Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice
Volume 87, Issue 3 , Pages 379-384, March 2010

Serum fatty acid composition and insulin resistance are independently associated with liver fat markers in elderly men☆

  • Helena Petersson

      Affiliations

    • Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences/Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, Uppsala University, Uppsala Science Park, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +46 18 6117980; fax: +46 18 6117976.
    • ,
  • Johan Ärnlöv

      Affiliations

    • Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences/Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala Science Park, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
    • Department of Health and Social Sciences, Högskolan Dalarna, 79188 Falun, Sweden
    • ,
  • Björn Zethelius

      Affiliations

    • Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences/Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala Science Park, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
    • ,
  • Ulf Risérus

      Affiliations

    • Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences/Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, Uppsala University, Uppsala Science Park, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden

Received 13 August 2009; received in revised form 23 October 2009; accepted 24 November 2009. published online 18 December 2009.

Abstract 

Aim

To investigate the relationships of serum fatty acid (FA) composition and estimated desaturase activities with the liver fat marker alanine aminotransferase (ALT).

Methods

546 Swedish elderly men of a population-based cohort participated in this cross-sectional study. FA composition was assessed in serum cholesterol esters to determine dietary fat quality (e.g. linoleic) and desaturation products (e.g. dihomo-γ-linolenic acid). Desaturase indices, including stearoyl coenzymeA desaturase-1 (SCD-1), were calculated by FA product-to-precursor ratios.

Results

In linear regression analyses adjusting for lifestyle, abdominal obesity and insulin sensitivity, the dietary biomarker linoleic acid (n-6), but not n-3 FAs, was inversely related to ALT. Desaturation products including palmitoleic, oleic, γ-linolenic and dihomo-γ-linolenic acids, and Δ6-desaturase and SCD-1 indices were directly related to ALT (all p<0.05). After further adjustment for factors previously linked to fatty liver (i.e. serum lipids, adiponectin concentrations), SCD-1 index (p=0.004) and insulin resistance (p<0.0001) were independent determinants of ALT activity, whereas waist circumference, triglycerides, non-esterified FA and adiponectin were not.

Conclusion

A low dietary intake of linoleic acid and elevated SCD-1 index may contribute to higher ALT activity in elderly men, even independently of obesity and insulin resistance.

Keywords: Fatty acid composition, Liver fat, Lipogenesis, Stearoyl coenzymeA desaturase-1

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☆ This study was presented at the 44th annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2008.

PII: S0168-8227(09)00490-2

doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2009.11.019

Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice
Volume 87, Issue 3 , Pages 379-384, March 2010

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