Plasma fatty acids concentrations in postoperative patients with biliary atresia.

The concentrations of plasma fatty acids in postoperative patients with biliary atresia (BA) were measured to clarify whether they had essential fatty acid deficiency. Thirty-eight fasting blood samples from 14 postoperative patients with BA were studied. All of them had the hepatic portoenterostomy without any stoma. Samples were divided into three groups on the basis of liver function. The concentrations of fatty acids in the plasma fat were measured quantitatively. Non-essential fatty acids levels were increased and omega-3 fatty acids levels were decreased with the progress of deterioration of hepatic function. Regarding omega-6 fatty acids, C18:2 and 20:4 did not show any significant difference between the three groups and the control, and only C20:3 increased with the deterioration of liver dysfunction. The ratio of C20:3 (omega-6) to C20:4 (omega-6) was increased significantly with the progress of liver dysfunction. The activity of delta-5 desaturase was suspected to be suppressed in BA patients with poor liver function. The BA patients with poor bile flow did not show any decrease of omega-6 fatty acids in the plasma, but were at risk of developing omega-3 fatty acid deficiency.