Estimated Stearoyl-CoA-desaturase (SCD)-1 and Elongase of Very Long Chain Fatty Acids (Elovl) 6 Activities From Serum Fatty Acids Are Reciprocally Associated with Visceral Fat Area in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Abstract

Introduction: Abdominal visceral fat accumulation can cause insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients. We investigated the association between serum fatty acid levels and the visceral fat area (VFA).Materials and methods: In this retrospective study we evaluated relationship between the serum levels of 24 fatty acids and the abdominal VFA measured by computed tomography in 32 patients with type 2 diabetes who had been hospitalized.Results: Of the 24 fatty acids evaluated, the serum palmitoleic acid (C16:1 n-7) level had a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.565) with VFA while the serum arachidic acid (C:20:0) level had a very weak negative correlation (r = -0.351); no significant correlations with the VFA were found for the remaining 22 fatty acids. On the other hand, we discovered 5 significant correlations in 18 estimated activity indices of elongases and desaturases, which were calculated with ratios of corresponding fatty acid concentrations. The palmitoleic acid (C16:1 n-7) /palmitic acid (C16:0) (r = 0.719, stearoyl-CoA-desaturase (SCD)-1 (16)) index and the oleic acid (C18:1 n-9) / stearic acid (C18:0) (r = 0.534, SCD-1(18) index had moderate to strong correlations with the VFA, whereas stearic acid (C18:0) /palmitic acid (C16:0) (r = - 0.495, elongase of very long chain (Elovl)6 index exhibited a significant negative correlation.Conclusions: The serum palmitoleic acid (C16:1 n-7) level and some estimated activity indices significantly correlated with the VFA in the type 2 diabetic patients. SCD-1 indices and an Elovl6 index were reciprocally associated with the VFA. The SCD-1(16) index, which showed the strongest correlation with the VFA along with the negative association of the Elovl-6 index, might be useful in estimating the VFA.