Association between serum phospholipid fatty acid levels and adiposity in Mexican women

• Published in: Journal of lipid research 2017-07, Vol.58 (7), p.1462-1470
• Main Authors: Aglago, Elom K., Biessy, Carine, Torres-Mejía, Gabriela, Angeles-Llerenas, Angélica, Gunter, Marc J., Romieu, Isabelle, Chajès, Veronique
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Adiposity - drug effects; body mass index; Case-Control Studies; Delta-5 Fatty Acid Desaturase; Desaturase; desaturation index; Dietary Fats - pharmacology; Epidemiology; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids - blood; Fatty Acids - metabolism; Female; Gas chromatography; Hip; Humans; Linolenic acid; Mexico - epidemiology; Middle Aged; obesity; Obesity - blood; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - pathology; Palmitoleic acid; Patient-Oriented and Epidemiological Research; Phospholipids; Phospholipids - metabolism; waist-to-hip ratio
• ISSN: 0022-2275; 1539-7262
• DOI: 10.1194/jlr.P073643

Fatty acids (FAs) have been postulated to impact adiposity, but few epidemiological studies addressing this hypothesis have been conducted. This study investigated the association between serum phospholipid FAs (S-PLFAs) and indicators of obesity. BMI and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were collected from 372 healthy Mexican women included as controls in a case-control study. S-PLFA percentages were determined through gas chromatography. Desaturation indices, SCD-16, SCD-18, FA desaturase (FADS)1, and FADS2, biomarkers of endogenous metabolism, were proxied respectively as 16:1n-7/16:0, 18:1n-9/18:0, 20:4n-6/20:3n-6, and 22:6n-3/20:5n-3. Multiple linear regressions adjusted for relevant confounders and corrected for multiple testing were conducted to determine the association between S-PLFA, desaturation indices, and indicators of adiposity. SCD-16 (β = 0.034, P = 0.001, q = 0.014), palmitoleic acid (β = 0.031, P = 0.001, q = 0.014), and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (β = 0.043, P = 0.000, q = 0.0002) were positively associated with BMI. Total n-6 PUFAs (β = 1.497, P = 0.047, q = 0.22) and the ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFAs (β = 0.034, P = 0.040, q = 0.19) were positively associated with WHR, while odd-chain FAs (pentadecanoic and heptadecanoic acid) showed negative associations with all the adiposity indicators. In conclusion, increased endogenous synthesis of palmitoleic acid and a high n-6/n-3 ratio are associated with increased adiposity, while odd-chain FAs are associated with decreased adiposity. Further studies are needed to determine the potential causality behind these associations.