2. Academic Validation
  3. Fatty acid profiles in demented patients: identification of hexacosanoic acid (C26:0) as a blood lipid biomarker of dementia

Fatty acid profiles in demented patients: identification of hexacosanoic acid (C26:0) as a blood lipid biomarker of dementia

  • J Alzheimers Dis. 2015;44(4):1349-59. doi: 10.3233/JAD-142046.
Amira Zarrouk 1,  Jean-Marc Riedinger 2,  Samia Hadj Ahmed 3,  Sonia Hammami 3,  Wafa Chaabane 4,  Meryam Debbabi 3,  Sofiene Ben Ammou 5,  Olivier Rouaud 6,  Mahbouba Frih 4,  Gérard Lizard 7,  Mohamed Hammami 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Laboratoire Nutrition, Aliments Fonctionnels et Santé Vasculaire, UR12ES05 Université de Monastir, Tunisia Equipe Biochimie du Peroxysome, Inflammation et Métabolisme Lipidique EA 7270/Université de Bourgogne/INSERM, Dijon, France.
  • 2 Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer GF Leclerc, Dijon, France.
  • 3 Laboratoire Nutrition, Aliments Fonctionnels et Santé Vasculaire, UR12ES05 Université de Monastir, Tunisia.
  • 4 Service Neurologie, CHU Fattouma Bourguiba, Monastir, Tunisia.
  • 5 Service Neurologie, CHU Sahloul, Sousse, Tunisia.
  • 6 Service Neurologie, CHU de Dijon, Dijon, France.
  • 7 Equipe Biochimie du Peroxysome, Inflammation et Métabolisme Lipidique EA 7270/Université de Bourgogne/INSERM, Dijon, France.
PMID: 25428249 DOI: 10.3233/JAD-142046
Abstract

Background: Several lipid metabolism alterations have been described in the brain and plasma of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, suggesting a relation between lipid metabolism alteration and dementia.

Objective: We attempted to identify blood fatty acids as biomarkers of dementia.

Methods: Fatty acid profiles were established using gas chromatography with or without mass spectrometry on matched plasma and red blood cells (RBCs) of demented patients diagnosed with AD, vascular dementia, or Other dementia, and compared with a control group of elderly individuals. The severity of dementia was evaluated with the Mini-Mental State Examination test.

Results: Fatty acid analysis showed significant variations of fatty acid levels in demented patients including AD patients. The highest plasma and RBC accumulation was found with hexacosanoic acid (C26:0). Our data also support that alterations of desaturase and elongase activities may contribute to cognitive dysfunction.

Conclusion: The variations of fatty acid levels and the accumulation of C26:0 in the plasma and RBCs highlight an alteration of fatty acid metabolism in demented patients and point toward possible peroxisomal dysfunction. It is suggested that C26:0 may constitute a convenient blood biomarker of dementia that could be useful in routine medical practice.

Keywords

Dementia; fatty acid profiles; hexacosanoic acid (C26:0); lipid biomarkers; plasma; red blood cells.

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