Dietary supplementation with n-3 fatty acids suppresses interleukin-2 production and mononuclear cell proliferation
Abstract
We studied the in vitro production of interleukin-2 in nine healthy volunteers who added 18 g/day of fish-oil concentrate rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to their normal Western diet for a period of 6 weeks. Interleukin-2 synthesis from stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells was suppressed from 6.2 ng/ml at baseline to 2.2 ng/ml 10 weeks after the end of n-3 fatty acid supplementation (65% decrease; P = .04). At the same time phytohemagglutinin-induced proliferation of mononuclear cells was suppressed by 70% from the presupplement level. Interleukin-2 production returned to the premedication level at the end of the studies. The results suggest that the effect of dietary n-3 fatty acids in some diseases may be mediated in part by decreased production of interleukin-2 and decreased mononuclear cell proliferation.
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- Authors
- Endres, S., Meydani, S. N., Ghorbani, R., Schindler, R., & Dinarello, C. A.
- Affiliations
- Tufts University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Endres, Stefan
- Venue
- Journal of Leukocyte Biology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1993-12-01
- Volume
- 54
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 599-603
- ISSN
- 0741-5400 (ISSN-L)
- 1938-3673
- OpenAlex
- W2287666202
- Cited by
- 228
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 5.48
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Leukocyte Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (AI‑15614)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Fatty Acid Research and Health
- Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Organic Chemistry › Edible Oils Quality and Analysis
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Inflammatory mediators and NSAID effects
- Keywords
- omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, dietary supplementation, interleukin-2, mononuclear cell proliferation, phytohemagglutinin, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, immunosuppression, healthy volunteers
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Cell Division, Dietary Fats, Unsaturated, Food, Fortified, Humans, Interleukin-1, Interleukin-2, Leukocytes, Mononuclear, Male, Time Factors, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Fatty Acids, Omega-3
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