Research Article

Relationship between RBC Mercury Levels and Serum n3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Concentrations among Japanese Men and Women

Table 1

Age specific concentrations of total mercury, EPA, and HDL-EPA.

Age 𝑃 for trend*1
<6970–7475–79>80

Hg in red blood cells
 Men
   𝑁 26252423
  Mean*2 (ng/g)41.933.928.223.7<0.001
  95% CI33.3–53.428.6–40.522.2–36.517.8–32.4
 Women
   𝑁 70293042
  Mean*2 (ng/g)24.321.717.621.70.114
  95% CI20.6 –29.016.4–29.513.7–23.018.0–26.4

EPA in sera
 Men
   𝑁 26252423
  Mean*2 (mg/L)68.360.256.334.40.001
  95% CI54.0–87.645.3–81.742.8–75.525.4–48.0
 Women
   𝑁 70293042
  Mean*2 (mg/L)57.357.254.548.20.070
  95% CI51.4–64.147.6–69.346.1–64.841.3–56.6

EPA in the HDL fraction of sera
 Men
   𝑁 26242421
  Mean*2 (mg/L)25.022.626.115.90.076
  95% CI19.9–32.016.8–32.020.0–35.612.0–21.7
 Women
   𝑁 71302940
  Mean*2 (mg/L)21.123.820.819.10.350
  95% CI18.8–23.720.2–28.217.1–25.616.1–22.9

*1: The continuous 𝑃 for trend was calculated by treating age as a continuous variable.
*2: Geometric mean.