The relationship between tumor tissue and blood free fatty acid levels and tumor malignancy in glial tumors

Glial tumors due to increased incidence and frequency of their mortality and morbidity is one of the priority areas for the researchers. Defining nature of these tumors is important in the management of these tumors. Both the fatty acid and its metabolites have been investigated with proportionally related to increased tumor grade. In our study, we aimed to investigate answers to questions that how relationship exist between the grade of tumors and blood and tissue fatty acids.Between 2008?2010 years, operated 40 patients with diagnosed pathologically as glial tumor at Firat University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery were included in our study. The extraction 3:2 (v/v) of lipids from tissue samples was made by Hara and Radin method and gas chromatography. The results in the total fatty acids for each fatty acid were determined in terms of percentage (%) volume.40 patients consisted of 24 men, 16 women. 17 patients were reported as having high-grade glioma and 23 patients were reported as having low-grade glioma. C20:4 levels in the tissue were high in adult patients with high-grade tumors (p<0.05). However, high C22:00 levels of tumor tissues in patients with low-grade tumors were statistically significant (p<0.05). When the comparison of serum fatty acid levels of patients with high- and low-grade tumors were made; C20:4, C22:0, C24:1 levels were higher in low-grade tumors (p<0.05). High saturated fatty acid levels in patients between 0?19 years old with low-grade tumors were significantly higher (p<0.001).Our findings about these changes in the fatty acid levels should be supported with clinical studies for the determination of independent prognostic values. We think that higher levels of C18:0 and C20:0 in younger patients with low-grade tumors contrubute to their good prognosis. Especially higher serum level findings may be used for prediction of patients? prognosis in postoperative period. C18:0 and C20:0 fatty acids levels is related to pro-apoptotic and anti-proliferative activities of polyunsaturated fatty acids in tumor tissue.