title: Alterations of plasma lysophosphatidylcholine species in obesity and weight loss.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity and related diseases of the metabolic syndrome contribute to the major health problems in industrialized countries. Alterations in the metabolism of lipid classes and lipid species may significantly be involved in these metabolic overload diseases. However, little is known about specific lipid species in this syndrome and existing data are contradictive.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we quantified plasma lipid species by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) in obese subjects before and after 3 month weight loss as well as in a control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The comparison of obese subjects with control subjects before weight loss revealed significantly lower lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) concentrations in obesity. LPC concentrations did not significantly increase during the observed period in the weight loss group. Analysis of LPC species revealed a decrease of most species in obesity and negative correlations with C-reactive protein (CRP) and body mass index (BMI). Correlating BMI ratio before and after weight loss with the ratio of total LPC and individual LPC species revealed significant negative relationships of LPC ratios with BMI ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings contribute to the contradictive discussion of the role of LPC in obesity and related chronic inflammation strongly supporting pre-existing data in the literature that show a decrease of LPC species in plasma of obese and a potentially anti-inflammatory role in these subjects.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Centre, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heimerl
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Internal Medicine II, University Medical Centre, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Internal Medicine II, University Medical Centre, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baessler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Centre, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liebisch
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Centre, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sigruener
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Centre, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wallner
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Centre, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008244:Lysophosphatidylcholines / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D010641:Phenotype; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D015431:Weight Loss; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs
chemical_list: D008244:Lysophosphatidylcholines