Although hypoalbuminemia is an important predictor of mortality in hemodialysis patients, the mechanisms causing this abnormality remain to be clarified. The ratio of serum polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids (P/S), is known to correlate with atherosclerosis which is commonly found in hemodialysis patients. To investigate the correlation between P/S ratio and hypoalbuminemia, 103 hemodialysis patients were stratified into quartiles of P/S ratio. Serum albumin level (S-alb) correlated with serum P/S ratio in hemodialysis patients (P<0.01 by ANOVA) but not in normal subjects. Multiple regression analysis also identified a low serum P/S ratio as an independent predictor of hypoalbuminemia in hemodialysis patients. At the end of the 18-month follow-up period, 14 patients were dead. The mortality rate was higher in patients with the lowest serum P/S ratio (quartile 1), albeit insignificantly, compared with patients in other quartiles. S-alb was significantly lower in patients in quartile 1 than patients in other quartiles. C-reactive protein in 43 patients with low serum P/S ratio (quartiles 1 and 2) was significantly higher than in 46 patients with high serum P/S ratio (quartiles 3 and 4) (P<0.05). This study findings suggest that serum P/S ratio correlates with hypoalbuminemia and inflammatory response in hemodialysis patients.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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