Suicide attempt and n-3 fatty acid levels in red blood cells: A case control study in china
Received 19 February 2004; received in revised form 3 June 2004; accepted 25 June 2004. published online 24 August 2004.
Background
Epidemiologic studies show that low fish intake is a risk factor of suicidality; however, there are no case–control studies investigating suicide attempt risk and tissue n-3 fatty acid levels.
Methods
We recruited 100 suicide-attempt cases and another 100 control patients injured by accidents who were admitted to three hospitals affiliated with Dalian Medical University in Dalian, China. Case and control subjects were matched for age, gender, and smoking status. Those who were inebriated at the time of hospitalization were excluded. Blood was sampled immediately after admission to a hospital. Washed red blood cells (RBCs) were obtained, and the fatty acid composition of the total RBC phospholipid fraction was analyzed by gas chromatography.
Results
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) levels in RBC in the case subjects were significantly lower than those of the control subjects (.74 ± .52% vs. 1.06 ± .62%, p < .0001). When the highest and lowest quartiles of EPA in RBC were compared, the odds ratios of suicide attempt was .12 in the highest quartile (95% confidence interval: .04–.36, p for trend = .0001) after adjustment for possible confounding factors
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that low n-3 fatty acid levels in tissues were a risk factor of suicide attempt. Further studies including intervention with fish oil are warranted.
aDivision of Clinical Application (MH, KH, MI, SW, TH), Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Natural Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sugitani, Toyama-City, Japan
eUniversity Hospital (KT), Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Toyama-City, Japan
bDepartment of Neuropsychology (YS), Dalian Medical University
cPsychiatry Department (HL), Dalian Friendship Hospital
dDalian Blood Component Analysis Center (WK), Dalian-City, Liaoning-Province, China
Reprint requests to Tomohito Hamazaki, M.D., Ph.D., Division of Clinical Application, Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Natural Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama-City, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
ABSTRACT