The relationship of plasma polyunsaturated fatty acid deficiency with survival in advanced liver cirrhosis: multivariate analysis.
Total plasma fatty acids were measured in 101 cirrhotic inpatients (64 men, 37 women, aged 64.3 +/- 1.2 (SEM) yr; range, 34-80) who were subsequently followed for survival for a mean of 14.8 +/- 1.0 months. Data on plasma fatty acids have been published elsewhere. Individual values of these variables were categorized in a binary fashion using the 5th or the 95th percentiles of a group of 44 well-nourished healthy controls (24 men, 20 women, aged 51.3 +/- 2.1 yr; range, 32-76) as the cutoff limit. Forty-nine patients died during follow-up (2-yr cumulative probability of survival, 52%). Deficiency of palmitate, dihomo-tau-linolenate, and arachidonate (values below the 5th percentile) were univariately associated with death (long-rank test). However, after a multivariate analysis (Cox's proportional hazards regression), only the existence of plasma arachidonate deficiency was included in the final model (beta, 0.62; relative risk, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.06-3.25; p < 0.05). We conclude that arachidonic acid deficiency significantly increases the mortality risk in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis.
Cabré
E
E
Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.
Abad-Lacruz
A
A
Núñez
M C
MC
González-Huix
F
F
Fernández-Bañares
F
F
Gïl
A
A
Esteve-Comas
M
M
Moreno
J
J
Planas
R
R
Guilera
M
M
D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors
D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D016718:Arachidonic Acid