title: Cross-sectional associations of plasma fatty acid composition and estimated desaturase and elongase activities with cardiometabolic risk in Finnish children--The PANIC study.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, Physiology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: taisa.venalainen@uef.fi.
authors.forename: Taisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Venäläinen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, Physiology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Jyrki
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ågren
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Internal Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Vanessa D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: de Mello
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, Physiology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Aino-Maija
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Eloranta
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, Physiology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Internal Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Laaksonen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, Physiology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Virpi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lindi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, Physiology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland; Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise Medicine, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Timo A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Lakka
mesh_terms: D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000081031:Fatty Acid Elongases; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases; D000123:Acetyltransferases; D000081031:Fatty Acid Elongases
keywords: Cardiometabolic risk; Children; Desaturase; Elongase; Fatty acid; Phospholipid; Triacylglycerol