Influence of Fish Oil Based Intravenous Fat Emulsions on the Epidermal Barrier Function

The epidermal barrier efficacy is determined by the physicochemical properties of the epidermal lipid matrix, among which ω-6 essential fatty acids (EFAs) play a key role. Inversely, the ω-3 EFAs are not found in the epidermis. For patients receiving lipid-containing parenteral nutrition (LCPN), the improvement of the epidermal barrier through the infusion of most appropriate intravenous fat emulsions (IVFE) could have many applications in clinical nutrition, mainly limiting water loss in patients receiving long-term LCPN and help in electrolyte and water balance. The objective of this interventional clinical trial is to evaluate the epidermal barrier function in patients receiving long-term LCPN comparing two compositions of IVFE: (i) soybean oil (SO)-based IVFE (Medialipide) or (ii) fish oil (FO)-containing IVFE (Lipidem). Epidermal barrier function will be assessed through the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) measurement on the skin surface, a validated marker of the epidermal barrier efficacy. The two IVFE (SO-based or FO-containing) will be compared using a randomized double blind crossover design, using patients as their own control. Each IVFE will be allocated for a 3-month period, allowing sufficient timeframe for epidermal complete renewal. Patient's epidermal and red blood cell EFA profile will be determinate in order to facilitate result interpretation.