Objectives: To study the association between content in adipose tissue of very long-chain n-3 fatty acids, trans fatty acids, linoleic acid and a-linolenic acid and risk of a ®rst myocardial infarction. Design and subjects: A case-control design among 100 patients and 98 population controls both men and postmenopausal women, age 45 ± 75 y. Adipose tissue fatty acids were determined by gas ± liquid chromatography. Intake data were obtained through interview using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Results: Dietary intake and adipose tissue content of the fatty acids studied correlated signi®cantly. Adipose tissue contents of eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3), docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) were signi®cantly lower while those of trans fatty acids, linoleic and a-linolenic acid were signi®cantly higher in patients than in controls. Age and sex adjusted odds ratios (OR) were signi®cantly reduced with increasing quintiles of very long-chain n-3 fatty acids, thus the OR in the ®fth compared to the ®rst quintile was 0.23 (95% CI 0.08 ± 0.70). After further adjustment for waist-to-hip ratio, smoking, family history of CHD and content of trans fatty acids, the OR in the highest quintile was 0.17 (95% CI 0.04 ± 0.76) and the P for trend 0.016. Age and sex adjusted OR was increased in the ®fth compared to the ®rst quintile of trans fatty acids (OR 2.81, 95% CI 1.16 ± 6.84), linoleic acid (OR 2.10, 95% CI 0.87 ± 5.07) and a-linolenic acid (OR 1.96, 95% CI 0.83 ± 4.61), and P for trend was 0.002, 0.005 and 0.020, respectively. The trends remained signi®cant after adjustment for waist-to-hip ratio, smoking, and family history of coronary heart disease. Trans fatty acids, linoleic acid and a-linolenic acid in adipose tissue were strongly correlated, indicating a common source, most likely margarine. When each of these fatty acid species were adjusted for the two others the trends were no longer signi®cant. Conclusion: Intake of very long-chain n-3 fatty acids as re¯ected in adipose tissue content is inversely associated with risk of myocardial infarction. Trans fatty acids, linoleic and a-linolenic acid were intercorrelated and associated with increased risk. It is suggested that the increased risk may be connected to trans fatty acids or to some other factor associated with margarine consumption.

Increased production of oxidants subsequent to phagocyte stimulation has been associated with tissue damage in lung inflammatory disorders. The overall oxidative burden of the lung may vary with inflammatory cell composition.Flow cytometry using three different dyes, dihydroethidium (DHE), dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) and dihydrorhodamine 123 (DHR), all compounds that by interaction with oxidants are transformed to fluorescent products, was used to examine the production of intracellular oxidants in alveolar macrophages (AMs), including size-defined subpopulations, monocytes (Ms) and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) during in vitro incubation in the presence or absence of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA).PMA stimulation led to slightly increased (two-fold) (p<0.05) DHE-induced fluorescence in AMs, whereas it was greatly increased in Ms and PMNs (13-fold and 113-fold, respectively). The levels of DCFH-DA-and DHR-induced fluorescence were significantly (p<0.05) increased (four-fold and 110-fold, respectively) by PMA stimulation of PMNs, but not of AMs and Ms. Significant differences (p<0.05) in the levels of DHE-and DCFH-DA-induced fluorescence in small and large AMs were also demonstrated.The results show that the potential to increase the generation of various oxidants upon stimulation was: PMNs> Ms>AMs, suggesting that the total oxidative burden of the lungs is dependent on the type of inflammatory cells present, as well as on their state of activation.