Inflammation mediates several chronic diseases. Micronutrients can act on inflammation, either through modulating cytokine production or by scavenging by-products of activated white cells. Identifying dietary patterns (DP) reflecting these mechanisms and relating them to inflammation is of interest. The objective of the study was to identify DP specifically associated with intakes of nutrients potentially involved in inflammatory processes in a middle-aged population and investigate long-term associations between these DP and C-reactive protein (CRP) status assessed several years later. Subjects included in the Supplementation in Vitamins and Mineral Antioxidants 2 cohort study, having available data on dietary assessment carried out in 1994 -5 and CRP measurement in 2007-9, were included in the analysis. DP were extracted with reduced rank regression (RRR), using antioxidant micronutrients and PUFA as response variables. Associations between CRP measurements .3 mg/l and extracted DP were then examined with logistic regression models providing OR and 95 % CI. A total of 2031 subjects (53·2 % women, mean follow-up duration: 12·5 years) were included in the analyses. Of the four extracted DP, a DP with high loading values of vegetables and vegetable oils, leading to high intakes of antioxidant micronutrients and essential fatty acids, was significantly and negatively associated with risk of elevated CRP (OR 0·88; 95 % CI 0·78, 0·98). Conversely, a DP reflecting a high n-6:n-3 fatty acid intake ratio was positively and significantly associated with elevated CRP (adjusted OR 1·15; 95 % CI 1·00, 1·32). DP extracted with RRR provide support for further exploration of relationships between dietary behaviour and inflammation.

Background/Aims: Low-grade inflammation is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Relationships between the antioxidant status and inflammatory biomarkers could give new insights into cardiovascular disease prevention. We investigated long-term associations between the antioxidant nutrient (vitamin C, α-tocopherol, β-carotene) status and C-reactive protein (CRP) in a population-based cohort. Methods: Subjects included in the French SU.VI.MAX trial study who had available data on baseline (1994-1995) blood nutrient concentrations and CRP measurements 12 years later (2007-2009) were included. Associations between baseline antioxidant circulating concentrations and elevated CRP (>3 mg/l) were investigated in multivariate logistic regression models. Subgroup analyses were performed according to gender, supplementation group of the initial trial, smoking status, and alcohol intake. Results: Serum α-tocopherol (n = 2,060) and vitamin C (n = 1,719) concentrations [odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) quintile 5 vs. 1: OR 1.10 (95% CI 0.71-1.73), p for trend = 0.533, vs. OR 0.79 (95% CI 0.48-1.29), p for trend = 0.121, respectively] were not associated with elevated CRP concentrations. The β-carotene status (n = 2,048) was inversely associated with elevated CRP [adjusted OR quintile 5 vs. 1: OR 0.61 (95% CI 0.38-0.98), p for trend = 0.01]. Subgroup analyses showed that associations were stronger in women (p for trend = 0.004), never smokers (p for trend = 0.009) and subjects in the supplementation group (p for trend = 0.002). Conclusions: Our results suggest that the β-carotene status may be inversely associated with low-grade inflammation in the long term.

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