LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE-INDUCED MONOCYTE THROMBOPLASTIN SYNTHESIS AND COAGULATION RESPONSES IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING CORONARY-BYPASS SURGERY AFTERPREOPERATIVE SUPPLEMENTATION WITH N-3 FATTY-ACIDS

Twenty patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and elevated serum l ipids were randomized into 2 groups of 10 to receive encapsulated prep arations of either a concentrated ethylester form of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or corn oil in doses of 6 g per day, given double blindly for approximately two months prior to co ronary bypass surgery. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced monocyte throm boplastin synthesis was studied during the preoperative period and one week following surgery. The ability of n-3 fatty acids to modify tiss ue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) and tissue plasminogen activator in hibitor (PAI-1) was also evaluated along with fibrinogen and thrombin- antithrombin III (TAT) complexes. No significant changes were noted pr eoperatively. Monocyte reactivity, PAI-1, fibrinogen and TAT increased significantly after surgery. These changes were not modified by preop erative loading with n-3 fatty acids.