Fatty acid analysis of blood from violent offenders

Abstract

We have studied the fatty acids of red cell phospholipids, plasma phospholipids, cholesteryl esters and high density lipoproteins in 19 violent offenders and in 25 age-matched controls. There were highly significant increases in oleic acid (18:ln9) in plasma phospholipids, cholesteryl esters and high density lipoproteins, and there were decreases in arachidonic acid (20:4n6) in the same lipids in the offenders. There were also decreased concentrations of other n6 and n3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in the offenders. The reductions in n6 fatty acids were evident without an increase in linoleic acid (18:2n6), therefore it is unlikely that the findings can be explained by altered activity of the delta-6 desaturase enzyme.