Relationship of serum polyunsaturated fatty acids with cytokines in colorectal cancer

AIM: To investigate the relationship of serum levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid(PUFA) with kinds of cytokines in colorectal cancer(CRC).METHODS: Serum samples of 100 CRC patients were collected. The concentration of total n-3 PUFA which included C18:3 n-3, C20:5 n-3, C22:5 n-3, C22:6 n-3 and the total n-6 PUFA included C18:2 n-6, C18:3 n-6, C20:3 n-6, C20:4 n-6, and C22:5 n-6 were detected onGC-2010 Plus Gas Chromatograph with a Omegawax TM 250 column. Cytokines were detected by Mag Plex TM-C microspheres. P values for the trend were estimated by creating a continuous variable using the median value within quartiles.RESULTS: Interleukin-6(IL-6) showed significantly positive association with the C20:4 n-6(P for trend = 0.004). Interferon gamma(IFN-γ) showed significant positive association with the C22:5 n-3(P for trend = 0.035). IL-8 and matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9) showed significant inverse association with the C22:6 n-3(P for trend = 0.049, and 0.021). MMP-2 showed significant inverse association with the C20:5 n-3(P for trend = 0.008). MMP-7 showed significantly positive association with the ratio of n-6 PUFA and n-3 PUFA(P for trend = 0.008). MMP-7 also showed significantly inverse association with the ratio of C20:4 n-6 and(n-6 PUFA + n-3 PUFA)(P for trend = 0.024). IL-10(P for trend = 0.023) and IL-6(P for trend = 0.036) showed significantly positive association with the ratio of C20:4 n-6 and C20:5 n-3.CONCLUSION: Our data suggested that serum levels of PUFA is related to the inflammation of CRC, and also play different role in regulation of immune response.