Comparison of Fatty Acid Contents of Erythrocyte Membrane in Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

An, W.S.; Kim, S.E.; Kim, K.H.; Lee, S.; Park, Y.; Kim, H.J.; Vaziri, N.D.

doi:10.1053/j.jrn.2009.01.027

« Previous Next »Journal of Renal Nutrition
Volume 19, Issue 4 , Pages 267-274, July 2009

Comparison of Fatty Acid Contents of Erythrocyte Membrane in Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

W.S. An, MD
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, Republic of Korea
S.E. Kim, MD
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, Republic of Korea
K.H. Kim, MD
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, Republic of Korea
S. Lee, MD
- Department of Family Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
Y. Park, PhD
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
H.J. Kim, PhD
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of California, Irvine, CA
N.D. Vaziri, MD
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of California, Irvine, CA
- Address reprint requests to N. D. Vaziri, MD. Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, UCI Medical Center, 101 The City Drive, Building 53, Room 125, Route 81, Orange, CA 92868.

Objective

Membrane fatty acid composition plays an important role in the cellular function. Erythrocyte fatty acid composition mirrors that of myocardium and is influenced by diet. Earlier studies have shown significant alterations of membrane fatty acid composition in ethnically mixed patients with end-stage renal disease. Given the impact of ethnic and dietary factors, we sought to examine membrane fatty acid composition in an ethnically homogeneous end-stage renal disease population residing in a coastal region of Korea with high fish consumption.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Outpatient facility at Dong-A University Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea.

Patients

We recruited 15 stable hemodialysis patients, 14 peritoneal dialysis patients, and 10 age- and gender-matched normal controls. Patients with significant malnutrition, short duration of dialysis, recent infection, malignancy, or liver disease were excluded. Dietary intake and use of omega-3 fatty acid supplements were determined.

Main Outcome Measure

Erythrocyte membrane fatty acid contents measured by gas chromatography.

Results

Palmitoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid levels were lower, whereas oleic acid, linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid levels were higher in patients with end-stage renal disease compared with the control group. Total monounsaturated fatty acids (palmitoleic acid and oleic acid) were significantly higher in peritoneal dialysis than in hemodialysis patients. Eicosapentaenoic acid and omega-3 docosapentaenoic acid were significantly higher, but total omega-6 fatty acids, omega-6/omega-3, and arachidonic acid/eicosapentaenoic acid ratios were significantly lower in hemodialysis patients consuming omega-3 supplements compared with those who did not.

Conclusion

Patients with end-stage renal disease exhibited significant alterations in erythrocyte membrane fatty acids, which were partially modified by the dialysis modality and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation.