title: Relationship of serum fatty acid composition and desaturase activity to C-reactive protein in Japanese men and women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although fatty acid composition in serum and desaturase activity, which alters serum fatty acid composition, has been associated with C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration in Western populations, no study has been carried out in non-Western populations. We examined the association of serum fatty acids and estimated desaturase activity with CRP concentrations in Japanese men and women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 489 Japanese municipal employees aged 21-67 years who participated in a survey at the time of a periodic health check-up. Serum high-sensitivity CRP concentrations were measured using the latex agglutination nephelometry method. Fatty acid composition was measured in serum cholesteryl esters and desaturase activities by fatty acid product-to-precursor ratios. Relationships were assessed using multiple regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum CRP concentration was positively associated with palmitic acid (P for trend=0.002) and inversely with alpha-linolenic acid (P for trend=0.01) in men, and positively with dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (P for trend in men or women=0.01) and inversely with delta-5-desaturase (20:4n-6/20:3n-6) (P for trend in men and women=0.05 and 0.002, respectively) in men and women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low-grade inflammation may be associated with a serum fatty acid pattern of high palmitic acid or low alpha-linolenic acid in men, and of high dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid or low delta-5-desaturase in both sexes.
authors.affiliation: Waseda Institute for Advanced Study, Waseda University, 1-6-1 Nishi-waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8050, Japan. kalpana@aoni.waseda.jp
authors.forename: Kalpana
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Poudel-Tandukar
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ejima
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nanri
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsushita
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imaizumi
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizoue
mesh_terms: D015126:8,11,14-Eicosatrienoic Acid / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D000090943:Delta-5 Fatty Acid Desaturase; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000097:blood*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D019308:Palmitic Acid / Q000097:blood; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D013230:Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase; D055815:Young Adult; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D000090943:Delta-5 Fatty Acid Desaturase; D005227:Fatty Acids; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases; D013230:Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase; C533241:FADS2 protein, human; C029627:delta-9 fatty acid desaturase; D015126:8,11,14-Eicosatrienoic Acid