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Can polymorphisms in the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene cluster alter the effects of fish oil supplementation on plasma and erythrocyte fatty acid profiles? An exploratory study

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Abstract

Purpose

The enzymes encoded by fatty acid desaturases (FADS) genes determine the desaturation of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA). We investigated if haplotype and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FADS gene cluster can influence LCPUFA status in infants who received either fish oil or placebo supplementation.

Methods

Children enrolled in the Infant Fish Oil Supplementation Study (IFOS) were randomly allocated to receive either fish oil or placebo from birth to 6 months of age. Blood was collected at 6 months of age for the measurement of fatty acids and for DNA extraction. A total of 276 participant DNA samples underwent genotyping, and 126 erythrocyte and 133 plasma fatty acid measurements were available for analysis. Twenty-two FADS SNPs were selected on the basis of literature and linkage disequilibrium patterns identified from the HapMap data. Haplotype construction was completed using PHASE.

Results

For participants allocated to the fish oil group who had two copies of the FADS1 haplotype consisting of SNP minor alleles, DHA levels were significantly higher compared to other haplotypes. This finding was not observed for the placebo group. Furthermore, for members of the fish oil group only, the minor homozygous carriers of all the FADS1 SNPs investigated had significantly higher DHA than other genotypes (rs174545, rs174546, rs174548, rs174553, rs174556, rs174537, rs174448, and rs174455).

Conclusions

Overall results of this preliminary study suggest that supplementation with fish oil may only significantly increase DHA in minor allele carriers of FADS1 SNPs. Further research is required to confirm this novel finding.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to acknowledge and sincerely thank the mothers and infants who took part in the study. We also acknowledge the Childhood Allergy and Immunology Research (CAIR) group for recruiting and managing the greater IFOS cohort. We also extend acknowledgments to the laboratory staff at German Research Centre for Environmental Health in Neuherberg, Germany for their assistance in performing the genotyping. This work was supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC) (Grant Number: 1004494). The NH&MRC had no role in the design, analysis, or writing of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Paediatrics and Child Health M561, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Suzanne J. Meldrum, Guicheng Zhang, Alexandra E. M. Heaton, Nina D’Vaz, Susan L. Prescott & Karen Simmer

  2. Centre for Neonatal Research and Education, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia

    Suzanne J. Meldrum, Alexandra E. M. Heaton & Karen Simmer

  3. School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia

    Suzanne J. Meldrum

  4. Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China

    Yuchun Li & Guicheng Zhang

  5. School of Public Health, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA, Australia

    Guicheng Zhang

  6. Research Unit of Molecular Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany

    Judith Manz, Eva Reischl & Berthold V. Koletzko

  7. Department of Paediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, University of Munich Medical Centre, Munich, Germany

    Berthold V. Koletzko

  8. Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia

    Nina D’Vaz & Susan L. Prescott

  9. ‘In-Flame’ International Network, Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), Perth, WA, Australia

    Susan L. Prescott

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  1. Suzanne J. Meldrum
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  2. Yuchun Li
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Contributions

SJM, KS, ND, and SLP were responsible for the project conception and development of overall research plan. KS, SLP, and BVK were responsible for study oversight. ND and AEMH were responsible for the DNA amplification and preparation of samples for genotyping. ER was responsible for designing and supervising the genotyping assays. JM was responsible for conducting the genotyping assays and SNP calling. SJM and GZ analysed the data. SJM wrote the paper, with assistance and editing from all authors, particularly GZ. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Suzanne J. Meldrum.

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Meldrum, S.J., Li, Y., Zhang, G. et al. Can polymorphisms in the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene cluster alter the effects of fish oil supplementation on plasma and erythrocyte fatty acid profiles? An exploratory study. Eur J Nutr 57, 2583–2594 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-017-1529-5

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