Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33199044›Full record

ArticleClinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland)2021

Genetically predicted plasma phospholipid arachidonic acid concentrations and 10 site-specific cancers in UK biobank and genetic consortia participants: A mendelian randomization study.

Susanna C Larsson, Paul Carter, Mathew Vithayathil, Amy M Mason, Karl Michaëlsson, John A Baron, Stephen Burgess

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Review
  6. Stage-Dependent Role of Eicosanoids in Colorectal Cancer.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Susanna C LarssonUnit of Medical Epidemiology, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Unit of Cardiovascular and Nutritional Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: susanna.larsson@surgsci.uu.se.
Paul CarterDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: paul_richard_carter@outlook.com.
Mathew VithayathilMRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: mat2k89@gmail.com.
Amy M MasonBritish Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: am2609@medschl.cam.ac.uk.
Karl MichaëlssonUnit of Medical Epidemiology, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: karl.michaelsson@surgsci.uu.se.
John A BaronUnit of Medical Epidemiology, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA; Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: jabaron@med.unc.edu.
Stephen BurgessDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: sb452@medschl.cam.ac.uk.
University of Cambridge · GBUppsala University · SEDartmouth College · US

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_PC_17228Medical Research Council MC_QA137853Medical Research Council MC_UU_00002/7Wellcome Trust 204623Wellcome Trust 204623/Z/16/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND &

aimsArachidonic acid (AA) is metabolized by cyclooxygenases and lipoxygenases to pro-inflammatory eicosanoids, which according to experimental research modulate tumor cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. We employed the Mendelian randomization design to test the hypothesis that higher plasma phospholipid AA concentrations are associated with increased risk of 10 site-specific cancers.

methodsTwo genetic variants associated with plasma phospholipid concentrations of AA (rs174547 in FADS1 [P = 3.0 × 10

resultsHigher genetically predicted plasma phospholipid AA concentrations were associated with increased risk of colorectal and lung cancer. Results were consistent across data sources and variants. The combined odds ratios per standard deviation increase of AA concentrations were 1.08 (95% CI 1.05-1.11; P = 6.3 × 10

conclusionThese results indicate that AA may be implicated in the development of colorectal and lung cancer and possibly esophageal cancer. Treatments with plasma AA-lowering properties should be evaluated for clinical benefit.

Indexed as

Arachidonic AcidNeoplasmsDatabases, FactualDelta-5 Fatty Acid DesaturaseHumansMendelian Randomization AnalysisPolymorphism, Single NucleotideUnited KingdomArachidonic AcidDelta-5 Fatty Acid DesaturaseFADS1 protein, humanArachidonic acidCancerFatty acidsMendelian randomizationPolymorphisms

Identifiers

PMID33199044
PMCPMC7612929
OpenAlexW3097297125

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.