TIN AND LOW-DENSITY-LIPOPROTEIN FATTY-ACIDS IN PLASMA FROM PATIENTS WITH ACUTE MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION

To generate hypotheses about the role of elements in oxidation of low- density lipoproteins (LDL) in heart disease, we have examined at the c orrelations of plasma elements with the fatty acids of the LDL in 24 s urvivors of acute myocardial infarction and 29 controls. In the larger study of which these were subgroups, we had observed increased satura tes in the phospholipids (PL) and reduced saturates in the cholesteryl esters (CE) of the LDL in the myocardial infarction (MI) patients. Ti n (Sn) correlated positively with both PL and CE saturates although mu ch more significantly with the latter. Also in the MI group were reduc ed LDL n-6 fatty acids in PL and reduced LDL n-3 fatty acids in CE. Pl asma Sn correlated negatively with both PL n-6 fatty acids and CE n-3 fatty acids in LDL. We conclude that it is important to study the role of Sn in relation to changes in LDL fatty acids in heart disease.