title: Plasma and erythrocyte membrane phospholipids and fatty acids in Italian general population and hemodialysis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dyslipidemia and abnormal phospholipid metabolism are frequent in uremic patients and increase their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD): ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may reduce this risk in the general population. In this study we compared the plasma and erythrocyte cell membrane composition of PUFAs in a group of Caucasian hemodialysis (HD) patients and in a control group of healthy subjects and evaluated the erythrocyte/cell membrane fatty acid ratio as a marker of the dietary intake of phospholipids. The relationship between ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids and the possible differences in PUFAs concentrations were also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After obtaining a fully informed consent, a total of ninety-nine HD patients and 160 non uremic control subjects from "Tor Vergata" University Hospital were enrolled into the study. None of them took antioxidant drugs or dietary supplements for at least 90 days prior to the observation. Blood samples were analysed by gas-chromatographic coupled to a mass spectrometric detector.The daily intake of total calories, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates is significantly lower in HD patients than in controls (p < 0.001). Most plasma and erythrocyte PUFA were also reduced significantly in HD patients (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that many classes of PUFAs are lacking in HD patients, due to the removal of nutrients during the dialysis and to persistent malnutrition. A dietary treatment addressed to increase plasma ω-3 PUFAs and to optimize ω-6/ω-3 ratio may exert a protective action and reduce the risk of CVD in HD patient.
authors.forename: Mariarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dessì
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noce
authors.forename: Pierfrancesco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bertucci
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Noce
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rizza
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Stefano
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manca di Villahermosa
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernardini
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Lorenzo
authors.affiliation: Department of System Medicine, Nephrology and Hypertension Unit, "Tor Vergata" University Hospital, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy. didaniele@med.uniroma2.it.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Di Daniele
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides