engleski

Plasma polar and nonesterified fatty acids profiles in patients with pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer accounts for 3% of male and female cancer cases in Croatia. It is one of the deadliest malignancies with a death incidence ratio of approximately 0.99. A number of studies have focused their research on genetic changes and the role these alterations play in the development of pancreatic cancer. However, comparatively few studies emphasize the role of inflammation, a key mediator in inducing fatty acid profile change, which in turn affects various membrane properties including fluidity, membrane enzyme activity and grow factor receptor affinity, as well as cellular proliferation and/or apoptosis. The objective of this study is to assess the plasma polar and nonesterified (NEFA) fatty acid composition in the patients with pancreatic cancer. Blood samples were collected from 10 pancreatic cancer patients and from 10 healthy subjects. Plasma polar and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) were isolated and purified by solid-phase-extraction (SPE) using an aminopropylsilica column and subsequently determined by gas chromatography (GC). The significance of the difference was analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U-test for nonparametrically distributed data. Statistical significance was assumed with P < 0.05, while the data were reported as mean &#177; S.D. In comparison to healthy subjects, patients with pancreatic cancer showed significantly elevated mean total plasma NEFA (12.09-120.97 mM). The composition of plasma polar and nonesterified fatty acids differed: plasma polar fraction showed an increase in the percentage of 20:2n-6, 18:3n-6, 20:5n-3, 22:6n-3 and n-3 FAs and a decrease in the percentage of 20:3n-3 ; also, within NEFA there was an increase in the percentage of 16:1n-7, 18:1n-9 and monounsaturated FAs and a decrease in the percentage of 20:2n-6, 20:4n-6, 20:5n-3, 14:0, 18:0, 24:0, n-6, n-3, polyunsaturated and saturated FAs. To conclude, altered fatty acid profiles in NEFA may be involved in the development of complications in pancreatic cancer patients.

plasma; phospholipids; fatty acid composition; pancreatic cancer

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