이재화 (경북대학교)

이재화 (경북대학교)

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancers among women globally, including in Korea. As overweight and obesity increase the risk of cancer recurrence in BC survivors, weight management through lifestyle modifications—particularly dietary interventions—is essential. The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is known to promote weight loss and reduce lipid levels. However, the majority of research evaluating how MedDiet affects lipid levels has depended on clinical chemistry methods, are unable to measure the level of lipid species. Therefore, a comprehensive lipidomic investigation is warranted

In this study, untargeted lipidomic profiling was employed to evaluate the effects of an 8-week MedDiet intervention in overweight or obese BC survivors (n=12). Serum samples collected before and after the intervention were analyzed using UHPLC-IM-QTOF/MS in both positive and negative modes. Lipids were annotated using the MetaboScape (Bruker Daltonics GmbH, Bremen, Germany). Multivariate analyses were conducted, and lipids with VIP values≥1.5 and p<0.05 were considered putatively significant.

A total of 799 lipids were annotated in positive mode and 360 in negative mode, comprising cholesteryl esters, glycerolipids, sphingolipids, and glycerophospholipids. The OPLS-DA analysis revealed a clear distinction in lipid profiles before and after the MedDiet intervention. Forty-three lipids were confirmed as putative. Most glycerolipids and glycerophospholipids decreased after the intervention, while cholesteryl esters increased. Further studies involving unambiguous lipid identification at the fatty acyl composition level are essential to clarify metabolic relevance.