[Metabolism of arachidonic acid in the thrombocytes of patients with periodic disease].

Washed platelets of patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) were incubated with I-14C arachidonic acid (AA). Only 10% of AA were transformed into thromboxane A2, 12(S)-12-hydroxy-5Z,8Z,10E,14Z-eicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) and 12(S)-12-hydroxy-5Z,8Z,10E-heptadecatrienoic acid (HHT), which strongly indicates the suppression of platelet lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase or the deficit in these enzymes in FMF. However, there were no noticeable alterations in AA platelet metabolism during attacks of fever and immediately after hyperbaric oxygenation used to relieve pain and fever. The data obtained suggest that arachidonic acid metabolism plays an important role in the pathogenesis of FMF.