Sites of Conditional Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency in End Stage Liver Disease

Background: End stage liver disease (ESLD) is a devastating illness. Its protean manifestations involve many different aspects of disturbed hepatic function. One consequence of ESLD is a decrease in plasma levels of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VL-PUFAs), particularly arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the former important for eicosanoid metabolism and the latter for retinal and brain membrane structure. The purpose of this study was to define the VL-PUFA changes in liver disease by comparing plasma and tissue levels of VL-PUFAs in controls to patients with ESLD. Methods: Fatty acid profiles from plasma, red blood cell (RBC) membranes, muscle, liver, and fat tissue from ESLD patients undergoing liver transplants were measured and compared with control patients undergoing elective liver resection. Results: Fatty acid profiles from plasma and RBC membranes showed significant decreases in AA and DHA levels in patients with ESLD compared with controls. However, there were no...