Relationship of serum fatty acid composition and desaturase activity to C-reactive protein in Japanese men and women.

BACKGROUND

Although fatty acid composition in serum and desaturase activity, which alters serum fatty acid composition, has been associated with C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration in Western populations, no study has been carried out in non-Western populations. We examined the association of serum fatty acids and estimated desaturase activity with CRP concentrations in Japanese men and women.

METHODS

Subjects were 489 Japanese municipal employees aged 21-67 years who participated in a survey at the time of a periodic health check-up. Serum high-sensitivity CRP concentrations were measured using the latex agglutination nephelometry method. Fatty acid composition was measured in serum cholesteryl esters and desaturase activities by fatty acid product-to-precursor ratios. Relationships were assessed using multiple regression.

RESULTS

Serum CRP concentration was positively associated with palmitic acid (P for trend=0.002) and inversely with alpha-linolenic acid (P for trend=0.01) in men, and positively with dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (P for trend in men or women=0.01) and inversely with delta-5-desaturase (20:4n-6/20:3n-6) (P for trend in men and women=0.05 and 0.002, respectively) in men and women.

CONCLUSIONS

Low-grade inflammation may be associated with a serum fatty acid pattern of high palmitic acid or low alpha-linolenic acid in men, and of high dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid or low delta-5-desaturase in both sexes.