Involvement of dietary Fatty acids in multiple biological and psychological functions, in morbidly obese subjects.
BACKGROUND
Fatty acid (FA) profile is often altered, in morbidly obese subjects, both before and after bariatric surgery. We measured FA plasma levels before and 6 months after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), in order to evaluate their relationship with different biological and psychological parameters and the impact of RYGB on the FA plasma levels.


METHODS
Thirty eight morbidly obese patients were investigated before RYGB, and 28 of them were reexamined 6 months postoperatively. Anxiety, depression, and quality of life were evaluated by validated questionnaires. Plasma FA (saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated ω-6 and ω-3), vitamins A and E, fasting insulinemia, and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured.


RESULTS
Before surgery, ω-3 polyunsaturated FA and vit A showed significant negative relationship with fasting insulinemia (γ-linolenic p = 0.03, eicosapentaenoic, vit A p = 0.01) and hs-CRP (eicosapentaenoic p = 0.03, vit A p = 0.02) and a positive link with HDL cholesterol (γ-linolenic p = 0.03, vit A p = 0.02). Depression score was significantly and negatively linked with palmitoleic (p = 0.03), γ-linolenic (p = 0.006), dihomo-γ-linolenic (p = 0.02), and α-linolenic (p = 0.03) acids. After surgery, FA and both vit A and E were significantly reduced. Vit A levels were below 2.4 μmol/l in 63 % of the patients, preoperatively, and in 79 % after surgery. Preoperative levels of linoleic acid were significantly related with the postoperative weight reduction (p = 0.0006).


CONCLUSIONS
FA are involved in several biological and psychological functions. The RYGB-induced reduction of FA could have deleterious consequences on vitamin absorption, metabolism, and depression. Thus, the surveillance of FA levels is of primary importance both before and after RYGB.
Service of Therapeutic Education for Chronic Diseases, WHO Collaborating Centre, University Hospitals of Geneva, Gabrielle Perret-Gentil 4, 1211, Geneva 14, Switzerland, anne.carpetier@hcuge.ch.
Anne
A
Chalut-Carpentier
Zoltan
Z
Pataky
Alain
A
Golay
Elisabetta
E
Bobbioni-Harsch
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D015390:Gastric Bypass; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D005227:Fatty Acids; D002097:C-Reactive Protein