title: Omega-3 fatty acids and inflammation: a perspective on the challenges of evaluating efficacy in clinical research.
abstract: Chronic inflammation is a common underpinning of many diseases. There is a strong pre-clinical evidence base demonstrating the efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids for ameliorating inflammation and thereby reducing disease burden. Clinically, C-reactive protein (CRP) serves as both a reliable marker for monitoring inflammation and a modifiable endpoint for studies of anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals. However, clinical omega-3 fatty acid supplementation trials have not replicated pre-clinical findings in terms of consistent CRP reductions. Methodological differences present numerous challenges in translating pre-clinical evidence to clinical results. It is crucial that future clinical nutrition research clearly distinguish between the reversal of established inflammation and preventing the development of inflammation. Future clinical studies evaluating the ability of omega-3 fatty acids to attenuate an excessive inflammatory response, may be advanced by employing new statistical approaches and utilizing models of induced inflammation, such as low-dose human endotoxemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States. Electronic address: aus164@psu.edu.
authors.forename: Ann C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Skulas-Ray
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D019446:Endotoxemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: C-reactive protein; Clinical research; Human endotoxemia model; Inflammation; Omega-3 fatty acids