. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Jul 1.

Published in final edited form as: Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2012 May 31;87(1):11–16. doi: 10.1016/j.plefa.2012.04.010

Table 4.

Serum levels of marine-derived n-3 fatty acids and other fatty acids (%)

	Icelanders (n=97)	Japanese (n=313)	Japanese Americans (n=297)	Koreans (n=301)	US whites (n=307)
Total marine-derived n-3 fatty acids	6.07(0.25)^a,^b,^c,^d	9.51(0.14)^e,^f,^g	5.26 (0.14)^h,ⁱ	8.62(0.14)^j	4.18 (0.14)
Eicosapentaenoic acids	1.66(0.11) ^a,^b,^d	2.53(0.06) ^e,^f,^g	1.00(0.06) ^h	1.97(0.06) ^j	0.81(0.06)
Docosapentaenoic acids	0.72(0.02) ^a,^c	0.85(0.01) ^e,^g	0.67(0.01) ^h	0.81(0.01) ^j	0.68(0.01)
Docosahexenoic acids	3.04(0.15) ^a,^c	5.94(0.08) ^e,^f,^g	3.15(0.08) ^h,ⁱ	4.83(0.08) ^j	2.40(0.08)
Other fatty acids
Plant derived n-3 fatty acids	0.66(0.05) ^a,^b,^c,^d	0.19(0.03) ^e,^f	0.44(0.03) ^h,ⁱ	1.01(0.03) ^j	0.29(0.03)
Total n-6 fatty acids	36.6(0.5) ^a,^b,^c,^d	34.8(0.2) ^e,^f,^g	41.2(0.2) ^h,ⁱ	33.3(0.2) ^j	41.3(0.2)
Linoleic fatty acids	28.0(0.4) ^a,^b,^c,^d	26.5(0.2) ^e,^f,^g	30.0(0.2) ^h	24.7(0.2) ^j	29.8(0.2)
Arachidonic fatty acids	6.32(0.18) ^b,^d	6.58(0.10) ^e,^f,^g	8.90(0.10) ^h,ⁱ	6.02(0.10) ^j	9.00(0.10)
Saturated fatty acids	33.2(0.25) ^a,^b,^c,^d	31.7(0.14) ^e,^f,^g	30.9(0.14) ^h	34.3(0.14) ^j	30.9(0.14)
Monounsaturated fatty acids	20.6(0.34) ^a,^b,^c,^d	19.5(0.18) ^e,^f	18.1(0.19) ⁱ	18.5(0.19)	18.9(0.19)
Trans fatty acids	0.71(0.09) ^c,^d	0.57(0.05) ^e,^f,^g	0.91(0.05) ^h	1.24(0.05) ^j	1.04(0.05)

Values were age-adjusted and are expressed as mean (standard error).

Total marine-derived n-3 fatty acids were defined as the sum of eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3), docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-3), and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3).

Total n-6 fatty acids were defined as the sum of linoleic acid (18:2n-6), gamma-linoleic acid (18:3n-6), dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (20:3n-6) and arachidonic acid (20:4n-6).

Saturated fatty acids were defined as the sum of myristic aicd (14:0), palmitic acid (16:0) and stearic acid (18:0).

Monounsaturated fatty acids were defined as the sum of palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7), oleic acid (18:1n-9), and cis-vaccenic acid (18:1n-7).

Trans fatty acids indicate the sum of palmitelaidic acid (16n-7:1t), trans 9-octadecanoic acid (18n-9:1t) and linolelaidic acid (18n-6:2tt).

Significance test was based on general linear model followed by Bonferroni correction.

Significant difference between Icelanders and Japanese, p<0.05

Significant difference between Icelanders and Japanese Americans, p<0.05

Significant difference between Icelanders and Koreans, p<0.05

Significant difference between Icelanders and US whites, p<0.05

Significant difference between Japanese and Japanese Americans, p<0.05

Significant difference between Japanese and Koreans, p<0.05

Significant difference between Japanese and US whites, p<0.05

Significant difference between Japanese Americans and Koreans, p<0.05

ⁱ

Significant difference between Japanese Americans and US whites, p<0.05

Significant difference between Koreans and US whites, p<0.05