Plasma phospholipid fatty acid profiles in Korean adults with and without acute coronary syndrome

Authors: WALKER, MAURA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University; SO, JISUN - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University; MATTHAN, NIRUPA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University; JOHNSON, ELIZABETH - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University; HAN, SUNG NIM - Seoul National University; CHUNG, ICK-MO - Ewha Woman'S University; LICHTENSTEIN, ALICE - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University

Submitted to: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2017
Publication Date: 4/1/2017
Citation: Walker, M., So, J., Matthan, N., Johnson, E.J., Han, S., Chung, I., Lichtenstein, A.H. 2017. Plasma phospholipid fatty acid profiles in Korean adults with and without acute coronary syndrome [abstract]. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference. 31(1):966.31.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Background and Objectives: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS), a clinical manifestation of coronary artery disease presenting as unstable angina and/or myocardial infarction, is the third-leading cause of death in South Korea. Plasma phospholipid (PL) fatty acid profiles are considered objective biomarkers of both dietary fat type and indicator of endogenous fatty acid metabolism, and have been associated with cardiovascular disease risk in multiple cohorts. Little data are available about the relationship between these biomarkers and ACS in the Korean population. Our objective was to assess the relationship of plasma PL fatty acid profiles among Korean adults with (cases) and without (controls) diagnosed ACS. Methods: Plasma was collected from newly diagnosed cases (n=30) and controls (n=29) at Ewha Womans University Medical Center (EUMC), Seoul, South Korea. Cases and controls were matched on the basis of age (51 +/- 7 y) and sex. PL fatty acids profiles were determined by gas chromatography, and expressed as molar percentage (mol%). Thirty-six fatty acids were resolved. Fatty acid product-to-precursor ratios were calculated to estimate desaturase enzyme activities (stearoyl-CoA-desaturase [SCD1; 161n-7/16:0], SCD2 [18:1n-9/18:0], delta-6-desaturase [D6D; 20:3n-6/18:2n-6] and delta-5-desaturase [D5D; 20:4n-6/3n-6]). Data were analyzed using either paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed rank test as appropriate. Fatty acids were categorized into tertiles and logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for ACS risk with the lowest tertile serving as the reference. Results: Myristic (14:0; p = 0.041), gamma-linolenic (18:3n-6; p = 0.029), dihomo-gamma-linolenic (20:3n-6; p = 0.050), docosadienoic acid (22:2n-6; p = 0.050), docosatetraenoic (22:4n-6; p = 0.037) and conjugated linoleic acid (18:2C; p = 0.025) were significantly higher, whereas nervonic acid (24:1n-9; p = 0.042) and DHA/AA ratio (p = 0.030) were significantly lower in cases compared to the control subjects. A trend toward higher arachidonic (20:4n-6; p = 0.068) was observed in the cases. ACS risk was significantly lower among those in the highest tertile of DHA/AA (OR: 0.25 [95% CI: 0.07- 0.94]) and significantly higher among those in the highest tertile of gamma-linolenic (18:3n-6; OR: 4.6 [95% CI: 1.2-18.1]). Conclusions: These data indicate that ACS cases have a higher proportion of fatty acids in the endogenous omega-6 pathway and lower DHA/AA ratio.