Esophageal cancer phospholipids correlated with histopathologic findings: a P-31 NMR study

We analyzed 36 esophageal tumor specimens for phospholipid content using ph osphorus nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (P-31 NMR) and correlated the individual phospholipid profiles with specific clinical and histopathol ogic features. Among the 18 phospholipids identified in the esophageal tumo r specimens, the mean mole percentage concentration of dimethylphosphatidyl ethanolamine, lysoalkylacylphosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidic acid, lyso phosphatidylcholine (deacylated at the glycerol-l carbon), and lysoethanola mine plasmalogen correlated with pathologic T stage, nuclear grade, or the presence of lymphatic invasion. P-31 NMR produces well-dispersed phospholip id spectra and a precise determination of phospholipid relative mole percen tages. These data provide a statistical correlation between histopathologic features and molecules known to play an important role in cellular activit ies and processes unique to malignant tissues. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wile y & Sons, Ltd.