Assessment of Red Blood Cell Membrane Fatty Acid Composition in Relation to Dietary Intake in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Catheterization

• Main Author: Litwin, Nicole S
• Format: Others
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 2014
• Subjects: red blood cell membrane; fatty acid composition; omega-3 fatty acids; coronary artery disease; oxidative stress; Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2319; https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3676&context=etd

Red blood cells (RBC) have been shown to mediate plaque development seen in coronary artery disease (CAD). This study determined whether differences in RBC fatty acid (FA) composition were related to CAD risk. FAs were extracted from RBCs of 38 individuals who have undergone cardiac catheterization, 9 of whom had obstructive CAD, and analyzed via gas chromatography. Ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay was used to determine oxidative stress. Food frequency questionnaires were used to correlate RBC omega-3 FA to daily intake of omega-3 FA. No correlation was found between RBC content and intake of omega-3 FA. FRAP values and RBC FA composition did not differ between the 2 groups with exception of the saturated FA, palmitic acid (p=0.018). These results suggest that RBC FA composition may differ between individuals with or at risk for CAD. Additional research is needed to validate this biomarker as a predictor of CAD.