Association between erythrocyte membrane fatty acids and biomarkers of dyslipidemia in the EPIC-Potsdam study

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 68; no. 4; pp. 517 - 525
• Main Authors: JACOBS, S, SCHILLER, K, JANSEN, E, FRITSCHE, A, WEIKERT, C, DI GIUSEPPE, R, BOEING, H, SCHULZE, M. B, KRÖGER, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01.04.2014
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Biological markers; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; Cardiovascular diseases; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Coenzyme A; Confidence intervals; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dairy Products - analysis; Density; Desaturase; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Diagnosis; Dyslipidemia; Dyslipidemias; Dyslipidemias - blood; Erythrocyte Membrane - chemistry; Erythrocytes; European Continental Ancestry Group; Fatty Acid Desaturases - metabolism; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids - administration & dosage; Fatty Acids - blood; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - administration & dosage; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - blood; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic aspects; Health risks; High density lipoprotein; Humans; Linear Models; Low density lipoprotein; Low density lipoproteins; Male; Medical sciences; Membranes; Metabolic diseases; Metabolic disorders; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Nutrition; Nutrition research; Nutrition Surveys; Physiological aspects; Polyunsaturated fatty acids; Prospective Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; Statistical analysis; Stearoyl-CoA desaturase; Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase - metabolism; Trans Fatty Acids - administration & dosage; Trans Fatty Acids - blood; Triglycerides; Triglycerides - blood; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Germany; Blood cell; Association; Red blood cell; Biological marker; Lipids; Metabolic diseases; Membrane; Dyslipemia; Fatty acids
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2014.18

Blood proportions of fatty acids (FAs) and FA-ratios reflecting desaturase activity are associated with the risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes mellitus or cardiovascular diseases. Biomarkers of dyslipidemia are considered as potential mediators of this association. We evaluated associations of erythrocyte membrane proportions of individual disease-related polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), trans-FAs, dairy-derived saturated FAs (SFAs) (15:0, 17:0) and FA-ratios with biomarkers of dyslipidemia (high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides). We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a subsample (n=1759) of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam study. Associations of individual FAs and FA-ratios with plasma biomarkers of dyslipidemia were evaluated by linear multivariable regression. Most notably, FA-ratios reflecting activity of Δ6-desaturase (D6D) and stearoyl-coenzyme A-desaturase (SCD) were positively associated with triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol concentrations (adjusted means (95% confidence interval (CI)) of triglycerides (mg/dl) across D6D tertiles: men--102 (94.7-110), 111 (104-120), 144 (134-156) and women--73.5 (70.0-77.2), 82.9 (79.0-86.9), 94.2 (89.7-98.9)); across SCD tertiles: men--99.0 (91.8-107), 115 (107-124), 144 (134-156) and women--72.4 (69.0-76.0), 81.5 (77.8-85.5), 97.2 (92.6-102)), whereas inverse associations with triglycerides were observed for the estimated Δ5-desaturase (D5D) activity (adjusted means (95% CI) of triglycerides (mg/dl) across D5D tertiles: men--128 (119-138), 121 (113-131), 106 (97.9-114) and women--92.0 (87.6-96.6), 82.8 (78.9-86.9), 75.3 (71.6-79.1), P-values for trend at least 0.0006). Furthermore, we observed generally weaker and less consistent associations of dairy-derived SFAs (mainly 17:0) with triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol. Individual PUFAs and trans-FAs were, if at all, only weakly associated with dyslipidemia markers. Our findings suggest that triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol concentrations may be mediators that link intake and metabolism of FAs to metabolic risk.