BACKGROUND: Relatively high concentrations of acrylamide in commonly ingested food products, such as French fries, potato chips, or cereals, may constitute a potential risk to human health. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this pilot study was to investigate the possible connection between chronic ingestion of acrylamide-containing potato chips and oxidative stress or inflammation. DESIGN: Fourteen healthy volunteers (mean age: 35 y; 8 women and 6 smokers of >20 cigarettes/d) were given 160 g of potato chips containing 157 mg of acrylamide daily for 4 wk. RESULTS: An increase in acrylamide-hemoglobin adducts in blood was found in all the study subjects, with a mean of 43.1 pmol/L/g hemoglobin (range: 27-76; P < 0.01) in nonsmokers and 59.0 pmol . L(-1). g(-1) hemoglobin (range: 43-132; P < 0.05) in smokers. Concurrently, a significant increase (P < 0.01) in the oxidized LDL, high-sensitivity interleukin-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and gamma-glutamyltransferase concentrations was observed in both smokers and nonsmokers. A significant increase in reactive oxygen radical production by monocytes, lymphocytes, and granulocytes and an increase in CD14 expression in macrophages (P < 0.001) were found after intake of potato chips. Twenty-eight days from the discontinuation of the experiment, the variables under study decreased to some extent. It has been shown also that acrylamide increases the production of reactive oxygen species in isolated human monocyte-macrophages in vitro and decreases the cellular glutathione concentration. CONCLUSION: These novel findings seem to indicate that chronic ingestion of acrylamide-containing products induces a proinflammatory state, a risk factor for progression of atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Turner syndrome is an X chromosome aberration that affects females. Women with Turner syndrome are exposed to a greater risk of coronary artery disease, arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. DESIGN: The objective of our study was to assess the prevalence of classic risk factors of coronary artery disease in young women with Turner syndrome in comparison to a representative group of Polish young women from the general population. METHODS: The study enrolled 176 women aged 25 years with Turner syndrome from the whole of Poland. The controls were 231 young women selected to be representative, who took part in the NATPOL PLUS study (website: http://www.natpol.pl). RESULTS: Women with Turner symdrome tended to be shorter and lighter than the general population (P<0.0001), they were also found to present higher values of body mass index and waist-hip ratio (P<0.0001). Significantly higher values of diastolic blood pressure (P<0.0001) and levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein fraction were found in the group of women with Turner syndrome, whereas the high-density lipoprotein fraction level was lower (P<0.05). Similarly, glucose levels on an empty stomach were significantly higher among women with Turner syndrome (P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Women with Turner syndrome constitute a group at higher cardiovascular risk. This group of women requires effective preventative medicine from the earliest age.