title: Red blood cell fatty acids and biomarkers of inflammation: a cross-sectional study in a community-based cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inflammation and inflammatory biomarkers have emerged as integral components and predictors of incident cardiovascular (CV) disease. Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA and DHA) have anti-inflammatory properties, and have been variably associated with lower blood pressure, favorable blood lipid changes, and reduced CV events.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We examined the cross-sectional association of red blood cell (RBC) fatty acids, representative of body membrane fatty acid composition, with 10 biomarkers active in multiple inflammatory pathways in 2724 participants (mean age 66 ± 9 years, 54% women, 8% minorities) from the Framingham Offspring and minority Omni Cohorts. After multivariable adjustment, the RBC EPA and DHA content was inversely correlated (all P ≤ 0.001) with 8 biomarkers: urinary isoprostanes (r = -0.16); and soluble interleukin-6 (r = -0.10); C-reactive protein (r = -0.08); tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (r = -0.08); intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (r = -0.08); P-selectin (r = -0.06); lipoprotein-associated phospholipase-A2 mass (r = -0.11) and activity (r = -0.08). The correlations for monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 was -0.05, P = 0.006 and osteoprotegerin (r = -0.06, P = 0.002) were only nominally significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our large community-based study, we observed modest inverse associations between several types of inflammatory biomarkers with RBC omega-3 fatty acid levels. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties.
authors.affiliation: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's and Boston University's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, USA; Department of Cardiology and Preventive Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: João D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fontes
authors.affiliation: Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Faisal
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's and Boston University's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lacey
authors.affiliation: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's and Boston University's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, USA; Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Martin G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.affiliation: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's and Boston University's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, USA; Department of Cardiology and Preventive Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Epidemiology Department, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Ramachandran S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Vasan
authors.affiliation: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's and Boston University's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, USA; Department of Cardiology and Preventive Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Epidemiology Department, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Emelia J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Benjamin
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, and OmegaQuant Analytics, LLC, 5009 W. 12th St, Ste 8, Sioux Falls, SD 57106, USA. Electronic address: bill@omegaquant.com.
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's and Boston University's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, USA; Department of Cardiology and Preventive Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Sander J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Robins
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000097:blood*; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D065840:Protective Factors; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid
keywords: Biomarkers; Cross-sectional study; Inflammation; Omega-3 fatty acids