99. The serum levels of n-3 fatty acids and IL-6 were independently associated with depressive symptoms in female population

Inflammation, oxidation and some fatty acids (FAs) have been addressed in relation to depression. To investigate these associations, we compared perceived depression with peripheral serum FAs, inflammatory and oxidative stress markers. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 141 female workers in a hospital and nursing homes. Depressive symptoms were assessed utilizing the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. FAs, IL-6 cytokine, hs-CRP and oxidised (ox-) LDL in the serum from the peripheral blood were measured. Prior to data analysis, two participants taking sleeping drug, and nine whose serum triglyceride levels were over 200 mg/dl were excluded; consequently, 129 subjects were analysed. After controlling for confounders, CES-D scores were negatively correlated with the serum concentration and percentage of n-3 poly-unsaturated FAs (PUFAs: Docosahexaenoic acid, DHA; Eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA), and positively correlated with IL-6 concentrations, whereas there were no significant correlations between CES-D scores and either hs-CRP or ox-LDL concentrations. Hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed that IL-6 and n-3 PUFA were independently related with CES-D scores ( p p