title: Hepatic fatty acid composition differs between chronic hepatitis C patients with and without steatosis.
abstract: Hepatic fatty acid (FA) composition may influence steatosis development in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). In a cross-sectional study, we compared the hepatic FA profile in hepatitis C patients with (n = 9) and without (n = 33) steatosis (> or =5% of hepatocytes involved). FA composition of hepatic and RBC total lipids was measured by gas chromatography. Lipid peroxidation and antioxidants in liver and plasma, blood biochemistry, and nutritional status were also assessed. Patients with steatosis had more fibrosis, higher necroinflammatory activity of their hepatitis C infection, were more often infected with genotype 3, and had lower serum cholesterol. Monounsaturated FA in the liver were higher and trans FA were lower in patients with steatosis. Lower stearic acid and higher oleic acid in hepatic total lipids suggested higher Delta9-desaturase activity. alpha-Linolenic acid in the liver was higher and the ratios of long-chain PUFA:essential FA precursors were lower for (n-3) and (n-6) PUFA. Plasma vitamin C was lower in steatosis, but RBC FA composition and other parameters did not differ. We conclude that hepatic FA composition is altered in patients with hepatitis C and steatosis, probably due to modulation of enzymatic elongation and desaturation. Oxidative stress or nutritional status does not seem to play a predominant role for development of steatosis in CHC.
authors.affiliation: University Health Network, Department of Medicine, Toronto, M5G 2C4 Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Bianca M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Arendt
authors.forename: Saira S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.forename: Elaheh
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aghdassi
authors.forename: Nita R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Prayitno
authors.forename: David W L
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Augustin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Maha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guindi
authors.forename: Morris
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.forename: E Jenny
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Heathcote
authors.forename: Johane P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Allard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids