[Fatty acid and lipid levels in the blood platelets of patients with alcoholism].

The fatty acid content of thrombocytic phospholipids was assayed in 10 patients suffering from alcoholism in a state of the alcoholic abstinence syndrome, after egress from that state and following detoxication and tonic therapy. Ten donors served as control. The patients were also examined for lipid content of blood platelets before and after the treatment. It is established that in patients being in a state of the alcoholic abstinence syndrome, the fatty acid content of thrombocytic phospholipids markedly differed from control. 100% of the patients manifested a material decrease in the content of linoleic acid, dihomo- gamma-linolenic and arachidonic acids. The content of some acids belonging to the omega-3 group was also reduced. During that period, the lipid content also considerably differed from the control: the content of phospholipids noticeably decreased whereas that of free cholesterol rose. The improvement of the patients' clinical status after egress from the alcoholic abstinence syndrome was coupled with a noticeable normalization of the fatty acid content of thrombocytic phospholipids. A clear-cut tendency towards normalization of the fatty acid content was recorded only after desintoxication and tonicizing therapy. Meanwhile the lipid content considerably differed from normal even after the treatment. The changes in the lipid and fatty acid content of blood platelets in patients with alcoholism may produce disorders in prostanoid synthesis and functional properties of blood platelets, leading to the impairment of the coagulation and anticoagulation blood systems.