title: Fatty acid profiles in demented patients: identification of hexacosanoic acid (C26:0) as a blood lipid biomarker of dementia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several lipid metabolism alterations have been described in the brain and plasma of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, suggesting a relation between lipid metabolism alteration and dementia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We attempted to identify blood fatty acids as biomarkers of dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fatty acid profiles were established using gas chromatography with or without mass spectrometry on matched plasma and red blood cells (RBCs) of demented patients diagnosed with AD, vascular dementia, or other dementia, and compared with a control group of elderly individuals. The severity of dementia was evaluated with the Mini-Mental State Examination test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fatty acid analysis showed significant variations of fatty acid levels in demented patients including AD patients. The highest plasma and RBC accumulation was found with hexacosanoic acid (C26:0). Our data also support that alterations of desaturase and elongase activities may contribute to cognitive dysfunction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The variations of fatty acid levels and the accumulation of C26:0 in the plasma and RBCs highlight an alteration of fatty acid metabolism in demented patients and point toward possible peroxisomal dysfunction. It is suggested that C26:0 may constitute a convenient blood biomarker of dementia that could be useful in routine medical practice.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Nutrition, Aliments Fonctionnels et Santé Vasculaire, UR12ES05 Université de Monastir, Tunisia Equipe Biochimie du Peroxysome, Inflammation et Métabolisme Lipidique EA 7270/Université de Bourgogne/INSERM, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Amira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zarrouk
authors.affiliation: Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer GF Leclerc, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Riedinger
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Nutrition, Aliments Fonctionnels et Santé Vasculaire, UR12ES05 Université de Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Samia Hadj
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Nutrition, Aliments Fonctionnels et Santé Vasculaire, UR12ES05 Université de Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hammami
authors.affiliation: Service Neurologie, CHU Fattouma Bourguiba, Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Wafa
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chaabane
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Nutrition, Aliments Fonctionnels et Santé Vasculaire, UR12ES05 Université de Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Meryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Debbabi
authors.affiliation: Service Neurologie, CHU Sahloul, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Sofiene
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Ammou
authors.affiliation: Service Neurologie, CHU de Dijon, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rouaud
authors.affiliation: Service Neurologie, CHU Fattouma Bourguiba, Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mahbouba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frih
authors.affiliation: Equipe Biochimie du Peroxysome, Inflammation et Métabolisme Lipidique EA 7270/Université de Bourgogne/INSERM, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lizard
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Nutrition, Aliments Fonctionnels et Santé Vasculaire, UR12ES05 Université de Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammami
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D003704:Dementia / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012372:ROC Curve
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; C017364:hexacosanoic acid
keywords: Dementia; fatty acid profiles; hexacosanoic acid (C26:0); lipid biomarkers; plasma; red blood cells