Reduction in the stearic to oleic acid ratio in human malignant liver neoplasms.

Total lipid extracts of liver tissue from 14 patients with primary and secondary liver tumours were analysed for relative values of saturation of 18 carbon chain length fatty acids (C18FA). The saturation indices (ratio C18S:C18u) of the tumour areas were significantly and consistently lower than the corresponding values in the non-tumour areas (P less than 0.001). It is proposed that the relative increase in unsaturated C18FA (oleic acid) could prove to be a chemical marker reflecting deficient cellular control of the desaturation of stearic acid.