title: Correlation between the serum eicosapentanoic acid-to-arachidonic acid ratio and the severity of cerebral white matter hyperintensities in older adults with memory disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The relationships of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), to stroke and cardiovascular events have been studied extensively. The present study was undertaken to analyze the relationships of the severity of cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMH) to the blood polyunsaturated fatty acids level and the ratio of serum EPA level to the serum arachidonic acid (AA) level (EPA/AA ratio) among older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 150 patients underwent diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging and blood sampling under the fasting state. In regard to WMH, the periventricular hyperintensities and deep white matter hyperintensities were rated according to the Fazekas classification. The serum docosahexaenoic acid, EPA, AA, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid and EPA/AA ratio were compared in relation to the grade of severity of WMH. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis was carried out with age, sex and atherosclerosis risk factors (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, smoking status) as the covariables, serum polyunsaturated fatty acids level as an independent variable and Fazekas grade as the dependent variable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A rise of the periventricular hyperintensities grade was associated with a significant reduction of the mean EPA level (P < 0.05) and EPA/AA ratio (P < 0.05). The multiple regression analysis identified a significant negative correlation between the periventricular hyperintensities grade and the serum EPA/AA ratio (β = -0.215, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the serum EPA/AA ratio have an important role in the formation and progression of WMH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koshiba
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshifumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kozaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D018450:Disease Progression; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D049292:Leukoaraiosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D066127:White Matter / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid
keywords: eicosapentaenoic acid; eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid; leukoaraiosis; polyunsaturated fatty acids; white matter hyperintensity