George Tsibinos

Depression and serum adiponectin and adipose omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in adolescents

The purpose of the present study was to investigate for a possible relationship between depression and serum adiponectin and adipose tissue omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA. The sample consisted of 90 healthy adolescent volunteers from the island of Crete. There were 54 girls and 36 boys, aged 13 to 18. The mean age was 15.2 years. Subjects were examined by the Preventive Medicine and Nutrition Clinic of the University of Crete. Depression was assessed through the use of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Fatty acids were determined by gas chromatography in adipose tissue. CES-D correlated with dihomo-gamma linolenic acid (DGLA). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that BDI was negatively associated with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), while CES-D was positively associated with DGLA in adipose tissue. Serum adiponectin was not significantly associated with depression. The negative relationship between adipose EPA and depression in adolescents, is in line with findings of previous studies involving adult and elderly subjects, demonstrating negative relations between depression and adipose omega-3 PUFA. This is the first literature report of a relationship between depression and an individual omega-3 fatty acid in adolescents. The inverse relationship between adipose EPA and depression indicates that a low long-term dietary intake of EPA is associated with an increased risk for depression in adolescents.

Lack of an association of depression with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in adipose tissue and serum phospholipids in healthy adults

Studies have shown that depression relates to biomarkers of both short-term and long-term polyunsaturated fatty acid intake. However, it is not known which of these two biomarkers is more closely related to depression. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of depression with both adipose tissue and serum phospholipid polyunsaturated fatty acids and to assess the importance of each of these two biomarkers in relating to depression. This is a cross-sectional study of healthy adults from the island of Crete. Subjects were examined by the Preventive Medicine and Nutrition Clinic of the University of Crete. Subjects were 394 healthy adults (175 males, 219 females) aged 18-60. The sample consisted of farmers from a number of rural communities of Crete. Fatty acids were determined by gas chromatography in adipose tissue and serum phospholipids. Information about depression was obtained through the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (ZSRDS). Adipose tissue alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) (C18:3n-3) was inversely correlated to BDI (r=-0.17, p<0.02). Multiple linear regression analysis taking into account the possible confounding effect of age, gender, body mass index (BMI), smoking and educational level did not confirm this association. The other polyunsaturated fatty acids in adipose tissue were not related to depression. Serum phospholipid polyunsaturated fatty acids did not correlate with depression. This study did not show that the polyunsaturated fatty acids in the adipose tissue are better predictors of depression than those in serum phospholipids.

Adipose tissue fatty acids in breast cancer patients versus healthy control women from Crete.

Background: Few studies have implemented biomarkers of fatty acid intake in relation to breast cancer. Aims: To examine possible differences in adipose tissue fatty acid composition between breast cancer patients and healthy control women. The relationship between tumor promotion and adipose tissue fatty acid synthesis was also investigated. Methods: The study was conducted at the University of Crete. Subjects included 94 women with clinically diagnosed cancer of the breast and 131 healthy control women. Histological tumor grading and breast cancer staging were assessed. Fatty acids were determined by gas chromatography in gluteal adipose tissue. Results: Conditional logistic regression analysis controlling for potential confounders indicated that elevated adipose monounsaturated fatty acids and oleic acid are associated with reduced odds of breast cancer [OR (T2 vs. T1) 0.15; 95% CI 0.03–0.64, and OR (T2 vs. T1) 0.18; 95% CI 0.04–0.71, respectively]. Adipose myristic acid was associated with an increase in breast cancer risk [OR (T3 vs. T1) 5.66; 95% CI 1.3–23.9]. Conclusions: Adipose oleic acid is inversely related, whereas adipose myristic acid is positively related to breast cancer risk. These relations could be mediated by Her-2/neu and FAS oncogenes.

The effect of periodic vegetarianism on serum retinol and α-tocopherol levels.

The Greek Orthodox Christian (GOC) diet is unique in that it regularly interchanges between an omnivorous to a vegetarian type of diet over the course of the ecclesiastical year, and no study to date has focused on its impact on antioxidant vitamins A (retinol) and E (alpha-tocopherol) status. Thirty-seven strict adherents of the GOC, mainly priests and nuns, (18 males, 19 females, mean age 43.0 + or - 13.1 years), and 48 age- and sex- matched controls (21 males, 27 females; mean age 38.6 + or - 9.6 years) were studied prior (pre) and at the end (end) of the Christmas fasting (CF) period (40 days), when meat and dairy products are prohibited. Fasters had been following all dietary recommendations of the GOC for a mean of 21.2 + or - 15.7 years. Compared to the control group, fasters had higher pre- retinol and pre- alpha-tocopherol levels. Fasters reduced their retinol (-0.8 + or - 0.6 micromol/l) and alpha-tocopherol levels (-8.0 + or - 6.6 micromol/L) during the CF period, whereas controls increased them (0.3 + or - 0.7 and 0.4 + or - 4.8 micromol/L, respectively, p<0.001). Nevertheless, values in both groups were well above the lowest cut-off points. All subjects had alpha-tocopherol:total cholesterol ratio >2.25, which is a cut-off value for the anti-atherogenic influence of alpha-tocopherol. Changes of serum alpha-tocopherol and retinol within the CF period correlated positively with changes in total cholesterol (p=0.013 and p=0.017, respectively), whereas the latter was also correlated with changes in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and total cholesterol:high-density lipoprotein (TC:HDL) ratio (p=0.021 and p=0.049, respectively). Dietary intakes of several nutrients did not correlate with concentrations of retinol and alpha-tocopherol in either study group. These results suggest that adherence to the GOC diet does not increase the risk of antioxidant vitamins A and E deficiency.

Gluteal adipose-tissue polyunsaturated fatty-acids profiles and depressive symptoms in obese adults with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea syndrome: A cross-sectional study

Biomarkers of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) have been related to depressive symptoms in healthy adults. It is also known that depression is high prevalent in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea Syndrome (OSAHS) and obesity. The aim of our study was to examine a possible association between PUFAs of the n-6 and n-3 families and depressive symptoms in obese OSAHS patients. Sixty three patients with OSAHS based on overnight attended polysomnography were included. Gluteal adipose tissue biopsies were performed in all participants. Fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale. The majority of participants had grade II obesity (BMI: 36.2±4.3 kg/m(2)) and moderate to severe OSAHS. Mild depressive symptoms were found to affect 27.8% of the studied patients. No link between symptoms of depression and individual n-6 and/or n-3 PUFAs of gluteal adipose tissue was detected. However, multiple linear regression analysis showed a positive correlation between depressive symptoms and 20:3n-6/18:3n-6 ratio, and a negative association with age and n-6/n-3 ratio. The possible influence of OSAHS and obesity in depression development and the quiescent nature of gluteal adipose tissue may account for the absence of any significant relations between n-6 and/or n-3 PUFAs and depressive symptoms in our sample. The positive relationship between symptoms of depression and the particular fatty acid ratio probably indicates an increase in prostaglandins family although this needs further research.

Contents Vol. 54, 2009

236 3rd African Nutrition Epidemiology Conference October 13–16, 2008, Cairo, Egypt Shaalan, A. (Cairo) 250 FENS News 251 IUNS News No. 4