Investigation of membrane fatty acid profiles in erythrocytes of patients with stable coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND

The association between the erythrocyte membrane fatty acids and the severity of coronary stenosis has not been studied in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD).

OBJECTIVE

We sought to investigate whether the fatty acid profile of erythrocyte membranes is significantly different in patients with stable CAD compared with patients with nonsignificant coronary stenosis and evaluate a possible relationship between fatty acid profile and the severity of coronary stenosis.

METHODS

The population included 144 patients, undergoing clinically indicated coronary angiography. The severity of coronary stenosis was scored after coronary angiography, and patients were divided into 2 groups; the S-stenosis group (CAD patients, n = 82) had a significant stenosis indicated by coronary angiography and the second group, S-stenosis (n = 62), had nonsignificant coronary stenosis.

RESULTS

The erythrocyte membranes linoleic acid (LA) levels were lower (P < .001) and the arachidonic acid (AA)-to-LA ratio, a marker of desaturase activity, were higher (P < .001) in CAD patients compared with S-stenosis patients. The CAD scores were correlated negatively with the membrane LA levels (r = -0.338; P < .001) and positively with the AA-to-LA ratio (r = 0.306; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that LA levels of the erythrocyte membrane and AA-to-LA ratio are correlated with the severity of CAD.