[Fatty acid pattern in children with mucoviscidosis in relation to the degree of exocrine pancreas insufficiency].

Fatty acid composition were determined by gas chromatography in serum triglycerides and cholesterol esters of 32 patients (aged 7-17 years) with cystic fibrosis. According to their exocrine pancreas function (determined with secretin-cholecystokinin test), patients were divided in 3 groups. In comparison with previously measured values in 30 metabolically healthy children, patients with cystic fibrosis showed a significantly increased level of palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, and linolenic acid in the triglyceride fraction and a significantly increased level of myristic, myristoleic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, and triene acid in the cholesterol ester fraction. However, in both fractions, concentration of linoleic acid was significantly decreased. It seems unlikely that malabsorption of ingested fat is responsible for the abnormalities in fatty acid pattern, because no significant differences could be found between the 3 patient's groups.