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Fatty Acid Analysis of Blood From Violent Offenders

NCJ Number
152458
Journal
Journal of Forensic Psychiatry Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: (May 1994) Pages: 83-92
Author(s)
F Corrigan; R Gray; A Strathdee; R Skinner; A van Rhijn; D Horrobin
Date Published
1994
Length
10 pages
Annotation
In this study, the fatty acids of red cell phospholipids, plasma phospholipids, cholesteryl esters, and high-density lipoproteins were compared for a sample of 19 male violent offenders housed in Scottish prisons, and 25 age-matched controls.
Abstract
The results showed highly significantly increases in oleic acid in plasma phospholipids, cholesteryl esters, and high-density lipoproteins among the offenders, as well as decreases in arachidonic acid in the same lipids. There were also decreased concentrations of other n6 and n3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids among the offenders. The reductions in n6 fatty acids were present without an increase in linoleic acid, indicating that the findings can be explained by altered activity of the delta-6 desaturase enzyme. 6 tables and 24 references