Distribution of total fatty acids in human splenic lipids

Lipids were extracted from adult human spleens obtained at surgery or autopsy, 26 with some degree of congestion and 7 displaying congestive splenomegaly. The fatty acids were processed following saponification of the lipids, esterified and the esters as such as well as hydrogenated aliquots analyzed by gas chromatography. The significance of fatty acid differences on the basis of age, sex, pathology and mode of organ acquisition was determined by t-tests. Several acid differences were significant in regard to age groups, between congestion and splenomegaly (surgical, autopsy and overall) and in the comparison of the respective surgical vs autopsy groups. No definite difference could be attributed to sex.