Percentage distribution of fatty acids in subcutaneous adipose tissue of patients with peptic ulcer disease.

Dietary linoleic acid has been implicated in the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer disease because its metabolite arachidonic acid may be converted to cytoprotective prostaglandins. In addition, it has been suggested that the falling incidence and virulence of duodenal ulcer disease is related to increased dietary polyunsaturated essential fatty acid intake. In the present study the percentage content of linoleic acid in subcutaneous adipose tissue microbiopsies were used to see whether changes in percentage of fatty acids correlate with the presence or absence of an ulcer in individual patients. No significant difference in the adipose tissue content of linoleic acid was found, ie, 11.2 +/- 0.7% (n = 15) vs 10.9 +/- 0.5% (n = 15) in patients with peptic ulcer disease and matched control subjects, respectively.