Characterization of plasma lipids in patients with malignant disease by 13C
nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and gas liquid chromatography
T Engan, KS Bjerve, AL Hoe and J Krane
Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Trondheim, Norway.
The purpose of this study was to characterize possible changes in fatty
acid composition of plasma lipids associated with malignancy. The very low,
low, and high-density lipoproteins were isolated by gradient density
ultracentrifugation of plasma from 16 patients with malignant disease and
from 15 controls. The triglyceride, esterified cholesterol, and
phospholipid constituents of each lipoprotein fraction were isolated, and
the fatty acid composition within each lipid component was determined by
gas liquid chromatography (GLC). In the 10- to 45- parts-per-million (ppm)
region of the carbon-13 (13C) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) plasma
spectrum, differences were found between patients with malignant disease
and controls. The ratio of the 31.6/32.1 ppm resonance intensities was
lower in the group of cancer patients. The ratio of the 24.4/24.9 ppm
resonance intensities in patients with malignant disease was different from
the nonpregnant controls. The NMR changes were interpreted in light of GLC
data that indicated derangements in the composition of fatty acids within
lipoprotein lipids. In total plasma esterified cholesterol, the relative
amount of linoleic acid (18:2, n-6) was lower, whereas oleic acid (18:1,
n-9) was higher in the group of patients with malignant disease. In total
plasma triglycerides, the amount of oleic acid was higher in the cancer
patient group. For total plasma phospholipids, no differences in fatty acid
composition between patients and controls were found. Throughout the
lipoprotein fractions, the same differences in oleic acid and linoleic acid
distribution for triglyceride and esterified cholesterol were found when
comparing cancer and control subjects. In conclusion, we found that there
are certain differences in the 13C NMR spectra and fatty acid profiles
between a small and heterogeneous group of cancer patients after they have
received their initial treatment and a group of healthy controls. We
suggest that carbon NMR spectroscopy could be useful in characterizing
malignancy- associated lipid changes.
Volume 85,
Issue 5,
pp. 1323-1330,
03/01/1995
Copyright © 1995 by The American Society of Hematology
