Imbalance Between Omega-6- and Omega-3-Derived Bioactive Lipids in Arthritis in Older Adults
Coras R, Pedersen B, Narasimhan R, Brandy A, Mateo L, Prior-Español A, Kavanaugh A, Armando AM, Jain M, Quehenberger O, Martínez-Morillo M, Guma M · The Journals of Gerontology: Series A · 2020 May 03
DOI 10.1093/gerona/glaa113
Objective
To investigate the relationship between arthritis symptoms in older adults and oxylipin-related perturbations.
Conclusions
The study concluded that certain oxylipins may play a role in arthritis in older adults, and the imbalance between n-6- and n-3-derived oxylipins could be related to the pathobiology of this population.
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Insights
Certain oxylipins, which are bioactive lipids derived from omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, are potential key influencers in arthritis in older adults.
The research method involved an observational prospective study of 64 patients over the age of 60 with newly diagnosed arthritis, which was categorized as Elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis and polymyalgia rheumatica. Patients' blood samples were taken at the start of the study and 3 months post-treatment, with results compared to 18 control samples. A thorough clinical examination was conducted for each patient. Serum oxylipins (bioactive lipids derived from omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) were determined through mass spectrometry, and data analysis was performed.
In the discussion, it was found that the levels of certain oxylipin species were significantly different between control subjects and arthritis patients. Interestingly, the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids was significantly downregulated in elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis patients compared to controls. Two oxylipins, namely hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid and dihydroxy-eicosatrienoic acid, were identified as top candidates for differentiating polymyalgia rheumatica from elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis. Following treatment, the levels of omega-3 derived anti-inflammatory species increased in elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis patients.
