Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

, Volume 374, Issue 1–2, pp 223–232 | Cite as

Carcinogenesis alters fatty acid profile in breast tissue

  • Nazila Azordegan
  • Virginia Fraser
  • Khuong Le
  • Lyn M. Hillyer
  • David W. L. Ma
  • Gabor Fischer
  • Mohammed H. Moghadasian
Article
First Online:
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Accepted:

Abstract

Cancerogenesis is associated with cell membrane changes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether breast tissues with different degrees of cancer involvement have different fatty acid profiles. Fourteen breast cancer patients with a mean age of 61 years were recruited. Morphological features of the tumoral specimens were characterized. Approximately 60 % of patients had invasive ductal carcinoma, and 80 % were ER positive; 65 % were PR positive; and 65 % were HER2 negative. The segments with confirmed cancer had significantly less amounts of total lipids as compared with the corresponding grossly normal or interface tissues. The fatty acid profile in cancer tissue was significantly different from that in other tissues. Fatty acid composition of five classes of phospholipids revealed the variations between cancer tissue and the other two segments. A transition of changes in fatty acid composition in these fractions of phospholipids was observed. The interface tissue had intermediate amounts of several fatty acids including palmitic acid, stearic acid, and arachidonic acid. Interestingly, we observed significantly higher amounts of the n-3 fatty acid DHA in cancer tissue as compared to the other two tissues. Data from this study will provide evidence that biochemical changes particularly phospholipid composition may take place well in advance prior to morphological changes. Should this theory be confirmed by larger studies, deviation of phospholipid composition from normal values can be used as markers of susceptibility of tissue to cancer development.

Keywords

Breast cancer Fatty acid profile Manitoba Histology Pathology 

Abbreviations

DHA

Docosahexaenoic acid

FFQ

Food frequency questionnaire

PC

Phosphatidylcholine

PE

Phosphatidylethanolamine

PI

Phosphatidylinositol

PS

Phosphatidylserine

PUFA

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

TLC

Thin-layer chromatography

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Notes

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant from Manitoba Medical Services Foundation to GF and MHM. NA was a recipient of a graduate student award from Manitoba Health Research Council.

Conflict of interest

None of the authors claim conflict of interest.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  • Nazila Azordegan
    • 1
  • Virginia Fraser
    • 2
  • Khuong Le
    • 1
  • Lyn M. Hillyer
    • 3
  • David W. L. Ma
    • 3
  • Gabor Fischer
    • 4
  • Mohammed H. Moghadasian
    • 1
  1. 1.Departments of Human Nutritional SciencesCanadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine, University of ManitobaWinnipegCanada
  2. 2.Departments of SurgeryUniversity of ManitobaWinnipegCanada
  3. 3.Department of Human Health and Nutritional SciencesUniversity of GuelphGuelphCanada
  4. 4.Departments of PathologyUniversity of ManitobaWinnipegCanada

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