4-HYDROXY-2-NONENAL LEVELS INCREASE IN THE PLASMA OF PATIENTS WITH ADULT-RESPIRATORY-DISTRESS-SYNDROME AS LINOLEIC-ACID APPEARS TO FALL

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry has been applied to the analysis of plasma linoleic acid and one of its oxidation products, 4-hydroxy-2 -nonenal (HNE), in adult patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Peak areas of total ion chromatograms showed there to be negative correlations between loss of linoleic acid and formation of HNE (measured by selective ion monitoring) in 7 out 10 patients stu died. When HNE was quantitated by selective ion monitoring, with refer ence to a pure standard of HNE and an internal standard of nonanoic ac id, ARDS patients showed significantly increased levels of HNE (0.412/-0.023 nmol/ml) compared with normal healthy controls (0.205+/-0.018 nmol/ml).