Dietary inflammatory index and risk of gallstone disease in Iranian women: a case-control study

BACKGROUND: Considering inflammation as a primary occurrence in gallstone formation, this study aimed to determine the relation between serum biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress, and dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) score with the risk of gallstone disease (GD) among Iranian women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Present BMI-matched case-control study was performed among 75 women with GD and 75 healthy controls. Biochemical parameters were measured by standard laboratory methods. A validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess the usual intake of participants. DII score was calculated for all participants. The linear and logistic regression were used to examine the association of DII with serum inflammatory biomarkers and the odds ratio of GD, respectively. RESULTS: The mean serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly (P < 0.001) higher in GD patients compared to control subjects. Women in the highest tertile of DII compared to the lowest tertile had lower intake of macronutrients, minerals, vitamins garlic, onion, pepper and fiber. Moreover, the odd of GD was significantly higher in the third tertile of the DII versus the first tertile after adjustment of potential confounders (OR: 17.47; 95% CI: 4.64–65.72). Also, a positive and significant relationship was found between the serum level of inflammatory biomarkers with the risk of GD and the inflammatory score of the diet (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that higher DII score, and serum inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers are related to higher risk of GD in Iranian women.