title: The percentage of n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids in total HUFA as a biomarker for omega-3 fatty acid status in tissues.
abstract: A blood biomarker of omega-3 fatty acid intake and tissue status could serve as a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The percentage of omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA > or = 20 carbons and > or =3 double bonds) in the total HUFA pool (the n-3 HUFA score) was examined as a potential blood biomarker of omega-3 fatty acids in tissues. The fatty acid composition of total lipid extracts (TLE) and phospholipid (PL) fractions were determined for plasma and erythrocytes samples of human subjects (n = 20) and the n-3 HUFA score and the sum of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were compared. Omega-3 fatty acids in blood and tissues of rats (n = 31) and pigs (n = 48) were also determined and the associations were compared. The n-3 HUFA score is more consistent across plasma and erythrocytes, with strong correlations between TLE and PL in plasma (r = 0.93) and erythrocytes (r = 0.94). The n-3 HUFA score was less variable and blood levels correlated strongly with various animal tissues. The n-3 HUFA score is a useful blood biomarker that does not require the isolation of the PL class thereby supporting high throughput analyses. The strength of association between the n-3 HUFA score and disease risk needs to be examined.
authors.affiliation: The Laboratory of Nutritional and Nutraceutical Research, Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1. kstark@uwaterloo.ca
authors.forename: Ken D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Stark
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000097:blood; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D013552:Swine; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid