Characterization of serum polyunsaturated fatty acid profile in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the digestive tract. The aetiology and pathogenesis of IBD are complex, which may lead to metabolic disorders. As a kind of metabolite, polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) is closely related to IBD. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between the serum PUFAs and the pathogenesis of IBD. Design: The study is a hospital-based case-control study. Methods: The serum free PUFAs of all participants, including 104 patients with IBD and 101 normal controls, were detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Results: Compared with the normal control, the levels of C18:2, alpha-C18:3 (ALA), gamma-C18:3, C20:4 (AA), C20:5 (EPA), omega-3 C22:5, omega-6 C22:5 and C22:6 (DHA) PUFAs in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) were obviously decreased. However, in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), the levels of AA, EPA, omega-3 C22:5, omega-6 C22:5 and DHA were downregulated. The concentrations of seven PUFAs were significantly downregulated in the active CD group. In addition, four PUFAs had comparatively higher levels in the remission UC group. Conclusion: The present study revealed substantial differences in the levels of serum fatty acids between normal controls and patients with IBD. In detail, patients with CD were deficient in PUFAs, including the essential fatty acids. Moreover, as the disease activity aggravated, some PUFAs decreased dramatically.