Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 22, 2026
Measuring Oral Fatty Acid Thresholds, Fat Perception, Fatty Food Liking, and Papillae Density in Humans
Published on: June 4, 2014
Association between serum fatty acid composition and innate immune markers in healthy adults
1Department of Food and Nutrition, Hanyang University, Wangsimni-ro 222, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, South Korea.
Background/Objectives:
Supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has been shown to generally decrease levels of innate immune markers and inflammatory cytokines, but the specific associations between blood levels of PUFAs and those of innate immune markers have not been investigated. Thus, the present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that innate immune markers as well as cytokines are negatively associated with n-3 PUFAs but positively associated with n-6 PUFAs in healthy adults.
Materials/Methods:
One hundred sixty-five healthy Korean adults aged 25-70 years old were included in this cross-sectional study.
Results:
Serum levels of n-3 PUFAs, such as 18:3n3, 20:5n3, 22:5n3, and 22:6n3 were negatively correlated with eosinophil and basophil counts and TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-10 levels. Multivariate analysis also showed that serum levels of n-3 PUFAs were negatively associated with monocyte, eosinophil, and basophil counts and TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-12 levels. Additionally, the ratio of 20:4n6 to 20:5n3 was positively correlated with eosinophil counts and associated with TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-4 levels. However, NK cell activity was not associated with serum fatty acid composition.
Conclusions:
Innate immune markers such as eosinophil, monocyte, and basophil counts were inversely associated with serum levels of n-3 PUFAs, but were positively associated with the 20:4n6/20:5n3 ratio in this population.
More Related Videos
05:31Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
Published on: August 7, 2017
11:59Isolation of Lipoprotein Particles from Chicken Egg Yolk for the Study of Bacterial Pathogen Fatty Acid Incorporation into Membrane Phospholipids
Published on: May 15, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:31Lipid-derived Compounds in the Human Body
Fat-soluble Vitamins
Fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K, are required in minimal quantities, but their deficiencies can lead to severely abnormal physiological conditions. For example, vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness, dry skin,...
01:38Inflammation
01:25Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System III: Serum Lipid Profile
Serum lipids are fats and fatty substances in the blood and are crucial for various bodily functions, including energy storage, cellular structure, and hormone production. Serum lipids consist of cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids.
Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like substance found in all body cells. It is crucial for producing hormones, vitamin D, and substances that aid...
01:28Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism
Fatty acids are catabolized in a process called beta-oxidation, which takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria and converts their fatty acid chains into two-carbon units of acetyl groups. The acetyl...
01:19Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System II: CRP, Hcy, and Cardiac Natriuretic Peptide Markers
These markers indicate stress or strain on the heart muscle:
Natriuretic Peptides (BNP)
Cardiac myocytes produce these hormones in response to ventricular stretching...
03:38Structure of Lipids