title: Association of serum n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with C-reactive protein in men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been associated with reduced inflammation. We tested the hypothesis that high serum concentrations of the n-3 PUFAs are associated with lower serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations in healthy middle-aged Finnish men. We also examined whether exposure to mercury, an environmental contaminant in fish, which is also a major source of long-chain n-3 PUFA, was associated with CRP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the prospective, population-based Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study were analyzed cross-sectionally to determine the associations between serum n-3 PUFAs, hair mercury and serum CRP in 1395 healthy men, aged 42-60 years. Linear regression analyses were performed to analyze the associations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the multivariate models, the mean serum CRP in quartiles of serum total n-3 PUFA concentration was 1.23, 1.27, 1.18 and 1.08 mg/l, P for trend = 0.01. Statistically significant inverse associations were also observed with the total serum long-chain n-3 PUFA concentration and with the individual long-chain n-3 PUFAs docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, but not with eicosapentaenoic acid or with the intermediate-chain n-3 PUFA alpha-linolenic acid. Hair methylmercury content was not associated with serum CRP levels and it did not modify the associations between serum n-3 PUFAs and CRP either.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum n-3 PUFAs and especially the long-chain n-3 PUFA concentration, a marker of fish or fish oil consumption, were inversely associated with serum CRP in men. Exposure to mercury was not associated with serum CRP.
authors: Department of Health Sciences and the EMGO Institute for Health Care Research, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Reinders
authors: J K
authors: JK
authors: Virtanen
authors: I A
authors: IA
authors: Brouwer
authors: T-P
authors: TP
authors: Tuomainen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000097:blood; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood; D005387:Finland; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D017747:Seafood; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D005395:Fish Oils; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid; D008628:Mercury; C026219:docosapentaenoic acid