title: Blood reticulocyte count and plasma lactate dehydrogenase activity are positively related to the free fatty acid/albumin ratio in geriatric patients.
abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the in vivo relationship between plasma free fatty acid (FFA)/albumin molar ratio and indicators of cellular damage. A case series study was carried out in 20 geriatric patients in a stable clinical condition. Their plasma albumin concentration was in the range 26-42 g l-1. There was a significant positive correlation between the FFA/albumin ratio and (a) reticulocyte count (r = 0.61, p = 0.006), (b) lactate dehydrogenase activity (r = 0.69, p = 0.002), and (c) haptoglobin concentration (r = 0.46, p = 0.05). The haemoglobin concentration was inversely related to relative reticulocyte count (r = -0.55, p = 0.01). Absolute and relative reticulocyte counts were positively associated (r = 0.92, p < 0.0001). The results are in accordance with the contention that a high FFA/albumin ratio in vivo may elicit cellular damage. Further studies are required to elucidate to what extent a high FFA/albumin ratio might be causally related to diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Høstmark
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stensrød
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jebens
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lystad
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kierulf
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Laake
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000502:physiology*; D002477:Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017701:Reticulocyte Count; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D006454:Hemoglobins; D012709:Serum Albumin; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase