Depletion of essential fatty acids in muscle is associated with shorter survival of cancer patients undergoing surgery-preliminary report

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 23006
• Main Authors: Bhullar, Amritpal S., Rivas-Serna, Irma Magaly, Anoveros-Barrera, Ana, Dunichand-Hoedl, Abha, Bigam, David, Khadaroo, Rachel G., McMullen, Todd, Bathe, Oliver, Putman, Charles T., Baracos, Vickie, Clandinin, Michael T., Mazurak, Vera C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 26.11.2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/45/287; 631/67; 631/67/1504; Aged; Arachidonic acid; Arachidonic Acid - analysis; Biopsy; Cancer; Docosahexaenoic acid; Docosahexaenoic Acids - analysis; Eicosapentaenoic acid; Eicosapentaenoic Acid - analysis; Erythrocytes; Fatty acid composition; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids, Essential - analysis; Female; Fish oils; Gas chromatography; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Male; Medical prognosis; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; Musculoskeletal system; Neoplasms - chemistry; Neoplasms - epidemiology; Neoplasms - pathology; Neoplasms - surgery; Patients; Phospholipids; Proportional Hazards Models; Rectus Abdominis - chemistry; Rectus Abdominis - pathology; Regression analysis; Risk Factors; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Skeletal muscle; Surgery; Survival; Survival Analysis
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02269-0

Emerging studies are reporting associations between skeletal muscle abnormalities and survival in cancer patients. Cancer prognosis is associated with depletion of essential fatty acids in erythrocytes and plasma in humans. However the relationship between skeletal muscle membrane fatty acid composition and survival is unknown. This study investigates the relationship between fatty acid content of phospholipids in skeletal muscle and survival in cancer patients. Rectus abdominis biopsies were collected during cancer surgery from 35 patients diagnosed with cancer. Thin-layer and gas chromatography were used for quantification of phospholipid fatty acids. Cutpoints for survival were defined using optimal stratification. Median survival was between 450 and 500 days when patients had arachidonic acid (AA) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in muscle phospholipid below the cut-point compared to 720–800 days for patients above. Cox regression analysis revealed that low amounts of AA, EPA and DHA are risk factors for death. The risk of death remained significant for AA [HR 3.5 (1.11–10.87), p = 0.03], EPA [HR 3.92 (1.1–14.0), p = 0.04] and DHA [HR 4.08 (1.1–14.6), p = 0.03] when adjusted for sex. Lower amounts of essential fatty acids in skeletal muscle membrane is a predictor of survival in cancer patients. These results warrant investigation to restore bioactive fatty acids in people with cancer.