2014 · European journal of clinical nutrition · paywalled
Obesity prevalence in relation to gut microbial environments capable of producing equol or O-desmethylangolensin from the isoflavone daidzein
Frankenfeld et al.
The finding, in our words
Obese adults were nearly three times more likely than normal-weight adults to be non-producers of the gut microbial metabolite O-desmethylangolensin (ODMA) after a soy challenge, based on first-void urine analysis (adjusted odds ratio 2.8, 95% CI 1.2–6.2). This suggests that ODMA phenotype from first-void urine could serve as a decentralised biomarker for obesity risk, whereas equol phenotype showed no association.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
DNA methylation markers in first-void urine effectively detect high-grade cervical lesions in HPV-positive women, with results similar to clinician-collected samples in those over 30. This enables reliable cervical cancer screening using self-collected urine, reducing the need for invasive follow-up procedures in decentralised settings.
In a small proof-of-concept, first-void urine and cervicovaginal brushes yielded high-quality vaginal microbiome profiles in most participants, comparable to vaginal swabs, offering non-invasive, user-friendly alternatives for research; however, storage at room temperature altered microbial composition in some first-void urine samples, indicating a need for careful handling.
The study found that testing for ASCL1/LHX8 DNA methylation in at-home collected first-void urine can detect most cervical cancers and high-grade precancers, supporting a fully molecular screening pathway without a clinical visit.
Adding polyethylene glycol to first-void urine before centrifugation markedly improved cell-free DNA recovery in the pellet, whereas low-speed centrifugation alone removed cellular DNA while keeping cell-free DNA in the supernatant. Pseudovirions pelleted reliably under all conditions, but the study revealed substantial variation between self-collected samples, highlighting the need for standardised protocols in decentralised HPV screening programmes.
In adults given EPA or DHA for 12 weeks, first-void urine analysed by MSI-CE-MS showed increased S-carboxypropylcysteamine and other candidate metabolites that correlated with the Omega-3 Index measured in erythrocytes, suggesting urine could support non-invasive monitoring of omega-3 status.