Fatty acids, prostaglandins, and cystic fibrosis.

The papers by Elliott and by Campbell et al. suggest a new 
approach toward etiology, pathophysiology, and therapy in patients with cystic fibrosis. 
As in Elliott's original report of the effects of intravenous fatty 
acid therapy for CF, the patients in the present report fared 
remarkably well, particularly in regard to weight gain. The paper of 
Campbell et al. suggests that oxygen does not simply diffuse across 
membranes, but that instead its transport is influenced by the fatty 
acid composition of the membrane. Elliott's suggestion that the disarranged fatty 
acid metabolism may be related to altered prostaglandin production is attractive. 
These studies do not prove whether fatty acid and/or prostaglandin alterations 
are secondary to intestinal fat malabsorption or are related to the 
primary metabolic defect in CF. 