title: Polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma and erythrocyte membrane lipids of diabetic children.
abstract: While insulin is a potent activator of essential fatty acid metabolism, portal hypoinsulinemia is common in Type 1 diabetes. Fatty acids were determined by high-resolution capillary gas-liquid chromatography in plasma and erythrocyte membrane lipids in diabetic children (n = 40) and in age-matched healthy controls (n = 40). In plasma phospholipids, values of linoleic acid (23.00 [2.35] vs. 18.13 [2.54], % by wt, median [range from the first to the third quartile], P<0.000l) and alpha-linolenic acid (0.12 [0.06] vs. 0.07 [0.07], P<0.05) were significantly higher in diabetic children than in controls. In contrast, values of arachidonic acid (10.73 [2.34] vs. 11.53 [2.50], P<0.05) and docosahexaenoic acid (2.23 [0.63] vs. 2.77 [0.98], P<0.01) were significantly lower in diabetic children than in controls. Reduced availability of long-chain polyunsaturates in diabetic children suggests that an enhanced dietary supply of long-chain polyunsaturates may be beneficial.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary. tamas.decsi@aok.pte.hu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Decsi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Minda
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kozári
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Erhardt
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Burus
authors.forename: Sz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Molnár
authors.forename: Gy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soltész
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid