title: Habitual food intake and polyunsaturated fatty acid deficiency in liver cirrhosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We compared the habitual food intake and plasma fatty acid composition in cirrhotic patients living in two different regions in Japan, Okayama and Toyama, and evaluated the effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid and alpha-tocopherol intake on serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A quantitative food-frequency questionnaire method was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The significantly higher intake of fish in the patients living in Toyama resulted in higher plasma levels of docosahexaenoic acid and lower levels of arachidonic acid. Serum ALT activity correlated negatively with plasma arachidonic acid (r = -0.456, P < 0.05) and alpha-tocopherol (r = -0.505, P < 0.05) levels. Dietary intakes of vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids (mg/g) correlated negatively with serum ALT (r = -0.377, P < 0.05). Dietary intake of linoleic acid and the ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid in dietary fat correlated significantly with serum ALT (r = 0.604, P < 0.01, and r = 0.622, P < 0.01, respectively). The amount of vegetable intake correlated with intake of vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acid (r = 0.527, P < 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that habitual food intake affects the plasma fatty acid profile and that elevated serum ALT may be related to arachidonic acid deficiency and vulnerability to lipid peroxidation in cirrhotic patients with hepatitis B and C viruses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Science, Faculty of Health and Welfare Science, Okayama Prefectural University, Soja 719-1197, Japan. okita@fhw.oka-pu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Misako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okita
authors.forename: Takayo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sasagawa
authors.forename: Kayoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomioka
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hasuda
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Akiharu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol