Lack of effect of fish oil supplementation on coagulation and transcapillary escape rate of albumin in insulin-dependent diabetic patients with diabetic nephropathy

Objective: We studied the effect of a diet supplementation with fish oil in insulin-dependent diabetic patients with nephropathy in order to evaluate whether abnormal transcapillary escape rate of albumin and procoagulant act ivity in these patients could be modified. Methods: A double-blind, randomi zed, controlled study was carried out at a tertiary referral centre. The su bjects were 29 insulin-dependent diabetic patients with nephropathy. One ye ar of fish oil supplementation (4.6 g n-3 fatty acids/day) was compared wit h placebo (olive oil). The main outcome measures were N-3 fatty acid propor tions of platelet lipids, transcapillary escape rate of albumin, prothrombi n fragment 1+2, thrombin-antithrombin complexes, markers of fibrinolysis, f ibrinogen, factor VII antigen and activity, thrombomodulin, von Willebrand factor, platelet factor 4 and beta -thromboglobulin. These were measured ev ery 6 months. Results: Neither transcapillary escape rate of albumin (7.4 ( median) (5.0-9.8) (range) % vs. 7.0 (4.6-10.6) %) nor prothrombin fragment 1+2 (0.97 (0.72-2.40)nmol/L vs. 1.01 (0.59-3.11)nmol/L) changed after 12 mo nths of fish oil supplementation. Conclusion: Increased transcapillary esca pe rate of albumin and activity could not be modified during diet supplemen tation with fish oil in insulin-dependent diabetic patients with nephropath y.