Effects of Fish Oil on HIV-Related Inflammation and Markers of Immunosenescence: A Randomized Clinical Trial

To explore the safety and efficacy of fish oil to modulate parameters of inflammation and immunosenescence in HIV-infected older adults.

This study uses a randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial.

The study was conducted in an outpatient HIV/AIDS clinic in a large urban Midwestern city in the United States.

A total of 37 clinically stable HIV-infected adults between the ages of 40 and 70 years of age participated.

Fish oil 1.6 g/day was administered for 12 weeks or placebo.

Inflammatory cytokine production, surface markers of immunosenescence, and adverse events were measured.

After 12 weeks of supplementation, there were no significant differences between the treatment and control groups on any measures of inflammation or immunosenescence in both CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T lymphocytes. More participants in the treatment group reported adverse gastrointestinal events compared with the control group.

A 12-week supplementation regimen of 1.6 g/day of fish oil did not favorably modulate parameters of inflammation or immune senescence in HIV-infected adults. Future studies should test agents that directly target mechanisms that underlie HIV-related inflammation to determine whether reducing inflammation can reverse immunosenescence.