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Associations between fatty acids and low-grade inflammation in children from the LISAplus birth cohort study
C Harris1, H Demmelmair2, A von Berg3
1Institute of Epidemiology I, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.
Insights
In children, higher saturated fatty acids (SFAs) like palmitic acid and arachidonic acid correlate with increased inflammation. Conversely, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are linked to reduced inflammation, with elevated desaturase activity potentially indicating higher inflammation in boys.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Inflammation Research
- Metabolic Health
Background:
- Low-grade inflammation in children is poorly understood, with inconsistent findings regarding fatty acid (FA) roles.
- Existing research on FA composition and inflammatory markers in pediatric populations is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations between serum fatty acid composition and inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, IL-6) in 10-year-old children.
- To clarify the role of specific FAs in low-grade inflammation within a pediatric cohort.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of serum glycerophospholipid FA composition from 958 children in the LISAplus birth cohort study.
- Assessment of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, categorized into three tiers.
- Multinomial logistic regression models were used to examine FA associations with inflammatory markers, adjusting for confounders, with sex-stratified analyses.
Main Results:
- Higher levels of palmitic acid (PA), arachidonic acid (AA), n-6 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA), the AA/linoleic acid (LA) ratio, and total saturated fatty acids (SFA) were associated with increased hs-CRP or IL-6.
- Linoleic acid (LA) and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were associated with reduced levels of inflammatory markers.
- Elevated desaturase activity, indicated by the AA/LA ratio, showed a potential association with higher inflammation, particularly in boys.
Conclusions:
- Specific SFAs (PA, AA) and elevated desaturase activity are linked to increased low-grade inflammation in children.
- Major dietary n-6 PUFAs and total PUFAs appear to have anti-inflammatory effects in this pediatric group.
- Findings highlight differential roles of FAs in pediatric inflammation and suggest sex-specific associations.
Background/Objectives:
Assessing fatty acid (FA) composition in relation to inflammatory markers can shed light on the role of different FA and their metabolism in low-grade inflammation. Existing exploratory studies in children are scarce, and findings inconsistent. We hence aim to analyse associations of FA with common inflammatory markers, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), in 10-year-old children.
Subjects/Methods:
Complete data were available for 958 participants from the 10-year follow-up of the LISAplus (Influence of Lifestyle-Related Factors on the Immune System and the Development of Allergies in Childhood plus the Influence of Traffic Emissions and Genetics) birth cohort study. FA composition was assessed in serum glycerophospholipids. Hs-CRP and IL-6 were categorised into three levels. Associations of FA with inflammatory markers were assessed using multinomial logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders. Additionally, sex-stratified analyses were carried out.
Results:
FA exposures associated with significantly higher low-grade inflammation, as indicated by higher hs-CRP or IL-6 levels, included: palmitic acid (PA) (IL-6: P<0.001, 95% confidence interval: 1.30; 2.43), arachidonic acid (AA) (hs-CRP: P=0.002, 1.07; 1.31), n-6 highly unsaturated FA (HUFA) (hs-CRP: P=0.002, 1.06; 1.27), ratio of AA to linoleic acid (AA/LA) (hs-CRP: P<0.001, 1.16; 1.62) and total saturated FA (SFA) (IL-6: P<0.001, 1.77; 3.15). FA exposures associated with reduced levels of inflammatory markers included LA (hs-CRP: P=0.001, 0.84; 0.96; IL-6: P<0.001, 0.69; 0.90) and total polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) (IL-6: P<0.001, 0.57; 0.78).
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that higher SFA and minor n-6 HUFA, namely PA and AA, are associated with increased low-grade inflammation in children, whereas the major dietary n-6 PUFA and total PUFA are associated with reduced inflammation. Elevated desaturase activity, estimated by the ratio AA/LA, may be associated with higher inflammation, particularly in boys.
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