Cross-sectional associations of plasma fatty acid composition and estimated desaturase and elongase activities with cardiometabolic risk in Finnish children—The PANIC study

• Published in: Journal of clinical lipidology Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 82 - 91
• Main Authors: Venäläinen, Taisa, MSc, Ågren, Jyrki, PhD, Schwab, Ursula, PhD, de Mello, Vanessa D., PhD, Eloranta, Aino-Maija, PhD, Laaksonen, David E., MD, Lindi, Virpi, PhD, Lakka, Timo A., MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Acetyltransferases - metabolism; Cardiometabolic risk; Cardiovascular; Child; Children; Cross-Sectional Studies; Desaturase; Elongase; Fatty acid; Fatty Acid Desaturases - metabolism; Fatty Acids - blood; Fatty Acids - chemistry; Female; Finland - epidemiology; Humans; Male; Metabolic Syndrome - blood; Metabolic Syndrome - enzymology; Metabolic Syndrome - epidemiology; Phospholipid; Phospholipids - blood; Risk Factors; Triacylglycerol; Triglycerides - blood; Triacylglycerol; Fatty acid; Phospholipid; Elongase; Cardiometabolic risk; Children; Desaturase
• ISSN: 1933-2874; 1876-4789
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jacl.2015.09.004

Background Knowledge on the association of plasma fatty acid (FA) composition in triacylglycerol (TG) and phospholipid (PL) fractions with cardiometabolic risk in population-based samples of children is lacking. Objective We investigated the associations of proportions of FA in plasma TG and PL fractions as well as estimated desaturase and elongase activities with cardiometabolic risk in a population sample of 384 children aged 6–8 years. Methods Plasma FA composition was analyzed by gas chromatography. Desaturase and elongase activities were estimated as product-to-precursor FA ratios. Cardiometabolic risk was assessed using a continuous cardiometabolic risk score (CRS) variable. Results Higher proportions of myristic and palmitoleic acids in plasma TG and PL were associated with a higher CRS. A lower proportion of linoleic acid in plasma TG was related to a higher CRS. Estimated stearoyl-CoA-desaturase and Δ6-desaturase activities in plasma TG and PL were directly associated with CRS, whereas estimated elongase activity in plasma TG and PL was inversely related to CRS. Conclusions Greater proportions of myristic and palmitoleic acids and a smaller proportion of linoleic acid in plasma, as well as higher estimated stearoyl-CoA-desaturase and Δ6-desaturase activities and a lower estimated elongase activity, are associated with cardiometabolic risk factors among children. These findings reinforce the evidence that FA metabolism is closely associated with cardiometabolic risk, starting already from childhood.