authors.forename: Steinar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hustad
authors.forename: Noortje
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: IJssennagger
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Åse
authors.initials: Å
authors.lastname: Fredriksen
authors.forename: Arve
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ulvik
authors.forename: Per M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ueland
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: Mattias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Bas
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bueno-de-Mesquita
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vineis
authors.forename: Shu-Chun
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: Marie Christine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Boutron-Ruault
authors.forename: Laure
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dossus
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perquier
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Overvad
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Teucher
authors.forename: Verena A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Grote
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trichopoulou
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Adarakis
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plada
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sieri
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tumino
authors.forename: Maria Santucci
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: de Magistris
authors.forename: Martine M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ros
authors.forename: Petra H M
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Redondo
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zamora-Ros
authors.forename: Maria-Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Chirlaque
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ardanaz
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sonestedt
authors.forename: Ulrika
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ericson
authors.forename: Jörn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schneede
authors.forename: Bethany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van Guelpen
authors.forename: Petra A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Wark
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Norat
authors.forename: Elio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Riboli
authors.forename: Stein Emil
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Vollset
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000208:ethnology; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000208:ethnology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D005998:Glycine / Q000097:blood*; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012521:Sarcosine / Q000097:blood*; D012694:Serine / Q000097:blood*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D012694:Serine; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12; D005998:Glycine; D012521:Sarcosine