Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry

Abstract

Correlations between Peripheral Trans Fatty Acids, Lipid Peroxidation Markers and Cognition in Dementia

Amira Zarrouk, Imed Cheraif, Samia Hadj-Ahmed, Wafa Chaabane, Sonia Hammami, Meryam Debbabi, Mahbouba Frih, Olivier Rouaud, Thibault Moreau, Gérard Lizard and Mohamed Hammami

Relationships between alterations in lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and dementia are widely suspected. In order to determine the impact of trans fatty acids (TFA) on oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in demented patients, plasma and red blood cells (RBCs) were collected from patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s diseases (AD) or vascular dementia, and from an age-matched healthy control group of elderly individuals. Fatty acid profiles were established by gas chromatography on matched plasma and RBCs. Lipid peroxidation biomarkers (malondialdehyde (MDA) and conjugated dienes (CD)) were analyzed using spectrophotometric methods. The severity of dementia was evaluated with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). An accumulation of MDA and CD and of several TFA was observed in the plasma and RBCs of demented patients. In the plasma and RBCs, positive correlations were found between CD and TFA: C18:1 trans 11 in AD patients; sum of TFA and C18:2 cis 9 trans 12 in patients with vascular dementia (P<0.05). In RBCs, a negative correlation was observed between C18:1 trans 11 and MMSE scores in vascular dementia. Altogether, our data support the existence of relationships between TFA, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation and the risk of cognitive disorders.