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Erythrocyte membrane n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are inversely associated with the presence and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Chinese adults: a prospective study.

Authors :
Chen, Zhan-yong
Liu, Meng
Jing, Li-peng
Xiao, Mian-li
Dong, Hong-li
Chen, Geng-dong
Chen, Yu-ming
Source :
European Journal of Nutrition; Apr2020, Vol. 59 Issue 3, p941-951, 11p, 2 Diagrams, 4 Charts, 1 Graph
Publication Year :
2020

Abstract

Purpose: Previous studies have shown that high-dose supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may benefit patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but the association of n-3 PUFAs with NAFLD among individuals with normal diets is only speculative. We investigated the cross-sectional and prospective associations between n-3 PUFAs and NAFLD in Chinese adults. Methods: This community-based prospective study included 3049 men and women (40–75 years) in Guangzhou, China, whose participants completed an NAFLD ultrasound evaluation and erythrocyte PUFA tests. A total of 2660 participants underwent the second NAFLD evaluation approximately 3 years later. α-Linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in erythrocytes were measured by gas chromatography. Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, we observed inverse associations between DHA, DHA + EPA, total n-3 PUFAs and the presence of NAFLD in the cross-sectional analysis. The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of NAFLD for the highest (vs. lowest) tertile were 0.74 (0.61, 0.90) for DHA, 0.82 (0.67, 1.00) for EPA, 0.73 (0.60, 0.88) for DHA + EPA and 0.74 (0.61, 0.91) for total n-3 PUFAs (all P values≤0.05). Over the average 3.12 years of follow-up, higher levels of DHA was associated with an improvement of NAFLD. The hazard ratio of improved NAFLD for the highest tertile was 1.18 (95% CI 1.09, 1.33) for DHA. Pathway analyses showed that favorable associations may be mediated by improvements in inflammatory markers (e.g., interleukin 1 beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha-like). Conclusions: Erythrocyte membrane n-3 PUFAs are inversely associated with the presence and progression of NAFLD in Chinese adults. Trial registrations: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03179657. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
14366207
Volume :
59
Issue :
3
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
European Journal of Nutrition
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
142425074
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-019-01953-2