title: Essential fatty acid deficiency profile in patients with nephrotic-range proteinuria.
abstract: Plasma free fatty acids are bound to albumin, filtered through the glomeruli, and reabsorbed at the proximal nephron. The aim of the present investigation was to determine if urinary loss of fatty acids results in essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency in patients with nephrotic-range proteinuria. We studied 12 patients aged 9 months to 23 years (eight male, four female) four suffering from congenital nephrotic syndrome (NS) and eight from different renal diseases. Six patients were studied postrenal transplantation. Proteinuria ranged between 41 and 829 mg/m2/h. Results were compared with data obtained in 83 healthy children. The patients had significantly lower values for plasma arachidonic acid content and EFA index (omega3 + omega6/omega7 + omega9). Deficiency in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was especially manifest in infants with congenital NS. Plasma content of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids related negatively with the degree of proteinuria. In the lineal regression model, the degree of proteinuria explained 60% of the variability of plasma values of those fatty acids. We conclude that plasma fatty acid status should be regularly monitored in patients with nephrotic-range proteinuria, especially in young infants with congenital NS, who represent a population at special risk with regard to neurological development.
authors.affiliation: Division of Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital de Cruces and Basque University School of Medicine, Bilbao, País Vasco, Spain. kaldamiz@hcru.osakidetza.net
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aldámiz-Echevarría
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vallo
authors.forename: Mireia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aguirre
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sanjurjo
authors.forename: Domingo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Lamuño
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elorz
authors.forename: José Angel
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Soriano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential