Peripheral blood mononuclear cell fatty acid composition and inflammatory mediator production in adult Crohn's disease.
OBJECTIVE
Crohn's disease (CD) is associated with nutritional deficiencies, altered plasma concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and an anti-inflammatory response to fish oil that contains n-3 PUFA. This suggests that, in CD, immune cells may have altered n-3 PUFA composition with functional consequences. The aim of this study is to investigate n-3 and n-6 PUFA composition and synthetic function of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in the basal state.


METHODS
A case control study of 52 adult CD patients and healthy, age- and sex-matched controls. Composition of PBMC and plasma phospholipids were measured by gas chromatography and production of tumour necrosis factor-alpha, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) by PBMC were measured by ELISA.


RESULTS
CD was associated with higher concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid and other n-3 PUFA, and lower arachidonic acid (AA) (n-6 PUFA) in PBMC. This was not explained by differences in dietary fat intake. Lower rates of production of PGE2 and IFN-gamma by PBMC were noted in quiescent and active CD, respectively, compared to controls.


CONCLUSIONS
CD is associated with a greater availability, and not a deficiency, of n-3 PUFA in PBMC, but lower concentrations of AA, and lower rates of production of PGE2 and IFN-gamma, compared to healthy controls.
School of Medicine, Institute of Human Nutrition, University of Southampton, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK.
Timothy M
TM
Trebble
Nigel K
NK
Arden
Stephen A
SA
Wootton
Mark A
MA
Mullee
Philip C
PC
Calder
Graham C
GC
Burdge
David R
DR
Fine
Mike A
MA
Stroud
D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood*; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
D000975:Antioxidants; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils; D010743:Phospholipids; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D015232:Dinoprostone