title: Erythrocyte phospholipid and polyunsaturated fatty acid composition in diabetic retinopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) including docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid are suspected to play a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetes. LCPUFAs are known to be preferentially concentrated in specific phospholipids termed as plasmalogens. This study was aimed to highlight potential changes in the metabolism of phospholipids, and particularly plasmalogens, and LCPUFAs at various stages of diabetic retinopathy in humans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We performed lipidomic analyses on red blood cell membranes from controls and mainly type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with or without retinopathy. The fatty acid composition of erythrocytes was determined by gas chromatography and the phospholipid structure was determined by liquid chromatography equipped with an electrospray ionisation source and coupled with a tandem mass spectrometer (LC-ESI-MS/MS). A significant decrease in levels of docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid in erythrocytes of diabetic patients with or without retinopathy was observed. The origin of this decrease was a loss of phosphatidyl-ethanolamine phospholipids esterified with these LCPUFAs. In diabetic patients without retinopathy, this change was balanced by an increase in the levels of several phosphatidyl-choline species. No influence of diabetes nor of diabetic retinopathy was observed on the concentrations of plasmalogen-type phospholipids.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diabetes and diabetic retinopathy were associated with a reduction of erythrocyte LCPUFAs in phosphatidyl-ethanolamines. The increase of the amounts of phosphatidyl-choline species in erythrocytes of diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy might be a compensatory mechanism for the loss of LC-PUFA-rich phosphatidyl-ethanolamines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koehrer
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1324 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France; CNRS, UMR6265 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France; Université de Bourgogne, UMR Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saab
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1324 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France; CNRS, UMR6265 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France; Université de Bourgogne, UMR Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Berdeaux
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Rodica
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Isaïco
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1324 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France; CNRS, UMR6265 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France; Université de Bourgogne, UMR Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grégoire
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1324 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France; CNRS, UMR6265 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France; Université de Bourgogne, UMR Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cabaret
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Dijon, France; INRA, UMR1324 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France; CNRS, UMR6265 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France; Université de Bourgogne, UMR Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Alain M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bron
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Dijon, France; INRA, UMR1324 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France; CNRS, UMR6265 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France; Université de Bourgogne, UMR Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Catherine P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Creuzot-Garcher
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1324 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France; CNRS, UMR6265 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France; Université de Bourgogne, UMR Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bretillon
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1324 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France; CNRS, UMR6265 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France; Université de Bourgogne, UMR Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Niyazi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Acar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D010955:Plasmalogens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; D010743:Phospholipids; D010955:Plasmalogens