title: Biomarkers and the measurement of fatty acids.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the various biomarkers of dietary intakes of fatty adds in human populations, their measurement, limitations and analytical considerations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of the literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although there is no good biomarker of intake of total fat, a number of alternatives exist for assessing the intakes of exogenously produced fatty acids that are consumed. Adipose tissue, erythrocyte membrane concentrations and serum or plasma levels can reflect prior intakes over the past few hours to the past few years. The concentrations of individual fatty acids in these media generally reflect relative levels, and are influenced by a number of factors. Although relatively expensive to analyse, a single analysis by gas chromatography or high-performance liquid chromatography provides information on multiple fatty acids, and is superior to attempting to measure specific fatty acids using traditional dietary assessment methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biomarkers of fatty acids that reflect long-term intake are available for nutritional epidemiology purposes. Analytical methods have become very accurate and able to detect and quantify smaller families, such as trans-fatty acids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. Lenore@unc.edu
authors.forename: Lenore
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arab
authors.forename: Jabar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Akbar
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D015596:Nutrition Assessment
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids