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Associations Between Plasma Fatty Acid Composition, Estimated Desaturase Indices, and Measures of Insulin Resistance in 4th‐ and 5th‐grade Children
Author(s) -
Nguyen Lori M,
Newman John W,
Borkowska Alison G,
ZidenbergCherr Sheri,
Dharmar Madan,
Gray Ira J,
Linnell Jessica D,
Young Heather M,
Scherr Rachel E
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.684.15
Subject(s) - quartile , insulin resistance , medicine , palmitic acid , anthropometry , metabolic syndrome , endocrinology , fatty acid , obesity , chemistry , confidence interval , biochemistry
Lipidomics is often used to characterize the role of lipids in disease; however, few reports document lipid profiles of children. The aim of this study was to evaluate plasma fatty acid profiles in children and identify potential correlates with markers of metabolic health. The fatty acid profiles of children (n=85, ages 9–12) were determined. Anthropometric data, dietary intake data, and plasma were collected. Fasting plasma was analyzed for total fatty acids, glucose, insulin, and full lipid panels for this cross‐sectional study. Insulin resistance was estimated using calculated HOMA‐IR values. Pearson's correlation was used to exam the relationship between HOMA‐IR and blood biomarkers, analysis of covariance was used to determine differences between groups, and multivariate regression was used to determine the predictors of HOMA‐IR. An increased proportion of palmitic acid (16:0) often characterizes insulin resistant states. A negative correlation between HOMA‐IR values and 18:0/16:0 ratio (r=−0.37, P =0.005) was observed. When analyzed by HOMA‐IR quartiles, the highest quartile had a mean difference of −0.05 in the 18:0/16:0 ratio compared to the lowest quartile ( P =0.030). A high stearoyl‐CoA‐desaturase (SCD) index, estimated by taking the ratio of 16:1n7/16:0, has been linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome and in this study HOMA‐IR correlated with SCD‐16 (r=0.35, P =0.001). Mean SCD index was greater among the third and fourth quartiles of HOMA‐IR compared to the first ( P =0.020). A low Delta‐5‐Desaturase (Δ5D) is often associated with lower risk for metabolic diseases and mean Δ5D was highest in the fourth quartile of HOMA‐IR (P=0.02). In the linear regression model, BMI, 16:0 ratio, and Δ5D were the strongest predictors of HOMA‐IR (r 2 =0.38, P =0.01). Consistent with adult studies, insulin resistance in children appears to be associated with increased 16:0 proportions and SCD activity indices in plasma. Though these children appear healthy, the type and level of lipidomic markers may be indicative of the degree of insulin resistance. Evaluating plasma fatty acid profiles of children may help establish early disease risk. Support or Funding Information Funding provided by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Competitive Grant #11‐1018, USDA Training Grant 2011‐38420‐20082, USDA NIFA, Hatch project 221082, USDA Intramural Project 2032‐52530‐022‐00D, and NIH 1U24DK097154‐01. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.