title: Relationship between RBC mercury levels and serum n3 polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations among Japanese men and women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate potential health risk and benefits of fish consumption, the association of fish consumption with total mercury levels in red blood cells (RBCs) and serum eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) concentrations was examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study subjects were 269 Japanese (98 men and 171 women) living in a remote island of Kagoshima, and their blood was drawn in 1994.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total mercury levels were related to weekly fish consumption among women (P = 0.035) but not among men (P = 0.643). However, serum EPA levels were not related to fish consumption in both women and men. In contrast, EPA levels in the high-density ipoprotein (HDL) fraction of the sera were significantly related to fish consumption (P values for men and women were 0.014 and 0.073, resp.). Interestingly, mercury levels were related to serum EPA levels and EPA in the HDL fraction of the sera (P = 0.001) among women (P = 0.005) but not among men. Sex differences in fish species consumed may be an explanation for the observed sex difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Those findings suggest that the health benefit of fish consumption can be maximized by the careful selection of fish species consumed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-1 Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyusyu 807-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitano
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wakamiya
authors.forename: Chihaya
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koriyama
authors.forename: Suminori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akiba
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D004032:Diet; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000145:classification; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid; D008628:Mercury