[Relations of platelet phospholipid fatty acids to thrombotic risk factors in middle-aged and geriatric patients with hyperlipidemia].

Objective: To investigate the relations of platelet phospholipid fatty acids to thrombotic risk factors in the middle-aged and geriatric patients with hyperlipidemia in the metropolitan area of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 81 patients with hyperlipidemia, 50 males and 31 females, aged (57 +/- 8), and 65 healthy controls, 43 males and 22 females, aged (58 +/- 9) to collect the data about height, weight, and diet. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected to examine the total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), homocysteine (Hcy), 6-keto-prostaglandin F(1alpha) (6-keto-PGF(1alpha)), and thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)) were examined by standard methods. Serum thrombotic risk factors including homocysteine and Thromboxane B(2) were determined by standard methods. Platelet phospholipid fatty acids were examined by gas chromatography. The correlation between the serum thrombotic risk factors (Hcy, TXB(2), and 6-keto-PG F1a) was analyzed by multivariate linear regression.

Results: There were no significant differences in platelet phospholipid fatty acids between the patients with hyperlipidemia and the healthy controls. Serum Hcy was significantly negatively correlated with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and the ratio of n-3 PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids)/n-6 PUFA (r = -0.277 and -0.231, both P < 0.01). The level of serum TXB(2) was significantly positively correlated with arachidonic acid (r = 0.176, P < 0.05), and significantly negatively correlated with DHA (r = -0.209, P < 0.01), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (r = -0.194, P < 0.05), and n-3 PUFA/n-6 PUFA (r = -0.238, P < 0.01).

Conclusion: Increasing the ratio of n-3 PUFA/n-6 PUFA in platelet phospholipid may potentially decrease the thrombotic risks such as Hcy and TXB(2) and provide a reference for diet selection.