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Lipids and cardiovascular health

Associations between fatty acids and low-grade inflammation in children from the LISAplus birth cohort study

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 71, pages 1303–1311 (2017)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

Assessing fatty acid (FA) composition in relation to inflammatory markers can shed light on the role of different FA and their metabolism in low-grade inflammation. Existing exploratory studies in children are scarce, and findings inconsistent. We hence aim to analyse associations of FA with common inflammatory markers, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), in 10-year-old children.

Subjects/Methods:

Complete data were available for 958 participants from the 10-year follow-up of the LISAplus (Influence of Lifestyle-Related Factors on the Immune System and the Development of Allergies in Childhood plus the Influence of Traffic Emissions and Genetics) birth cohort study. FA composition was assessed in serum glycerophospholipids. Hs-CRP and IL-6 were categorised into three levels. Associations of FA with inflammatory markers were assessed using multinomial logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders. Additionally, sex-stratified analyses were carried out.

Results:

FA exposures associated with significantly higher low-grade inflammation, as indicated by higher hs-CRP or IL-6 levels, included: palmitic acid (PA) (IL-6: P<0.001, 95% confidence interval: 1.30; 2.43), arachidonic acid (AA) (hs-CRP: P=0.002, 1.07; 1.31), n-6 highly unsaturated FA (HUFA) (hs-CRP: P=0.002, 1.06; 1.27), ratio of AA to linoleic acid (AA/LA) (hs-CRP: P<0.001, 1.16; 1.62) and total saturated FA (SFA) (IL-6: P<0.001, 1.77; 3.15). FA exposures associated with reduced levels of inflammatory markers included LA (hs-CRP: P=0.001, 0.84; 0.96; IL-6: P<0.001, 0.69; 0.90) and total polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) (IL-6: P<0.001, 0.57; 0.78).

Conclusions:

These findings suggest that higher SFA and minor n-6 HUFA, namely PA and AA, are associated with increased low-grade inflammation in children, whereas the major dietary n-6 PUFA and total PUFA are associated with reduced inflammation. Elevated desaturase activity, estimated by the ratio AA/LA, may be associated with higher inflammation, particularly in boys.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all the families for their participation in the LISAplus studies. Furthermore, we thank all members of the LISAplus study groups for their excellent work.The LISAplus study was mainly supported by grants from the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology and in addition from Helmholtz Zentrum Munich (former GSF), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Research Institute at Marien-Hospital Wesel, Paediatric Practice, Bad Honnef for the first 2 years. The 4-, 6- and 10-year follow-up examinations of the LISAplus study were covered from the respective budgets of the involved partners (Helmholtz Zentrum Munich (former GSF), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Research Institute at Marien-Hospital Wesel, Paediatric Practice, Bad Honnef, IUF—Leibniz-Research Institute for Environmental Medicine at the University of Düsseldorf) and in addition by a grant from the Federal Ministry for Environment (IUF Düsseldorf, FKZ 20462296). The work of BK is financially supported in part by the European Research Council Advanced Grant META-GROWTH (ERC-2012-AdG—no.322605).

Author contributions

CH, JH and MS were involved in the conception and design of the study; BK, HD, IL, AvB and JH in the data acquisition; CH, MS and CF in the statistical analyses; CH, MS, HD and JH in the interpretation; CH drafted the manuscript; all authors revised it critically for important intellectual content, and approved the final version to be published.

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Author notes

  1. C Harris, H Demmelmair, A von Berg, I Lehmann, C Flexeder, B Koletzko, J Heinrich and M Standl: Members of the LISAplus study group are listed before references.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Epidemiology I, Helmholtz Zentrum München—German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany

    C Harris, C Flexeder, J Heinrich & M Standl

  2. Ludwig Maximilians-Universität München, Dr von Hauner Children’s Hospital, Munich, Germany

    H Demmelmair & B Koletzko

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Research Institute, Marien-Hospital, Wesel, Germany

    A von Berg

  4. Core Facility 'Studies', Helmholtz Zentrum für Umweltforschung UFZ, Leipzig, Germany

    I Lehmann

  5. Department of Environmental Immunology, Helmholtz Zentrum für Umweltforschung UFZ, Leipzig, Germany

    I Lehmann

  6. Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Inner City Clinic, University Hospital of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany

    J Heinrich

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Harris, C., Demmelmair, H., von Berg, A. et al. Associations between fatty acids and low-grade inflammation in children from the LISAplus birth cohort study. Eur J Clin Nutr 71, 1303–1311 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2017.73

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