Depression and serum adiponectin and adipose omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in adolescents

George Mamalakis a,?, Michael Kiriakakis a, George Tsibinos a, Christos Hatzis a, Sofia Flouri a, Christos Mantzoros b, Anthony Kafatos a Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, P. O. Box 2208, 71003 Iraklion, Crete, Greece b Division of Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Received 2 February 2006; received in revised form 6 October 2006; accepted 12 October 2006

In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated an absence of a significant association between serum adiponectin and depression. However, after controlling for adiponectin, significant relationships emerged between adipose tissue DGLA and EPA and depression. This is the first literature report of a relationship between depression and an individual omega-3 fatty acid in adolescents. The observed inverse relationship between adipose EPA and depression in adolescents parallels findings of studies involving different age-groups and may be mediated by cytokine release. Thus, a low long-term dietary intake of EPA is associated with an increased risk for depression in adolescents.