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. 2020 Oct 14;12(10):3132. doi: 10.3390/nu12103132

Table 3.

Breast cancer risk for the third tertile compared with the first tertile of each serum phospholipid fatty acid by menopausal status and by body mass index.

Menopausal Status Body Mass Index
Premenopausal Postmenopausal BMI < 25 Kg/m2 BMI ≥ 25 Kg/m2
OR a 95% CI p-Value OR a 95% CI p-Value p-het b OR a 95% CI p-Value OR a 95% CI p-Value p-het b
SFAs
14:0 myristic acid 1.15 (0.79–1.68) 0.452 0.77 (0.51–1.17) 0.219 0.147 0.80 (0.54–1.18) 0.262 1.18 (0.79–1.76) 0.422 0.143
15:0 pentadecanoic acid 1.36 (0.94–1.97) 0.102 1.38 (0.90–2.12) 0.140 0.977 1.25 (0.85–1.83) 0.261 1.50 (0.98–2.30) 0.060 0.476
16:0 palmitic acid 1.13 (0.76–1.69) 0.543 1.34 (0.87–2.06) 0.179 0.603 1.24 (0.82–1.85) 0.307 1.18 (0.79–1.77) 0.415 0.889
17:0 margaric acid 1.24 (0.84–1.83) 0.270 1.25 (0.81–1.95) 0.314 0.980 1.28 (0.86–1.89) 0.221 1.22 (0.81–1.85) 0.339 0.884
18:0 stearic acid 0.49 (0.30–0.81) 0.005 0.39 (0.23–0.66) <0.001 0.353 0.50 (0.31–0.82) 0.005 0.38 (0.23–0.63) <0.001 0.277
20:0 arachidic acid 1.11 (0.74–1.65) 0.624 1.00 (0.67–1.50) 0.981 0.687 0.88 (0.60–1.30) 0.527 1.25 (0.84–1.85) 0.265 0.183
22:0 behenic acid 0.74 (0.49–1.10) 0.137 0.65 (0.42–1.02) 0.062 0.791 0.68 (0.46–1.01) 0.057 0.73 (0.49–1.09) 0.120 0.740
Total SFAs 0.88 (0.59–1.30) 0.513 0.84 (0.56–1.27) 0.415 0.852 0.73 (0.49–1.09) 0.124 1.03 (0.68–1.54) 0.902 0.230
cis-MUFAs
16:1 n-7 palmitoleic acid 1.43 (0.95–2.15) 0.084 1.96 (1.24–3.08) 0.004 0.350 1.44 (0.95–2.19) 0.084 1.89 (1.24–2.89) 0.003 0.374
17:1 heptadecenoic acid 1.11 (0.74–1.65) 0.620 0.96 (0.63–1.46) 0.840 0.686 1.07 (0.71–1.60) 0.759 1.01 (0.68–1.51) 0.944 0.911
18:1 n-9 oleic acid 1.14 (0.75–1.73) 0.547 1.22 (0.80–1.87) 0.355 0.760 1.07 (0.71–1.60) 0.758 1.32 (0.87–2.02) 0.196 0.446
20:1 n-9 gondoic acid 1.87 (1.24–2.82) 0.003 1.49 (0.96–2.33) 0.078 0.584 1.77 (1.17–2.66) 0.007 1.60 (1.05–2.45) 0.029 0.745
22:1 n-9 erucic acid 0.72 (0.49–1.05) 0.086 0.83 (0.55–1.26) 0.387 0.589 0.84 (0.57–1.23) 0.359 0.70 (0.48–1.03) 0.073 0.431
Total cis-MUFAs 1.00 (0.65–1.53) 0.997 1.47 (0.95–2.25) 0.081 0.151 0.99 (0.66–1.49) 0.954 1.46 (0.96–2.23) 0.080 0.167
cis-n-6 PUFAs
18:2 linoleic acid 0.59 (0.39–0.88) 0.009 0.85 (0.54–1.34) 0.478 0.201 0.70 (0.47–1.05) 0.082 0.63 (0.41–0.98) 0.040 0.774
18:3 γ-linolenic acid 1.47 (1.02–2.11) 0.036 1.29 (0.86–1.92) 0.216 0.587 1.49 (1.02–2.17) 0.037 1.30 (0.91–1.87) 0.148 0.577
20:2 eicosadienoic acid 1.11 (0.73–1.68) 0.636 1.27 (0.81–1.98) 0.296 0.652 1.26 (0.84–1.90) 0.265 1.09 (0.71–1.67) 0.709 0.555
20:3 dihomo-γ-linolenic acid 1.31 (0.91–1.89) 0.153 1.29 (0.86–1.93) 0.212 0.971 1.28 (0.87–1.87) 0.209 1.33 (0.90–1.96) 0.152 0.844
20:4 arachidonic acid 0.87 (0.60–1.25) 0.446 1.05 (0.70–1.58) 0.818 0.500 1.15 (0.77–1.72) 0.506 0.80 (0.55–1.17) 0.254 0.185
22:2 docosadienoic acid 1.23 (0.85–1.78) 0.264 1.11 (0.75–1.65) 0.603 0.735 1.13 (0.77–1.66) 0.529 1.21 (0.84–1.76) 0.308 0.774
