Erythrocyte ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are inversely associated with the risk of oral cancer: a case-control study

Abstract

Objectives Evidence about ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) and oral cancer risk were limited. We aimed to evaluate the association of erythrocyte ω-3 PUFAs with the risk of oral cancer in a population from China. Methods Erythrocyte ω-3 PUFAs of 236 oral cancer patients and 300 controls were determined by gas chromatography. Restricted cubic spline and logistic regression were used to analyze the association between erythrocyte ω-3 PUFAs and oral cancer risk. The crude and adjusted OR with 95% CI was calculated. Stratification analysis was performed to explore the potential interaction between ω-3 PUFAs and other traditional risk factors such as smoking and drinking. Results Eicosapentaenoic acids (EPA), docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) and ω-3 index were negatively but non-linearly related to risk of oral cancer as observed by restricted cubic spline. The adjusted OR of EPA, DHA, and ω-3 index were 0.52 (95% CI: 0.35–0.76), 0.19 (95% CI: 0.08–0.44), 0.20 (95% CI: 0.09–0.44), respectively. Stratification analysis showed that the adverse correlation between EPA and oral cancer was only significant in the non-smoking group, while the adverse correlation of ɑ-linolenic acid (ALA), EPA, and DHA were only significant in the non-drinking group. General multiplicative interactions were observed between ω-3 PUFAs and smoking or drinking. Conclusions Adverse but non-linear associations were observed between erythrocyte EPA, DHA, ω-3 index, and oral cancer risk. Additionally, there were multiplicative interactions between ω-3 PUFAs and other behavior factors such as smoking and drinking. The protective effect of ω-3 PUFAs maybe more significant in the non-smoking or non-drinking population.

Molecular drivers of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma in non-smoking and non-drinking patients: what do we know so far?

“… 72 Another case-control study of 236 oral cancer patients and 300 controls reported a higher level of erythrocyte membrane fatty acids (a proxy for dietary fatty acid intake) in the control group, and found that the association between fatty acid levels and cancer was stronger in NSND patients, further supporting that dietary factors can affect cancer risk in NSND populations. 73 …”

“…72 Another case-control study of 236 oral cancer patients and 300 controls reported a higher level of erythrocyte membrane fatty acids (a proxy for dietary fatty acid intake) in the control group, and found that the association between fatty acid levels and cancer was stronger in NSND patients, further supporting that dietary factors can affect cancer risk in NSND populations. 73 In summary, while environmental factors certainly play a role in the development of OCSCC in NSND, more work is needed to determine the contributions of these various factors to oral tumorigenesis and their interactions with smoking and alcohol.…”

Mediation analysis of erythrocyte lipophilic index on the association between BMI and risk of oral cancer

“…A hospital-based case-control study was conducted with patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from September 2013 to December 2020 in Fujian Province, China, as previously described [ 23 ]. Patients with newly diagnosed oral cancer (C00-C07 corresponding to the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases) were enrolled in this study and serum samples were collected at admission.…”

Mediation analysis of erythrocyte lipophilic index on the association between BMI and risk of oral cancer

“…A hospital-based case-control study was conducted with patients from the First A liated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from September 2013 to December 2020 in Fujian province, China, as previously described (23). Patients newly diagnosed with oral cancer were enrolled in this study and serum samples were collected at admission.…”

“…The samples were kept at -80°C until they were analyzed. Details of the erythrocyte membrane FA acquisition and measurement have been described previously (23). In brie y, FA methyl esters were separated using an Agilent 7890B gas chromatograph (Agilent, Palo Alto, CA, USA) equipped with DB-23 fame column (60 m ×0.25 mm inside diameter, the lm thickness of 0.15μm) ame ionization.…”