Plasma fatty acids and lipid hydroperoxides increase after antibiotic treatment in cystic fibrosis

¹ Dept of Internal Medicine and Cystic Fibrosis, Adult Centre, EA 3096 Université Claude Bernard and Hospices Civils de Lyon, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, 69495 Pierre-Bénite Cedex, France
² Dept of Biostatistics, Hospices Civils de Lyon, 162 avenue Lacassagne 69424, Lyon Cedex 03, France
³ Dept of General, Metabolic, and Molecular Biochemistry, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, 69495 Pierre-Bénite Cedex, France
⁴ Federation of Biochemistry, EA 3090 Université Claude Bernard and Hospices Civils de Lyon, Hôpital Edouard Herriot, 69437 Lyon Cedex 03, France
⁵ Dept of Paediatrics and Cystic Fibrosis, Paediatric Centre, EA 3096 Université Claude Bernard and Hospices Civils de Lyon, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, 69495 Pierre-Bénite Cedex, France

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: isabelle.durieu{at}chu-lyon.fr.

	Abstract

In cystic fibrosis, essential fatty acid deficiency predisposes to infection. We tested whether low plasma fatty acid levels are linked with exacerbation or with the oxidative status.

Fatty acid phospholipid and cholesteryl ester levels were compared between stable-state patients and controls. These levels, oxidative stress markers, nutriments, body mass index, and forced expiratory volume were measured in patients before and after antibiotic courses for bronchial exacerbation. Regression analyses examined relationships.

No differences were found between patients and controls concerning both fractions of palmitic and docosahexaenoic acids or the cholesteryl esters of alpha-linolenic and arachidonic acids. However, in stable-state patients, phospholipids of alpha-linolenic and arachidonic acids as well as cholesteryl esters and phospholipids of stearic and linoleic acids were lower, but both fractions of dihomo-gamma-linolenic, docosatetraenoic, docosapentaenoic, palmitoleic, oleic, and eicosatrienoic acids were higher. After adjustments, fractions of palmitic, stearic, alpha-linolenic, linoleic, arachidonic, palmitoleic, and oleic acids were generally lower during exacerbation but almost all were higher after antibiotic courses. Nearly all fractions increased with forced expiratory volume. A positive relationship linked fatty acids to lipid hydroperoxides.

Despite adequate nutrition, essential fatty acid deficiency was confirmed but not a general drop in fatty acids whose profile depended on pulmonary function and inflammation.