Total cis-n-6 PUFAs 0.83 (0.55–1.24) 0.353 0.94 (0.61–1.46) 0.793 0.645 1.02 (0.67–1.53) 0.943 0.74 (0.48–1.13) 0.160 0.260
cis-n-3 PUFAs
18:3 α-linolenic acid 1.01 (0.66–1.56) 0.951 1.07 (0.68–1.68) 0.777 0.933 1.01 (0.66–1.54) 0.979 1.09 (0.71–1.67) 0.705 0.806
20:5 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) 1.03 (0.68–1.56) 0.873 0.88 (0.57–1.36) 0.576 0.526 0.89 (0.60–1.33) 0.578 0.99 (0.65–1.50) 0.953 0.682
22:6 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) 0.91 (0.61–1.35) 0.642 0.88 (0.59–1.32) 0.548 0.913 1.13 (0.76–1.69) 0.536 0.71 (0.47–1.06) 0.090 0.090
Total cis-n-3 PUFAs 1.00 (0.66–1.49) 0.985 0.91 (0.60–1.39) 0.669 0.752 1.12 (0.75–1.68) 0.575 0.81 (0.54–1.21) 0.302 0.250
Total trans fatty acids
16:1 n-7t palmitelaidic acid 1.36 (0.93–2.00) 0.115 1.66 (1.07–2.56) 0.023 0.527 1.33 (0.90–1.96) 0.151 1.73 (1.13–2.64) 0.011 0.287
18:1 n-9t elaidic acid 1.75 (1.20–2.55) 0.004 1.29 (0.86–1.93) 0.213 0.238 1.72 (1.16–2.56) 0.007 1.34 (0.91–1.96) 0.133 0.340
18:1 n-7t vaccenic acid 1.02 (0.70–1.49) 0.910 1.42 (0.93–2.17) 0.109 0.247 1.17 (0.79–1.72) 0.430 1.20 (0.80–1.81) 0.375 0.937
18:2 n-6t linolelaidic acid 1.06 (0.73–1.54) 0.757 0.78 (0.51–1.18) 0.235 0.314 1.07 (0.74–1.55) 0.719 0.78 (0.54–1.14) 0.196 0.244
Ruminant trans-fatty acids c 1.19 (0.82–1.73) 0.361 1.87 (1.20–2.92) 0.006 0.114 1.22 (0.82–1.81) 0.330 1.73 (1.14–2.64) 0.010 0.196
Industrial trans-fatty acids d 1.67 (1.14–2.47) 0.009 1.14 (0.77–1.71) 0.508 0.169 1.67 (1.10–2.54) 0.016 1.17 (0.79–1.74) 0.439 0.280
Ratio cis-PUFA n-6/n-3 1.06 (0.71–1.59) 0.778 1.08 (0.71–1.64) 0.711 0.961 1.02 (0.68–1.53) 0.939 1.17 (0.79–1.75) 0.428 0.601
Desaturation indices
SCD-16: 16:1n-7c/16:0 1.08 (0.71–1.63) 0.723 1.48 (0.95–2.31) 0.087 0.392 1.11 (0.74–1.69) 0.610 1.38 (0.91–2.11) 0.131 0.466
SCD-18: 18:1n-9/18:0 2.04 (1.29–3.21) 0.002 2.05 (1.28–3.26) 0.003 0.972 1.79 (1.14–2.81) 0.011 2.34 (1.48–3.70) <0.001 0.250
FADS1: 20:4n-6/20:3n-6 0.68 (0.47–0.98) 0.040 0.59 (0.39–0.88) 0.009 0.567 0.78 (0.54–1.12) 0.178 0.52 (0.35–0.77) 0.001 0.130
FADS2: 20:3n-6/18:2n-6 1.23 (0.85–1.79) 0.273 1.49 (1.00–2.22) 0.050 0.478 1.32 (0.90–1.93) 0.152 1.35 (0.91–2.01) 0.138 0.871

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; CI, confidence interval; FADS, fatty acid desaturase; MUFAs, monounsaturated fatty acids; n-3 PUFAs, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; n-6 PUFAs, omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids; OR, odds ratio; SCD, stearoyl-CoA desaturase; SFAs, saturated fatty acids. a Adjusted for educational level, body mass index, menopausal status (these two variables were included in the models with the corresponding interaction term), age at menarche, age at first birth (with a category of history of nulliparous), hormone replacement therapy use, alcohol consumption, physical activity, previous benign breast problems, family history of breast cancer and energy intake. Adjusted for age and hospital by design. b p-value for heterogeneity. c Includes 16:1 n-7t and 18:1 n-7t. d Includes 18:1 n-9t and 18:2t.