Table 2 Plasma polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels in patients with bipolar disorder and healthy controls
Patients (N = 83) | Healthy controls (N = 217) | Statistical comparisona | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Median | 1st to 3rd quartile | Median | 1st to 3rd quartile | ||
n-3 PUFAs | |||||
α-linolenic acid (μg/ml) | 24.4 | 16.1–35.2 | 21.7 | 16.4–27.9 | U = 1.98, P = 0.048 |
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (μg/ml) | 27.9 | 18.7–37.8 | 54.2 | 31.4–76.8 | U = −6.88, P < 0.001 |
docosahexaenoic acid (μg/ml) | 79.8 | 63.2–105.9 | 120.1 | 89.6–148.8 | U = −7.19, P < 0.001 |
n-6 PUFAs | |||||
linoleic acid (μg/ml) | 962.6 | 809.1–1110.2 | 909.8 | 779.3–1073.8 | U = 1.97, P = 0.049 |
γ-linolenic acid (μg/ml) | 11.2 | 7.0–16.7 | 8.2 | 5.1–11.9 | U = 3.86, P < 0.001 |
dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (μg/ml) | 42.0 | 32.0–57.0 | 36.5 | 28.5–45.2 | U = 3.29, P = 0.001 |
arachidonic acid (AA) (μg/ml) | 217.3 | 194.3–255.2 | 188.4 | 152.0–223.9 | U = 5.29, P < 0.001 |
EPA/AA ratio | 0.128 | 0.080–0.176 | 0.267 | 0.160–0.419 | U = −8.26, P < 0.001 |
