Significance of Serum Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Level Imbalance in Patients with Acute Venous Thromboembolism.
OBJECTIVE
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) take part in various biological events linked to the pathogenesis of venous thromboembolism (VTE), including inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and hypercoagulability. Several studies have demonstrated the association between PUFAs and the occurrence of VTE. However, the role of PUFAs in the pathogenesis of VTE remains unclear.


METHODS
We enrolled 45 patients with acute VTE and 37 age-, gender-, and body mass index-matched healthy volunteers to examine their PUFA levels. Serum omega 3 (eicosapentaenoic acid: EPA and docosahexaenoic acid: DHA) and omega 6 (dihomogammalinolenic acid: DGLA and arachidonic acid: AA) fatty acids levels were measured within 24 h of admission.


RESULTS
Patients with VTE showed significantly higher AA and lower EPA levels, and lower EPA/AA ratios than the controls. Multivariate analysis revealed that AA was an independent marker for VTE. In addition, we divided the patients based on their median age (58 years old). The younger patients with VTE showed significantly lower EPA/AA levels than their age-matched controls, whereas older patients with VTE showed a significantly higher AA/DGLA levels than the older controls.


CONCLUSIONS
High serum AA levels and low EPA levels are associated with the development of acute VTE, suggesting that the imbalance of PUFAs may be a potential therapeutic target for preventing acute VTE.
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Masaru
M
Hiki
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Tetsuro
T
Miyazaki
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Kazunori
K
Shimada
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Yurina
Y
Sugita
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Megumi
M
Shimizu
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Tatsuro
T
Aikawa
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Shohei
S
Ouchi
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Tomoyuki
T
Shiozawa
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Kiyoshi
K
Takasu
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Shuhei
S
Takahashi
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Atsutoshi
A
Takagi
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Katsumi
K
Miyauchi
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine.
Hiroyuki
H
Daida
D015126:8,11,14-Eicosatrienoic Acid / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004032:Diet; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid; D015126:8,11,14-Eicosatrienoic Acid
Arachidonic acid; Dihomogammalinolenic acid; Eicosapentaenoic acid; Fatty acids; Inflammation