Changes in plasma medium-and long-chain fatty acid composition and its correlation with depression and anxiety symptoms in adult female patients with depression
YU Huan
GUO Lin
XUE Shanshan
CHEN Yihuan
HE Ning
Abstract：Objective To observe the changes in the composition of medium-and long-chain fatty acids(MLFAs)in peripheral blood of adult female patients with depression and analyze their correlation with depression and anxiety symptoms.Methods The demographic data,clinical data and blood samples were collected from 26 adult female patients with depression(depression group)and 24 healthy women(control group).The differences in plasma MLFAs composition between the two groups were compared by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry,and the correlation between the molecular content of differential MLFAs and clinical symptoms was analyzed.Results(1)The scores of Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD)and Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA)in the depression group were significantly higher than those in the control group.(2)There was no significant difference between the two groups in the content of total saturated fatty acid,monounsaturated fatty acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid,but in comparison to the control group,the content of decanoic acid,lauric acid,tridecanoic acid,erucic acid,docosahexaenoic acid,total N3 and N3∶N6 ratio was decreased significantly in the depression group.The content of myristic acid,docosapentaenoic acid,α-linolenic acid,cis-13,16-docosadienoic acid,docosatetraenoic acid and docosapentaenoic acid was significantly increased.(3)α-linolenic acid and cis-13,16-docosahexaenoic acid were positively correlated with HAMA and HAMD scores,while erucic acid,docosahexaenoic acid and N3∶N6 ratio were negatively correlated with HAMA and HAMD scores.Myristic acid was positively correlated with HAMA score,while lauric acid was negatively correlated with HAMD score.Conclusion The abnormal composition of MLFAs in peripheral blood may be related to depression and anxiety symptoms in adult female patients with depression.
Keywords：depressionadult femalemedium-and long-chain fatty acidssaturated fatty acidsunsaturated fatty acidsdocosahexaenoic acidbiomarkersanxiety symptoms
Publication Date：2026-03-31
Online Publishing Date：2026-08-26(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 340-345 )