THE RELATIONSHIP OF PLASMA POLYUNSATURATED FATTY-ACID DEFICIENCY WITHSURVIVAL IN ADVANCED LIVER-CIRRHOSIS - MULTIVARIATE-ANALYSIS

Total plasma fatty acids were measured in 101 cirrhotic inpatients (64 men, 37 women, aged 64.3 +/- 1.2 (SEM) yr; range, 34-80) who were sub sequently followed for survival for a mean of 14.8 +/- 1.0 months. Dat a on plasma fatty acids have been published elsewhere. Individual valu es of these variables were categorized in a binary fashion using the 5 th or the 95th percentiles of a group of 44 well-nourished healthy con trols (24 men, 20 women, aged 51.3 +/- 2.1 yr; range, 32-76) as the cu toff limit. Forty-nine patients died during follow-up (2-yr cumulative probability of survival, 52%). Deficiency of palmitate, dihomo-tau-li nolenate, and arachidonate (values below the 5th percentile) were univ ariately associated with death (tong-rank test). However, after a mult ivariate analysis (Cox's proportional hazards regression), only the ex istence of plasma arachidonate deficiency was included in the final mo del (beta, 0.62; relative risk, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.06-3.25; p < 0.05). We conclude that arachidonic acid deficiency significantly increases the mortality risk in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis.