title: Association between erythrocyte membrane fatty acids and biomarkers of dyslipidemia in the EPIC-Potsdam study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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).
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol concentrations may be mediators that link intake and metabolism of FAs to metabolic risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schiller
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology, Nephrology, Vascular Disease, and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of the Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany [2] Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of the Helmholtz Centre Munich at the University of Tübingen (IDM), Partner in the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fritsche
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weikert
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: di Giuseppe
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Boeing
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kröger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003611:Dairy Products / Q000032:analysis; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood*; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000378:metabolism; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013230:Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase / Q000378:metabolism; D044242:Trans Fatty Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D044242:Trans Fatty Acids; D014280:Triglycerides; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases; D013230:Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase; C533241:FADS2 protein, human