Intakes of saturated and unsaturated fat and circulating levels of inflammatory markers among breast cancer survivors

Abstract

We investigated whether dietary intakes of saturated fat (SFA), monounsaturated fat (MUFA), or polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) were associated with plasma inflammatory markers among breast cancer survivors in Korea. This cross-sectional study included 419 female breast cancer survivors aged 30 to 78 years. Dietary intake was assessed using 3-day dietary records (DRs) or food frequency questionnaires (FFQs). Plasma levels of adiponectin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were measured. We calculated an inflammatory composite score by summing the z-scores of each inflammatory marker, with adiponectin assigned a negative sign. Least-squares means (LS-means) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of inflammatory markers were estimated according to SFA, MUFA, and PUFA intakes using the generalized linear models. We found that increasing dietary MUFA intake was associated with increasing levels of adiponectin, but decreasing levels of hs-CRP (p for trend = 0.042 and 0.032, respectively). Similarly, higher dietary PUFA intake was associated with higher levels of adiponectin (p for trend = 0.023), but lower levels of hs-CRP and inflammatory composite score (p for trend < 0.001 and 0.036, respectively). However, no significant associations were found between SFA intake and plasma inflammatory markers. In conclusion, our results suggest that a higher intake of MUFA or PUFA is associated with a more favorable inflammatory profile among Korean female breast cancer survivors, which may potentially help in managing chronic inflammation.