title: Essential fatty acids in plasma of patients with leprosy.
abstract: We have investigated the fatty-acid composition of plasma phospholipids in 61 patients with leprosy of various clinical types with either a short or long duration of treatment. All patients had significantly decreased levels of linoleic acid and alpha-linoleic acid, the parent fatty acids of the n-6 and n-3 families, respectively. Patients with a treatment duration of more than 6 months had significantly low levels of arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid compared to controls or to patients with a treatment duration of less than 6 months. There were no differences in the fatty-acid composition between multibacillary patients and paucibacillary patients. We conclude that dietary supplementation with essential fatty acids may be indicated in patients with leprosy, particularly in those with a long treatment duration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine, London, England.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Manku
mesh_terms: D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000097:blood; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D008041:Linoleic Acids / Q000097:blood; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood; D013229:Stearic Acids / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D013229:Stearic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; C031183:stearic acid; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid