Serum fatty-acid composition of Iraqi females with breast cancer

Abstract EN

The present study deals with the determination of the fatty-acid (FA) Composition of serum cholesterol ester (CE) and phospholipids (PL) in Iraqi females with and without breast cancer, using capillary gas chromatography.

Serum samples were collected from healthy females and from females with breast cancer, 20-30 days after mastectomy surgery.

Compared with the healthy females, the females with breast cancer exhibited a significant increase (p < 0.001) in n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially linoleum acid, C18:2 n6 for both serum CE and PL.

They also exhibited a significant decrease in n-3 PUFAs, especially linolenic acid, C18:3 n3 (p < 0.001 for PL and p < 0.006 for CE).

In addition, there was a significant decrease (p < 0.001) in the level of n3 / n6 FAs for both CE and PL.

It was concluded that the level and the type of the PUFAs might have a correlation with cancer; a high level of n-6 PUFAs and a low level of n-3 PUFAs may be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.