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. 2020 Oct 13;4(11):nzaa156.
doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzaa156. eCollection 2020 Nov.

Nonesterified Fatty Acids and Depression in Cancer Patients and Caregivers

Megan R McCusker  1 , Richard P Bazinet  2 , Adam H Metherel  2 , Roberta Yael Klein  1 , Arjun Kundra  3 , Benjamin Haibe-Kains  4 , Madeline Li  1
Affiliations

Nonesterified Fatty Acids and Depression in Cancer Patients and Caregivers

Megan R McCusker et al. Curr Dev Nutr. .

Abstract

Background: Nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) are known to have inflammatory effects. The inflammatory hypothesis of depression suggests that omega-3 (ω-3) and omega-6 (ω-6) fatty acids might be negatively and positively correlated with depression, respectively.

Objective: An exploratory study was conducted to determine the association between dietary free fatty acids and depressive symptoms in cancer patients and caregivers.

Methods: Associations between depression and the NEFA pool were investigated in 56 cancer patients and 23 caregivers using a combination of nonparametric tests and regularized regression. Plasma NEFAs were measured using thin layer and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Depression was characterized both as a continuous severity score using the GRID-Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (GRID Ham-D), and as a categorical diagnosis of major depression by structured clinical interview.

Results: Initial hypotheses regarding the relation between depression and omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids were not well supported. However, elaidic acid, a trans-unsaturated fatty acid found in hydrogenated vegetable oils, was found to be negatively correlated with continuous depression scores in cancer patients. No significant associations were found in caregivers.

Conclusions: An unexpected negative association between elaidic acid and depression was identified, supporting recent literature on the role of G protein-coupled receptors in depression. Further research is needed to confirm this result and to evaluate the potential role of G protein agonists as therapeutic agents for depression in cancer patients.

Keywords: GPR120; GPR40; IL-1ra; LASSO; cytokines; elaidic acid; machine learning; nonesterified fatty acid.

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Figures

FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Relationship between elaidic acid and total depression at high (> median) (A) and low (< median) (B) values of IL-1ra.
FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Follow-up data on 6 patients provide further support for a negative trend between changes in total depression and elaidic acid by weight percentage (A) and concentration (B). Patients exhibiting higher elaidic acid concentrations, relative to earlier time points, also exhibited lower depression levels.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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