Lung transplantation is assumed to normalize essential fatty acid (EFA) profile in the plasma, described as abnormal in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). This study sought to evaluate the EFA profile in both the plasma and erythrocyte membrane according to lung status by comparing CF patients with or without a lung transplant. A total of 50 homozygous F508del patients (33 CF patients [CF group] and 17 CF patients with a lung transplant [TX CF group]) were included. In comparison with the CF group, in the plasma, the levels of total n-3, α-linolenic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acids were higher and the n-6/n-3 ratio was lower in the TX CF group. Yet, these differences were not observed in the erythrocyte membrane. This study supports that lung transplantation improves the EFA profile in the plasma but not in the erythrocyte membrane by means of the different mechanisms suggested in this article.
Keywords: Cystic fibrosis; Essential fatty acid; Lung transplantation; Polyunsaturated fatty acids.
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