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Unsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 index and hospitalization in MISC
Elisabetta Di Profio1, Patrizia Risé2, Lara Orlandi2
1Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, 20142 Milan, Italy.
Insights
Higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, including docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), correlate with shorter hospital stays in children with MIS-C. This suggests Omega-3s may reduce hospitalization duration.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Omega-3 fatty acids are gaining attention for their potential role in COVID-19 management.
- Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is a serious condition following SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between Omega-3 fatty acid levels and hospitalization outcomes in pediatric MIS-C patients.
- To explore the relationship between Omega-3 Index (O3I) and paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission rates.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of whole blood Omega-3 fatty acid levels in 51 children diagnosed with MIS-C.
- Correlation analysis between fatty acid levels, days of hospitalization, and PICU admission.
- Stratification of patients into quartiles based on Omega-3 Index (O3I).
Main Results:
- A significant negative correlation was found between hospitalization duration and levels of DPA, DHA, and total Omega-3 fatty acids.
- No significant difference in PICU admission rates was observed across O3I quartiles.
- Patients in the highest O3I quartile (Q4) experienced shorter hospitalizations compared to lower quartiles.
Conclusions:
- Elevated levels of DPA, DHA, and a higher O3I may be associated with reduced hospitalization length in children with MIS-C.
- Omega-3 fatty acids show potential as a therapeutic strategy to shorten hospital stays for MIS-C patients.
- Further research is warranted to confirm these findings and explore clinical applications.
Abstract:
The growing interest in Omega-3 fatty acids as diagnostic markers or new therapeutic approaches also for COVID-19 disease, led us to investigate the presence of potential correlations between Omega-3 fatty acids' levels in whole blood and days of hospitalization or admission to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in 51 children with MIS-C diagnosis following SARS-CoV-2 infection. A statistically significant negative correlation was observed between days of hospitalization and docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-3,DPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and total Omega-3 FA levels. Dividing the study group into quartiles according to Omega-3-Index (O3I), no statistically significant difference was observed with respect to the PICU admission rate. In contrast, the number of days of hospitalization in Q4 (O3I ≥ 2.51 %) was different from the number observed in groups Q1-3 (O3I < 2.51 %), with subjects showing higher O3I needing shorter hospitalizations than the subjects with lower O3I. According to previous study investigating O3I in adults affected by Sars-cov-2 we explored the levels of this nutrients in children with MIS-C. Our exploratory study shows that high DPA, DHA and O3I levels could be effective in reducing the length of hospitalization.
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