Biochemical Changes of the Lipid in Biopsied Livers of Patients with Malignant Neoplastic Diseases

Abstract

In order to clarify the biochemical differences between the malignant neoplastic and benign diseases, the livers of the patients were biopsied under laparoscopy. One half of each sample was subjected to histologic examination and the other half to lipid analysis by means of a thin layer chromatography (TLC) and a gas liquid chromatography (GLC). The fatty acid profile of the total lipid prepared from the livers of 19 malignant neoplastic cases showed a higher content of C20:4, and a lower content of C14:0 and C18:1 compared with that of the 14 benign cases. Furthermore, the total lipid fraction was separated to triglyceride and phospholipid fractions by TLC. In the livers of the 19 malignant cases, the amount of fatty acid components in the phospholipid fraction was higher than normal value, but the amount of fatty acid components in the triglyceride was lower than normal value. More significant differences were observed when the ratio of the fatty acid content of the phospholipid fraction to that of the triglyceride was calculated for each patient. These ratios were over 2.20 in 19 out of 22 malignant cases, but were under 2.19 in 20 benign cases. Moreover, a case of relatively early pancreatic cancer and a case of early gastric cancer included in malignant cases mentioned above also showed ratios over 3.00. These findings will be applicable for the clinical diagnosis of the malignant neoplastic diseases. © 1971, Tohoku University Medical Press. All rights reserved.