Peripheral blood mononuclear cell fatty acid composition and inflammatory mediator production in adult Crohn's disease.

Journal article

BACKGROUND and AIMS: Crohn's disease (CD) is associated with nutritional deficiencies, altered plasma concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and an anti-inflammatory response to fish oil that contains n-3 PUFA. This suggests that, in CD, immune cells may have altered n-3 PUFA composition with functional consequences. The aim of this study is to investigate n-3 and n-6 PUFA composition and synthetic function of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in the basal state. METHODS: A case control study of 52 adult CD patients and healthy, age- and sex-matched controls. Composition of PBMC and plasma phospholipids were measured by gas chromatography and production of tumour necrosis factor-alpha, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) by PBMC were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: CD was associated with higher concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid and other n-3 PUFA, and lower arachidonic acid (AA) (n-6 PUFA) in PBMC. This was not explained by differences in dietary fat intake. Lower rates of production of PGE2 and IFN-gamma by PBMC were noted in quiescent and active CD, respectively, compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS: CD is associated with a greater availability, and not a deficiency, of n-3 PUFA in PBMC, but lower concentrations of AA, and lower rates of production of PGE2 and IFN-gamma, compared to healthy controls.

Authors: Trebble, T; Arden, N; Wootton, SA; Mullee, M; Calder, P

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland)
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 647-655
• Publication date: 2004-08-01
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2003.10.017
• EISSN: 1532-1983
• ISSN: 0261-5614
• Language: English
• Keywords: Case-Control Studies; Phospholipids; Interferon-gamma; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Antioxidants; Humans; Adult; Crohn Disease; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Male; Dinoprostone; Female; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; Fish Oils; Chromatography, Gas; Fatty Acids, Omega-3