[Markers of the dietary supply of fatty acids. Their use in epidemiologic surveys].

The use of tissular markers of dietary fatty acids is based on the potential usefulness of a cellular or membrane witness of usual food intake. Prevalence studies among populations and prospective trials on a change of dietary habits allow a definition of the relationship between dietary fatty acids and adipose ones, according to time, sampling site and the stability of fatty acid pool. The physiological parameters of that relationship are weight changes, age, energy balance, tobacco and probably alcohol consumptions and race. The relationship between dietary fatty acids and fatty acids within serum lipids, erythrocytes, certain epithelial cells and platelets are described and validity of these relationships pointed out. A few examples illustrate potential use of fatty acid markers in investigating risk factors of chronic diseases and in checking adherence to regimen in dietary trials.