Plasma Protein Biomarkers of Healthy Dietary Patterns: Results from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study and the Framingham Heart Study

Shutong Du, Jingsha Chen, Hyunju Kim, Maura E. Walker, Alice H. Lichtenstein, Nilanjan Chatterjee, Peter Ganz, Bing Yu, Ramachandran S. Vasan, Josef Coresh, Casey M. Rebholz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background: Molecular mechanisms underlying the benefits of healthy dietary patterns are poorly understood. Identifying protein biomarkers of dietary patterns can contribute to characterizing biological pathways influenced by food intake. Objectives: This study aimed to identify protein biomarkers associated with four indexes of healthy dietary patterns: Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015); Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010); DASH diet; and alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMED). Methods: Analyses were conducted on 10,490 Black and White men and women aged 49–73 y from the ARIC study at visit 3 (1993–1995). Dietary intake data were collected using a food frequency questionnaire, and plasma proteins were quantified using an aptamer-based proteomics assay. Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine the association between 4955 proteins and dietary patterns. We performed pathway overrepresentation analysis for diet-related proteins. An independent study population from the Framingham Heart Study was used for replication analyses. Results: In the multivariable-adjusted models, 282 out of 4955 proteins (5.7%) were significantly associated with at least one dietary pattern (HEI-2015: 137; AHEI-2010: 72; DASH: 254; aMED: 35; P value < 0.05/4955 = 1.01 × 10−5). There were 148 proteins that were associated with only one dietary pattern (HEI-2015: 22; AHEI-2010: 5; DASH: 121; aMED: 0), and 20 proteins were associated with all four dietary patterns. Five unique biological pathways were significantly enriched by diet-related proteins. Seven out of 20 proteins associated with all dietary patterns in the ARIC study were available for replication analyses, and 6 out of these 7 proteins were consistent in direction and significantly associated with at least 1 dietary pattern in the Framingham Heart Study (HEI-2015: 2; AHEI-2010: 4; DASH: 6; aMED: 4; P value < 0.05/7 = 7.14 × 10−3). Conclusions: A large-scale proteomic analysis identified plasma protein biomarkers that are representative of healthy dietary patterns among middle-aged and older US adult population. These protein biomarkers may be useful objective indicators of healthy dietary patterns.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)34-46
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Nutrition
Volume153
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2023

Keywords

  • AHEI-2010
  • ARIC
  • DASH
  • Framingham Heart Study
  • HEI-2015
  • aMED
  • healthy dietary patterns
  • proteomics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Medicine (miscellaneous)
  • Nutrition and Dietetics

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