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Association of n-3 and n-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma lipid classes with inflammatory bowel diseases

Figler M, Gasztonyi B, Cseh J, Horváth G, Kisbenedek AG, Bokor S, Decsi T

The British journal of nutrition, 2007

Abstract

In order to establish the biochemical basis for dietary interventions, we investigated the fatty acid composition of plasma lipid classes in patients with inactive inflammatory bowel disease. In this cross-sectional study thirty patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), twenty-one with Crohn disease (CD) and twenty-four controls were investigated (mean age: UC, 40.8 (sd 12.1); CD, 37.6 (sd 11.0); control, 31.5 (sd 8.4) years). Fatty acid composition of plasma lipids was determined by high-resolution capillary GLC. In plasma phospholipids, significantly higher values of eicosapentaenoic (20 : 5n-3), docosapentaenoic (22 : 5n-3) and gamma-linolenic (18 : 3n-6) acids were found in control patients and patients with UC as compared to patients with CD [median % (weight by weight), control v. UC v. CD : 20 : 5n-3, 0.09 (interquartile range (IQR) 0.05) v. 0.14 (IQR 0.10) v. 0.16 (IQR 0.10), P < 0.05; 22 : 5n-3, 0.14 (IQR 0.10) v. 0.27 (IQR 0.16) v. 0.31 (IQR 0.10), P < 0.001; 18 : 3n-6, 0.02 (IQR 0.02) v. 0.03 (IQR 0.02) v. 0.05 (IQR 0.03), P < 0.05]. When compared to the control, values of the principal n-3 and n-6 long-chain PUFA, arachidonic acid (20 : 4n-6) and DHA (22 : 6n-3) were significantly higher in patients with UC but not in patients with CD [median % (w/w), UC v. control: 20 : 4n-6, 8.43 (IQR 3.23) v. 6.92 (IQR 2.96), P < 0.05; 22 : 6n-3, 1.22 (IQR 0.56) v. 0.73 (IQR 0.39), P < 0.05]. As seen there are considerable differences between the long-chain PUFA status of…

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Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause.

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