title: Effects of Nucleotides Supplementation of Infant Formulas on Plasma and Erythrocyte Fatty Acid Composition: A Meta-Analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nucleotides (NTs) have been added to infant formulas for several years due to their health benefits. However, studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding the association between NTs and fatty acid (FA) composition. A meta-analysis was performed to assess the effects of NTs supplementation of infant formula on erythrocyte and plasma FA composition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trials that evaluated the association between NTs supplementation and FA composition and were published before October 2014 were included. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Heterogeneity was assessed using Q and I2 tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight studies (364 infants) were included in the meta-analysis. NTs supplementation did not affect the concentrations of total saturated FAs (SMD= 0.05; 95% CI= -0.23-0.32; P = 0.75) or total monounsaturated FAs (SMD= -0.01; 95% CI= -0.28-0.27; P = 0.95) in erythrocyte membranes. Erythrocyte total n-3 (SMD= 0.15; 95% CI= -0.11-0.41; P = 0.27) and n-6 PUFA (SMD= -0.16; 95% CI= -0.42-0.10, P = 0.22) concentrations did not increase with NTs supplementation. The concentrations of erythrocyte n-3 PUFA (18:3, 20:5, 22:5, and 22:6) and n-6 PUFA (18:2, 20:3, 20:4, and 22:4) were not affected by NTs supplementation. NTs significantly increased plasma concentrations of 18:2 n-6 (SMD= 0.90; 95% CI= 0.47-1.33; P < 0.0001), 20:3 n-6 (SMD= 0.56; 95% CI= 0.14-0.97; P = 0.009), and 20:4 n-6 PUFA (SMD= 0.92; 95% CI= 0.50-1.35; P < 0.0001), and significantly decreased the concentration of plasma 18:3 n-3 PUFA (SMD= -0.60; 95% CI -1.12 to -0.09; P = 0.02). No effect was obtained on plasma 20:2 n-6 PUFA concentrations (SMD= 0.06; 95 % CI, -1.03 to -0.2; P = 0.93).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our meta-analysis revealed that NTs supplementation significantly increased plasma 18:2 n-6, 20:3 n-6, and 20:4 n-6 PUFA concentrations in infants, but did not affect erythrocyte FA composition.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Healthy Food, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Lanfang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Healthy Food, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Healthy Food, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Healthy Food, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xingwei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D009711:Nucleotides