Another paper accepted for publication!

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a recessive genetic disease resulting from mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. It affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine.

The main symptoms include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus due to frequent lung infections. Impaired growth and fatty stools are other common manifestations of the disease. An abnormal essential fatty acid (EFA) profile has been documented in the blood and tissues of CF patients. Yet, the cause remains elusive. Lung transplantation is assumed to normalize EFA profile in the plasma, described as abnormal in CF patients.

Dr. Laurence Hanssens et al., from the Queen Fabiola Children's University Hospital in Brussels, conducted a prospective observational study in order to evaluate the EFA profile in both the plasma and erythrocyte membrane by comparing CF patients with or without a lung transplant.

In lung transplant recipients, the total n-3 levels of α-linolenic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acids were higher and the n-6/n-3 ratio was lower in the plasma, but not in the erythrocyte membrane. This study thus supports that lung transplantation improves the EFA profile in the plasma but not in the erythrocyte membrane.

The article is already available on the journal website: Hanssens L, et al. Influence of lung transplantation on the essential fatty acid profile in cystic fibrosis. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2020;158:102060.