Lipid malnutrition of patients with liver cirrhosis: effect of low intake of dietary lipid on plasma fatty acid composition.

The plasma fatty acid composition of cirrhotic patients and their dietary intake of fatty acids were determined. Significantly lower plasma arachidonic, docosahexaenoic, dihomo-gamma-linolenic and eicosapentaenoic acid levels were observed in cirrhotic patients than in healthy controls. A remarkably low dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids supplied from fish, vegetable oil and pulses was shown in cirrhotic patients. Positive correlations were observed between plasma arachidonic acid concentrations and clearance rate of indocyanine green (KICG) (r = 0.826, p less than 0.05) and between dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid levels and cholinesterase activities (r = 0.841, p less than 0.05). From these results, we conclude that a supply of polyunsaturated fatty acids is necessary for the nutritional treatment of patients with liver cirrhosis.