title: Erythrocyte membrane fatty acids profile in colorectal cancer patients: a preliminary study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study of fatty acid composition of the erythrocytes' membrane can be considered an appropriate biomarker for investigating the relations of the pattern of fatty acids metabolism to a specific disease. The aim of the present study was to analyze the fatty acid profile in red blood cell membranes of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen patients with CRC and 13 patients with no malignant disease were enrolled in the study. Fatty acids were extracted from erythrocytes' membranes and quantified by gas chromatography. The data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with CRC showed significantly lower mean percentage of n-3 polynunsatured fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) than controls (5.1% vs. 8.0%, respectively). This finding was reflected in the higher ratio n-6-PUFA/n-3-PUFA observed in cancer patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lipidomic analysis of erythrocyte membranes confirmed the presence of an altered fatty acid profile in patients with CRC.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutritional Biochemistry, National Institute for Digestive Diseases, Castellana Grotte, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coviello
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutritional Biochemistry, National Institute for Digestive Diseases, Castellana Grotte, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tutino
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutritional Biochemistry, National Institute for Digestive Diseases, Castellana Grotte, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Notarnicola
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutritional Biochemistry, National Institute for Digestive Diseases, Castellana Grotte, Italy gabriella.caruso@irccsdebellis.it.
authors.forename: Maria Gabriella
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Caruso
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids
keywords: Erythrocytes; cell membranes; colorectal cancer; fatty acids; lipidomic analysis