Fatty acid composition of plasma lipoproteins in control subjects and in patients with malabsorption

Abstract

SUMMARY The fatty acid composition of cholesterol (cholesteryl) ester, triglyceride, and lecithin has been investigated in whole plasma and individual lipoproteins of healthy control subjects, of patients with malabsorption, and also of patients without malabsorption. The results show a decreased proportion of the essential fatty acid linoleic acid in all three lipid classes in both groups of patients as compared with the healthy controls. This abnormality was more marked in the malabsorbers, especially those with steatorrhoea secondary to intestinal resection. Unequivocal biochemical evidence of essential fatty acid deficiency, as indicated by the appearance of 5, 8, 11 eicosatrienoic acid in plasma lecithin, was observed in two patients, both of whom had undergone major intestinal resections. The results suggest that intestinal resection predisposes to the development of essential fatty acid deficiency.The literature on the biochemistry and physiology of essential fatty acids and the syndrome of essential fatty acid deficiency in experimental animals is extensive and has been reviewed relatively recently (Alfin-Slater and Aftergood, 1968). Yet little is known about the occurrence of essential fatty acid deficiency in man, apart from the investigation carried out by Hansen, Wiese, Boelsche, Haggard, Adam, and Davis (1963) who described dermal changes, retardation of growth, and increased caloric requirements in previously healthy infants fed diets low in linoleic acid. Although decreased plasma essential fatty acid levels were reported in children with steatorrhoea due to cystic fibrosis of the pancreas (Kuo and Huang, 1965;Caren and Corbo, 1966) and coeliac disease (Rey, Fr6zal, Polonovski, and Lamy, 1965)

Changes in the Fatty Acid Composition of Plasma Lipoproteins during Administration of Intralipid to a Patient with Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency

“…4. These findings support the concept that plasma cholesterol esters are heterogeneous.Key words : lipoprotein, cholesterol ester, linoleic acid, essential fatty acid deficiency.Recent results (Shimoyama, Kikuchi, Press & Thompson, 1973) confirm previously published data which show that the fatty acid composition of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol esters differs from that of low-or high-density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL) …”

Serum Fatty Acid Composition in Normal Japanese and Its Relationship with Dietary Fish and Vegetable Oil Contents and Blood Lipid Levels

“…On the other hand, Eskimos consume very little vegetable oil and their blood fatty acid profile shows a marked reduction in the level of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid, and marked increases in C l6:0 and C l6:1 con tents [5], resembling the blood fatty acid com position ratio seen in patients with fat malab sorption [10].…”

“…C-1II, E (immunoturbidity method). In order to analyze plasma fatty acids [10], 0.5 ml of plasma was extracted in Folch and hydro lyzed using 6 A' KOH/methanol (5:95, v/v) at 6 0°C for 30 min. After removing nonsaponified fractions in nhexane, the fatty acids were extracted in «-hexane/diethylether (80:20, v/v), methylated using diazomethanc.…”

Serum fatty acids and peroxidase abnormalities in batten's disease

“…This syndrome has been described in elderly patients with peripheral vascular disease [19] in fat malabsorption after major intestinal resection [11,25,27] prolonged fat free intravenous feeding [24] and low fat, high protein dietary supplementation during treatment for Kwashiorkor. Feeding orally or intravenously linoleic acid [31] containing triglycerides easily cured not only the abnormal triene/tetraene ratio but also skin abnormalities.…”