Procoagulant activity and cytokine expression in whole blood cultures frompatients with atherosclerosis supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA) may reduce atherogenesis and thrombosis. We in vestigated the effects of n-3 FAs on procoagulant activity and cytokine exp ression in whole blood cultures from patients with atherosclerosis, Eleven of the 23 included patients had received 5.1 g n-3 FA daily for 6 months (g roup I) whereas 12 patients had been on placebo (group II). All patients we re then given 5.1g n-3 FA daily for another 4 weeks. At baseline significantly lower levels of LPS-induced prothrombin fragment( 1+2) were found in group I (p = 0.010), this difference being eliminated af ter 4 weeks. Il-6 and TNFalpha were significantly higher at baseline in gro up I and the differences in changes from baseline be-tween the groups were statistically highly significant with increasing values in group II (Il-6 p = 0.001, TNFalpha p = 0.002). The present results indicate a reduction in pro-thrombotic potential in pat ients receiving highly concentrated n-3 FA, whereas some proinflammatory re sponses might be adverse.