Editorial: Nutritional challenges and therapies in youth with chronic inflammatory diseases
Year: 2026
Type: editorial
Abstract: The inflammatory-nutritional axis is increasingly recognized as a key determinant in chronic disease 1 , and two studies in this issue highlight this relationship. The first shows that a high Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII) predicts central obesity in children, even before fat accumulation becomes evident 2 . This finding reframes obesity as an immune-metabolic condition, emphasizing the value of early nutritional interventions to prevent inflammationdriven adiposity.In adults, the Advanced Lung Cancer Inflammation Index (ALI) demonstrates a nonlinear "J-shaped" association with mortality in patients with chronic airway disease 3 . Both undernutrition and obesity-related inflammation were linked to increased mortality. Together, these findings reinforce that the goal of nutritional care is not to normalize body weight alone, but to restore the inflammatory-nutritional balance that supports survival and metabolic health.Beyond inflammation, body composition has emerged as a determinant of treatment efficacy and prognosis 4 . In children with Crohn's disease, the presence of sarcopenia-measured by CT-derived skeletal muscle index-was associated with twice the risk of losing response to biologic therapy 5 . This underscores that muscle mass is not merely structural, but a metabolic and immunologic organ influencing drug metabolism and inflammatory control. Nutritional support through exclusive or partial enteral nutrition improved muscle status, although residual sarcopenia persisted in some patients, highlighting the need for integrated therapy combining nutrition, pharmacology, and exercise.Several studies explore nutritional modulation at the molecular level.Supplementation with an aqueous extract of Quercus brantii (Iranian oak) improved lipid profiles in beta-thalassemia patients without adverse hepatic effects 6 . Its polyphenols counter oxidative and lipid damage induced by iron overload-demonstrating the potential of nutritional adjuvants alongside standard pharmacologic treatments.In an experimental study, the soy isoflavone Biochanin A promoted the formation of type H vessels and improved bone regeneration in juvenile mice after osteonecrosis 7 . Acting through Platelet-Derived Growth Factor-BB (PDGF-BB) signaling, it redirected osteoclast precursors toward angiogenesis and repair. This represents an innovative concept of nutritional tissue regeneration, where bioactive compounds influence cellular differentiation and healing.Scientific advances are only meaningful if effectively implemented in clinical care. The study on interruptions in nutritional therapy among critically ill children with chronic diseases revealed that nearly half were undernourished, and feeding interruptions were frequent, often due to logistical issues rather than intolerance 8 . Such findings emphasize that the success of nutrition therapy depends on continuity and operational efficiency. Protocols such as volume-based feeding and adequate use of parenteral nutrition are essential to avoid iatrogenic deficits and achieve energy goals 9 On a global scale, the International Initiative for Pediatrics and Nutrition (IIPAN) provides consensus recommendations for the nutritional management of children with cancer in resource-limited settings 10 . The guidelines adapt anthropometric tools and intervention strategies to diverse clinical contexts, proving that precision nutrition can also be equitable and feasible in low-and middle-income countries. These recommendations, aligned with WHO and International Society of Paediatric Oncology (ISPO) initiatives, mark a crucial step toward closing global gaps in pediatric nutritional care 11 .A bibliometric analysis of obesity-related asthma research (2004-2023) reveals a growing focus on microbiota, systemic inflammation, and the gut-lung axis 12 . This trend signals the next frontier in nutritional science-integrating dietary modulation of the microbiome to influence immune and respiratory outcomes. Nutrition thus becomes a tool to modify not only metabolism but also host-microbe interactions underlying chronic inflammation.Collectively, the studies in this issue advance a unified view of nutrition as a precision-based medical intervention. Whether through inflammatory biomarkers, body composition targets, or bioactive compounds, nutrition demonstrates its potential to influence disease mechanisms at multiple levels. By uniting inflammation control, metabolic modulation, and molecular repair, nutrition stands as a central pillar of precision medicine, capable of transforming prevention, treatment, and recovery across chronic diseases 13,14 .
Source: Frontiers in Nutrition
Institution: Universidade de São Paulo
Language: English
Topic: Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7123340691