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Updated: Sep 3, 2025
Imaging Features of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease
Published on: June 16, 2020
Associations of serum long-chain fatty acids with multiple organ involvement in patients with sarcoidosis
Takahito Suzuki1, Masato Karayama2,3, Yusuke Inoue1,4
1Second Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu, 431-3192, Japan.
Background:
Fatty acids have diverse immunomodulatory functions and the potential to be associated with inflammatory responses in sarcoidosis.
Methods:
The serum levels of multiple long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) were compared between 63 patients with sarcoidosis and 38 healthy controls. The associations of LCFAs with clinical outcomes of sarcoidosis were also evaluated.
Results:
The patients with sarcoidosis had significantly lower levels of n-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (p < 0.001) and n-6 PUFAs (p < 0.001) than the healthy controls. However, there were no significant differences in the levels of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) between the two groups. On multivariate logistic analysis, lower levels of n-3 PUFAs, n-6 PUFAs, and n-3/n-6 ratio were predictive of sarcoidosis. Among the patients with sarcoidosis, those with multiple organ involvement had significantly lower levels of n-3 PUFAs and n-3/n-6 ratio than those with single organ involvement. There were no significant differences in the levels of n-6 PUFAs, SFAs, and MUFAs between the patients with multiple and single organ involvement. On multivariate logistic analysis, lower levels of SFAs and n-3/n-6 ratio were predictive of multiple organ involvement. The levels of LCFAs had no significant association with radiographic stage or spontaneous remission.
Conclusions:
Assessment of LCFA profiles may be useful for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis and evaluation of the disease activity.
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