Essential fatty acid deficiency and predisposition to lung disease in cystic fibrosis

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Abstract
Essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency is a predisposing factor for pulmonary infection with Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the two major pathogenic microorganisms in cystic fibrosis (CF). Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the essential fatty acid status of CF patients from infancy to 20 years old. Materials and methods. Plasma fatty acid profiles for phospholipid (PL) were determined for cord (n= 6), 4 months (n= 40), 16 months (n= 25), 3 y (n= 8), 5‐10 y (n= 10), and 10‐20 y (n= 10) aged CF patients and compared to their respective control; cord (n= 22), 1‐36 months (n= 38) and adult (n= 100). Significance was established by Student's t‐test (p < 0.05). Results: The plasma PL fatty acid profile for all CF patients, except cord, revealed consistent deficiency in ω3 and ω6 EFAs. These deficiencies were most marked at infancy and more pronounced for patients with meconium ileus. Conclusions and relevance: EFA deficiency may contribute to the predisposition of CF infants to develop respiratory disease and to the excess cytotoxic activity found in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid at 2 months of age in the majority of screened infants.