Table 4.

Median (25th, 75th quartile) fatty acid concentrations (weight%) in normal duodenal mucosa and tumour biopsies in colorectal cancer patients (n = 32).

	Normal mucosa (weight%)	Tumour tissue (weight%)	P value
16:0 (palmitic acid)	20.0 (18.6, 21.6)	18.3 (17.9, 19.6)	0.001
18:0 (stearic acid)	8.1 (5.9, 10.3)	12.5 (11.0, 13.4)	<0.001
16:1n-7 (palmitoleic acid)	3.2 (1.9, 4.6)	1.8 (1.4, 2.5)	0.007
18:1n-9 (oleic acid)	33.6 (29.2, 39.6)	23.1 (21.2, 24.8)	<0.001
18:2n-6 (linoleic acid) (LA)	13.5 (12.1, 15.5)	12.2 (10.8, 13.4)	0.001
18:3n-3 (α-linolenic acid (ALA)	0.59 (0.43, 0.76)	0.25 (0.15, 0.29)	<0.001
20:4n-6 (arachidonic acid) (AA)	3.5 (1.8, 6.4)	7.5 (6.1, 8.2)	0.001
20:5n-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid) (EPA)	0.23 (0.17, 0.52)	0.57 (0.32, 0.85)	0.001
22:6n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid) (DHA)	1.30 (0.93, 1.59)	2.15 (1.67, 2.64)	<0.001
Sum EPA + DHA	1.5 (1.1, 2.1)	2.7 (2.1, 3.4)	<0.001
Ratio AA/EPA	9.7 (7.9, 17.3)	12.5 (8.5, 20.1)	0.03
Sum n-3 fatty acids (ALA + EPA + DHA)	2.2 (1.8, 2.7)	2.9 (2.3, 3.6)	<0.001
Sum n-6 fatty acids (LA + AA)	16.7 (15.2, 21.1)	19.8 (17.2, 20.5)	0.11
Ratio n-3/n-6 fatty acids	0.13 (0.11, 0.15)	0.15 (0.12, 0.18)	<0.001
Sum polyunsaturated fatty acids	18.5 (17.2, 23.6)	23.0 (19.3, 24.4)	0.05