Pizza and vegetables don't stick to the endothelium.

To the Editor: Blanco-Colio et al1 showed that a fat-enriched breakfast increased the activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor-kB in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of normal subjects, an effect prevented by antioxidants present in red wine. We compared the effects of a high-fat meal and a high-carbohydrate meal (pizza), with or without dietary antioxidants, on the levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and vascular adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) in normal subjects. The genes of adhesion molecules are regulated by nuclear factor-kB,2 and circulating adhesion molecules are considered a molecular marker of early atherosclerosis.3 We studied 25 healthy non-obese volunteers (13 men and 12 women) aged 2765.3 years (mean6SD). Subjects ate the following meals in random order and separated by a 1-week interval: (1) a high-fat meal (760 kcal; 50 g of fat, 20.4 g of saturated fat, 58 g of carbohydrates); (2) an isoenergetic high-carbohydrate (pizza) meal (758 kcal; 17 g of fat, 2.2 g of saturated fat, 144 g of carbohydrates); and (3) a high-fat meal with dietary antioxidants. The high-fat meal consisted of 2 sausages (80 g), 6 bread slices (90 g), 1 small egg (40 g), butter (15 g), and olive oil (5 g). The high-carbohydrate meal consisted of a pizza (300 g) with tomatoes (60 g). The third meal consisted of an isoenergetic high-fat meal plus vegetable foods: 100 g of tomatoes, 200 g of carrots, and 100 g of peppers (184 mg vitamin C, 19.65 mg vitamin E, 15 mg b-carotene, 9.2 g fiber). The meals were prepared in one batch in the same kitchen and consumed under supervision. Serum concentrations of sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 were determined using commercially available immunosorbent kits (R and D Systems). Basal parameters were similar on each of the 3 study days. Plasma levels of sICAM-1 rose after the high-fat meal (from 210641 to 284648 mg/L; P,0.01), as did sVCAM-1 levels (from 652695 to 9406109 mg/L; P,0.01). No significant increase of sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 levels occurred after the pizza meal and the high-fat meal with antioxidants. Unlike pizza, a single high-fat meal modifies the adhesive properties of the endothelium toward a more atherogenic profile. Nutrients may increase short-term levels of soluble CAMs,4 and humans are usually in a nonfasting state. Pizza and vegetables do not increase stickiness of endothelium, which may contribute to the healthier cardiovascular outlook of people consuming a Mediterranean diet.5