Linoleic acid supplement in cystic fibrosis: friend or foe?

SEVERAL CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS suggest that changes in a fatty acid concentration are associated with the pathogenesis of chronic lung disease. As an example, cystic fibrosis (CF) subjects have lower concentrations of essential fatty acids in their plasma lipids compared with normal control subjects (6, 7). Although pathogenesis of CF lung disease is not a direct consequence of changes in fatty acids, the course of the disease may be influenced by these changes and other related changes in eicosanoid production. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) subjects have also been reported to have lower ratios of -3 to -6 fatty acids in plasma lipids compared with normal control subjects (14). In addition to the general importance of fat as an energy source, essential fatty acids are important for cellular homeostasis. The two essential fatty acids supplied as dietary supplement, -linolenic aci