Table 1.

Relevant fatty acids in the patients with esophageal cancer and controls.

	Healthy subjects (n=42)	Esophageal cancer (n=42)	P valueg
14: 0a	0.26±0.07b	0.22±0.07h	NS
16: 0	29.61±1.28	31.67±1.69	<0.001
16: 1n-7	0.49±0.24	0.81±0.44	<0.001
18: 0	13.56±1.07	13.60±1.58	NS
18: 1n-9	9.99±1.68	12.31±2.22	0.005
18: 2n-6	23.59±2.39	19.49±2.67	<0.001
18: 3n-3	0.20±0.07	0.22±0.08	NS
18: 3n-6	0.08±0.03	0.09±0.06	NS
20: 3n-6	2.89±0.42	2.81±0.63	NS
20: 4n-6	11.31±1.68	10.47±2.14	NS
20: 5n-3	0.96±0.44	0.72±0.44	NS
22: 6n-3	3.44±0.88	3.34±0.97	NS
∑ SFA	43.49±1.15	45.51±2.03	<0.001
∑ MUFA	12.25±1.94	15.37±2.76	0.002
∑ PUFA n-6	38.73±1.94	33.92±3.32	<0.001
∑ PUFA n-3	5.53±1.23	5.17±1.11	NS
n-6/n-3 ratio	7.398±1.932	6.844±1.549	NS
D9D 16c	0.016±0.008	0.025±0.014	0.001
D9D 18d	0.748±0.185	0.923±0.239	0.002
D6D+Ee	0.124±0.025	0.147± 0.041	0.004
D5Df	3.986±0.777	3.941±1.267	NS

^aShorthand notation of fatty acids – number of carbon atoms: number of double bonds; n – number of carbon atoms from methyl end to the nearest double bond;

^bthe data are presented as a mean ±SD (mol%); ∑ – sum; SFA – saturated fatty acids; MUFA – monounsaturated fatty acids; PUFA n-6 – polyunsaturated fatty acids of n-6 family; PUFA n-3 – polyunsaturated fatty acids of n-3 family. Only relevant fatty acids are presented.

^c16: 1n-7/16: 0 – Δ9 desaturase;

^d18: 1n-9/18: 0 – Δ9 desaturase;

^e20: 3n-6/18: 2n-6 – Δ6 desaturase+elongase;

^f20: 4n-6/20: 3n-6 – Δ5 desaturase;

^gstatistical analysis – ANCOVA (with BMI as covariate);

^hdata in this column are baseline values before treatment; D9D=SCD1.