ERYTHROCYTE-MEMBRANE LIPIDS AND SERUM SELENIUM IN POSTVIRAL AND ALCOHOLIC CIRRHOSIS

Erythrocyte-membrane fatty acid composition and cholesterol content we re evaluated along with serum selenium in 33 patients with liver cirrh osis and in 40 normal subjects. Thirteen patients were suffering from post-viral (group V) and 20 from alcoholic (group A) cirrhosis. The ai m of the study was to elucidate whether membrane lipid abnormalities i n cirrhosis were linked to the aetiology of the disease or whether the y were the results of the cirrhotic process itself. The patients prese nted a significant increase in membrane cholesterol, palmitic acid (C1 6:0) and saturated fatty acids (SFA), and a decrease in polyunsaturate d fatty acids (PUFA) and polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio ( P/S) compared with the control group. Serum selenium levels were signi ficantly reduced. When patients were subdivided according to aetiology , the alcoholic patients showed greater lipid composition abnormalitie s than the viral cirrhotics (higher levels of SFA and lower PUFA and P /S), while pathologic palmitic acid, membrane cholesterol and serum se lenium values were confirmed in both groups of patients. In conclusion , low serum selenium and a series of erythrocyte membrane lipid compos ition abnormalities would appear to be features peculiar to cirrhosis. Alcoholic cirrhotics, on the other hand, show a more deranged erythro cyte membrane lipid profile. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.