title: Fatty acid composition of lymphocyte membrane phospholipids in children with acute leukemia.
abstract: The composition of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) of separated mononuclear blood cells (MNC) from patients with leukemia was established by high-resolution gas chromatography. Abnormal fatty acid concentrations are detected in the MNC membrane phospholipids in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) without a deficiency of essential fatty acids (EFA). Significantly reduced relative levels of linoleic acid (4.35 vs. 7.82%; P<0.001) are found in the MNC-PL in patients with ALL as compared to a healthy control group. Moreover, the Delta6-desaturated fatty acids are increased: gamma-linoleic acid (3.56 vs. 0.17%; P<0.001), arachidonic acid (21.82 vs. 16.27%; P<0.05), docosatetraenoic acid (3.52 vs. 1.56%; P<0.001), docosapentaenoic acid (0.34 vs. 0.04%; P<0.001), octadecatetraenoic acid (0.53 vs. 0.23%; P<0.05), eicosatetraenoic acid (1.83 vs. 0.08%; P<0.001) and docosahexaenoic acid (2.77 vs. 1.54%; P<0.001). A increased Delta(6)-desaturase activity is postulated as the cause for the increased level of desaturate products or the increased Delta6-activity index (Ratio of gamma-linoleic acid+dihomogamma-linolenic acid to linoleic acid) (1.21 vs. 0.27; P<0.001). The Delta6-enzyme activities measured using linoleic acid and alpha-linoleic acid as substrate underscore these findings (Delta6(n-6); 2.49 vs. 0.65 and Delta6(n-3); 2.75 vs. 1.12 nmol x h(-1)/10(8) MNC). In contrast, patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) do not show any significant differences in the lymphocyte membrane PLFA and no Delta6-desaturase abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kochstrasse 2, D-07745, Jena, Germany. gerhard.agatha@med.uni-jena.de
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Agatha
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Häfer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zintl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004883:Erucic Acids; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D004883:Erucic Acids; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D010743:Phospholipids; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid