Associations between estimated desaturase activity and insulin resistance in korean boys.
OBJECTIVE
Obesity in childhood increases the risk of obesity in adulthood, and is predictive of the development of metabolic disorders. The fatty acid compositions of various tissues, including blood, are associated with obesity and obesity-associated disorders. Thus, tracking plasma phospholipid (PL) features and metabolic parameters in young individuals may strengthen the utility of fatty acid composition as an early biomarker of future metabolic disorders.


METHODS
Anthropometric and blood biochemical data were obtained from 131 Korean males aged 10.5 ± 0.4 years, and followed up at 2 years. We analyzed the plasma PL fatty acids according to obesity. Obese children were defined as those with a body mass index (BMI) greater than the 85(th) percentile for age and gender, based on Korean child growth standards.


RESULTS
Activities of lipid desaturases, stearyl-CoAD (SCD-16,16:1n-7/16:0), delta-6D (D6D, 20:3n-6/18:2n-6), and delta-5D (D5D, 20:4n-6/20:3n-6), were estimated. Obese individuals had significantly higher proportions of palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7) and dihomo-gamma linolenic acid (DGLA, 20:3n-6) at both baseline and follow-up than did lean individuals. The activities of SCD-16 and D6D were higher in obese than lean boys. The baseline SCD-16 activity level was positively associated with the baseline waist circumference (WC) and the metabolic risk score. The baseline D6D level was positively associated with WC and also with the homeostasis model of assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), a surrogate marker of insulin resistance (IR), and metabolic risk score at both baseline and follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
In young Korean males, higher D6D activity predicts the future development of IR and associated metabolic disorders including dyslipidemia.
Division of Metabolic Disease, Center for Biomedical Science, Korea National Institute of Health, Cheongju, Korea.
Young Sim
YS
Choi
Division of Metabolic Disease, Center for Biomedical Science, Korea National Institute of Health, Cheongju, Korea.
Han Byul
HB
Jang
Division of Metabolic Disease, Center for Biomedical Science, Korea National Institute of Health, Cheongju, Korea.
Ju Yeon
JY
Park
Division of Metabolic Disease, Center for Biomedical Science, Korea National Institute of Health, Cheongju, Korea.
Hye-Ja
HJ
Lee
Department of Family Medicine, Obesity Research Institute, Seoul Paik Hospital, Inje University, Seoul, Korea.
Jae-Heon
JH
Kang
Department of Family Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University, Anyang, Korea.
Kyung-Hee
KH
Park
Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
Jong Ho
JH
Lee
Division of Metabolic Disease, Center for Biomedical Science, Korea National Institute of Health, Cheongju, Korea.
Sang Ick
SI
Park
Division of Metabolic Disease, Center for Biomedical Science, Korea National Institute of Health, Cheongju, Korea.
Jihyun
J
Song
D6D; DGLA; body fatness; fatty acid composition; insulin resistance