Chronic pancreatitis and the composition of plasma phosphatidylcholine fatty acids

• We studied the fatty acid profile of plasma phosphatidylcholines in the group of patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP).
• FA pattern in CP results from low dietary fat intake and changed metabolism due to alteration of desaturase activities.
• Changes in FA profile implicated disturbed FA metabolism in CP and advocate proper nutritional support including n-3 PUFA.

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is an irreversible inflammatory disorder characterized by the destruction of both exocrine and endocrine tissue. There is growing evidence that dysregulation of fatty acid (FA) metabolism is connected with many diseases; however, there are few data concerning FA composition in CP. Therefore, we analyzed FA profiles in plasma phosphatidylcholines in 96 patients with CP and in 108 control subjects (CON).The patients with CP had, in comparison with CON, increased sum of monounsaturated FA (ΣMUFA) and decreased content of polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) in both n-6 and n-3 families. Moreover, CP patients had increased indexes for delta-9, delta-6 desaturases, and fall in activity of delta-5 desaturase. Increased ratio of 16:1n-7/18:2n-6 (marker of essential n-6 FA deficiency), was more prevalent among CP patients.These changes implicated decreased fat intake, including n-3 as well as n-6 PUFA, and intrinsic changes in FA metabolism due to the alteration of delta desaturase activities.