Features of the fatty acid profile of erythrocyte membranes in patients with fatty liver disease of alcoholic genesis

Abstract

Introduction . Alcoholic steatosis, which is a reversible condition, is currently considered a significant risk factor for the progression of diffuse liver pathology, therefore understanding of its mechanisms at the molecular level is essential. Aim . To study the features of the fatty acid profile of erythrocyte membranes in patients with fatty liver disease of alcoholic origin for possible use of fatty acids (FAs) as biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets. Materials and methods . A total of 31 men with alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) (average age of 45.1 ± 17.1 years) and 28 men of comparable age without AFLD and symptomatic pathology of internal organs were examined. The FA composition and levels of erythrocyte membranes (ER) were studied using Agilent 7000B (USA) triple quadrupole gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Results and discussion . A higher level of a range of saturated FAs (lauric, margaric, pentadecane), monounsaturated FAs (MUFAs), which are additional factors for the progression of AFLD (palmitoleic, total monounsaturated acids), n-6/n-3 polyun-saturated FAs ratio (PUFAs), alpha-linolenic FA was detected in patients with AFL vs the control group (p = 0.00002–0.05). In contrast, the levels of arachidic and docosahexaenoic acids, total eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic n-3 PUFAs, and total n-3 PUFAs were lower in patients with AFLD than in healthy men (p = 0.003–0.01), which is associated with increased ethanol induced adipose tissue lipolysis via PDE3B-AMPK axis. The use of FAs panel (C16:1;9, sum MUFA, n-6/n-3 PUFA, C22:6n3, C20:0) to distinguish patients with AFLD from healthy ones ensured high levels of sensitivity (79%), and specificity (81%) (AUC 0.808). Multidirectional associations of FA levels in erythrocyte membranes with each other and liver tests and lipid profile results were revealed. Conclusion . Thus, the features of erythrocytes membrane FAs in patients with AFLD and the potential to use them as biomarkers for differentiation of people with AFLD from healthy individuals have been identified.