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Serum polyunsaturated fatty acid composition and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in healthy Japanese residents: The KOBE study

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Background/Objectives

Serum polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition reflects dietary intake and is related to risks for cardiovascular diseases. We hypothesized that serum n-3 PUFA composition, especially including long-chain n-3 PUFA such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is associated with inflammatory status, which is related to increased risk for cardiovascular diseases.

Subjects/Methods

We investigated the relationship between serum PUFA composition and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in a cross-sectional study among 1,102 healthy men and women aged 40–74 years who reside in Kobe City. Multiple linear regression models that predict hs-CRP level were prepared to confirm the contribution of serum total n-3 PUFA, long-chain n-3 PUFA, EPA and DHA compositions after adjusting for other PUFAs and atherosclerotic risk factors.

Results

The serum n-3 PUFA, particularly long-chain n-3 PUFA, compositions were inversely associated with the hs-CRP levels. The standardized regression coefficient was −0.089 (p < 0.01) for total n-3 PUFA, −0.091 (p < 0.01) for long-chain n-3 PUFA, −0.071 (p = 0.03) for EPA, and −0.068 (p = 0.04) for DHA. The n-6 PUFA compositions were also inversely associated with the hs-CRP levels (−0.169 [p < 0.01] for total n-6 PUFA and −0.159 [p < 0.01] for linoleic acid).

Conclusions

The serum n-3 PUFA compositions were inversely related with the hs-CRP levels, similar associations were also observed in n-6 PUFA compositions. Our results suggest that dietary PUFA intake was inversely associated with attenuated inflammation in healthy Japanese population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cohort Study Team, Department of Research and Development of Preemptive and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation, Kobe, Japan

    Yoshimi Kubota, A. Higashiyama, H. Imano, D. Sugiyama, A. Kadota, K. Nishimura, N. Miyamatsu, Y. Miyamoto & T. Okamura

  2. Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan

    Yoshimi Kubota & A. Higashiyama

  3. Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiologic Informatics, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Osaka, Japan

    A. Higashiyama, K. Nishimura & Y. Miyamoto

  4. Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan

    H. Imano

  5. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan

    D. Sugiyama & T. Okamura

  6. Pro-Cluster Kobe, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation, Kobe, Japan

    K. Kawamura

  7. Center for Epidemiologic Research in Asia, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan

    A. Kadota

  8. Department of Clinical Nursing, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan

    N. Miyamatsu

  9. Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1, Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, 663-8501, Japan

    Yoshimi Kubota

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  1. Yoshimi Kubota
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Correspondence to Yoshimi Kubota.

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Kubota, Y., Higashiyama, A., Imano, H. et al. Serum polyunsaturated fatty acid composition and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in healthy Japanese residents: The KOBE study. J Nutr Health Aging 19, 719–728 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0497-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0497-9

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