Unsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 index and hospitalization in MISC.

• Omega-3 index in all MIS-C subjects was significantly lower than healthy children. • Negative correlations were found for DPA, DHA, and total Omega-3 fatty acids respect to days of hospitalization in MIS-C children. • Days of hospitalization for the children belonging to upper quartile of Omega-3 index was statistically significant lower when compared to children in Q1-Q3. • Admission to PICU does not seem to be affected by Omega-3 index. 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]