Individual serum saturated fatty acids and markers of chronic subclinical inflammation: the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study

J Lipid Res. 2017 Nov;58(11):2171-2179. doi: 10.1194/jlr.P076836. Epub 2017 Sep 19.

Abstract

Recent evidence has documented distinct effects of individual saturated FAs (SFAs) on cardiometabolic outcomes, with potential protective effects from odd- and very long-chain SFAs (VLSFAs). Cross-sectional and prospective associations of individual serum SFAs (12:0, 14:0, 15:0, 16:0, 18:0, 20:0, 22:0, and total SFA) with proinflammatory biomarkers and adiponectin were investigated in 555 adults from the IRAS. Principal component analysis (PCA) of proinflammatory markers yielded three clusters: principal component (PC) 1: fibrinogen, white cell count, C-reactive protein; PC 2: plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), TNF-α, IL-18; PC 3: IL-6 and IL-8. Cross-sectional analyses on proinflammatory PCs and adiponectin, and prospective analyses on 5 year PAI-1 and fibrinogen concentrations were conducted with multiple regression. Total SFA and 16:0 were positively associated with PC 1 and PC 2, and negatively associated with adiponectin. The 14:0 was positively associated with PC 1 and negatively associated with adiponectin. In contrast, 15:0, 20:0, and 22:0 were negatively associated with PC 2, and 20:0 and 22:0 were positively associated with adiponectin. The 18:0 was negatively associated with PC 3. Prospectively, 15:0, 18:0, 20:0, and 22:0 were negatively associated with 5 year PAI-1 concentrations. The results demonstrate that individual SFAs have distinct roles in subclinical inflammation, highlighting the unique metabolic impacts of individual SFAs.

Keywords: cohort study; diet and dietary lipids; epidemiology; metabolic disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Atherosclerosis / blood*
  • Atherosclerosis / epidemiology
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Chronic Disease
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Fatty Acids / blood*
  • Female
  • Fibrinogen / metabolism
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / blood
  • Insulin Resistance*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / blood

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Fatty Acids
  • Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1
  • Fibrinogen