Table 3.
Median (25th, 75th quartile) fatty acid concentrations of plasma phospholipids (PL) (weight%) in colorectal cancer patients separated by low and high dietary daily EPA + DHA intake (<0.82 and 0.82+ g/day) (n = 65)a.
| Fatty acids in plasma PL (weight%) |
Subjects with dietary EPA + DHA intake <0.82 g/day (n = 32) | Subjects with dietary EPA + DHA intake 0.82+ g/day (n = 33) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18:2n-6 (LA) | 21.1 (18.4, 23.6) | 19.5 (17.3, 21.4) | 0.12 |
| 20:4n-6 (AA) | 9.4 (7.8, 10.4) | 8.9 (7.9, 11.3) | 0.96 |
| Sum LA + AA | 31.3 (28.7, 32.5) | 29.1 (27.5, 31.1) | 0.05 |
| 20:5n-3 (EPA) | 1.2 (1.0, 1.6) | 1.6 (1.1, 2.3) | 0.06 |
| 22:6n-3 (DHA) | 5.1 (4.4, 6.3) | 6.3 (5.5, 7.6) | 0.004 |
| Sum EPA + DHA | 6.4 (5.6, 7.7) | 7.8 (6.8, 9.6) | 0.006 |
| Ratio AA/EPA | 7.7 (5.7, 9.6) | 5.5 (4.1, 8.0) | 0.05 |
| Ratio n-3/n-6 fatty acids | 0.21 (0.18, 0.27) | 0.27 (0.23, 0.35) | 0.006 |
aAbbreviations are as follows: AA: arachidonic acid; DHA: docosahexaenoic acid; EPA: eicosapentaenoic acid; LA: linoleic acid; PL: phospholipids.