The anti-inflammatory effects of circulating fatty acids in obstructive jaundice: similarities with pregnancy-induced immunosuppression.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is ameliorated during both obstructive jaundice and pregnancy. Previous studies of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) function during pregnancy have shown reductions in the stimulated release of arachidonic acid (AA) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4), and lower NADPH oxidase activity. These changes may account for the amelioration of RA. The cause of this reduction in PMN function appears to be a progressive change in circulating fatty acids (FA), with a reduction in polyunsaturated FA, predominantly AA. The NADPH oxidase responsible for the respiratory burst has a direct requirement for polyunsaturated FA, particularly AA. We investigated whether the same changes in PMN function and FA, occur during obstructive jaundice. Patients with biliary obstructions were investigated before and after surgical correction (n=14). Obstructive jaundice caused significant changes in the proportions of serum and cellular FA. There was a striking reduction in polyunsaturated FA, particularly AA (48% in serum, p<0.001; 42% in PMNs, p<0.001) and an increase in mono-unsaturated oleic acid (24% in serum, p<0.001; 15% in PMNs, p<0.005). Similar changes occurred in mononuclear cell FA. Jaundice also caused a significant reduction in PMN function. Respiratory burst activity was reduced by between 32% and 38% in response to physiological and non-physiological stimuli, and there were similar significant reductions in the release of AA and LTB4. These changes in stimulated PMN function were evident whether or not the cells were first primed with tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha). Incubation of PMNs from healthy donors in pooled serum from patients with obstructive jaundice caused a reduction of 32% in cellular AA and 38% in NADPH oxidase activity. These findings support the idea that circulating FA can regulate PMN inflammatory responsiveness. The FA-induced attenuation in PMN activity in both jaundice and pregnancy may explain their ameliorating effects upon RA.