Even- and odd-chain saturated fatty acids in serum phospholipids are differentially associated with adipokines

BACKGROUND: Saturated fatty acids are generally thought to have detrimental effects on health. However, a recent study showed that even- and odd-chain saturated fatty acids had opposite associations with type 2 diabetes. Limited studies of Western populations examined the associations of circulating saturated fatty acids with adipokines, an important role in glucose metabolism. OBJECTIVE: We examined the associations of saturated fatty acids in serum phospholipids with circulating levels of adipokines among a Japanese population. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 484 Japanese employees (284 men and 200 women) aged 20–65 years. The serum fatty acid composition in the phospholipid fraction was measured by gas-chromatography. Serum leptin, adiponectin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), resistin, and visfatin were measured using a Luminex suspension bead-based multiplexed array. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to assess the association between saturated fatty acids and adipokines, with adjustment for potential confounding variables. RESULTS: Even- and odd-chain saturated fatty acids were differentially associated with adipokines. Higher levels of even-chain saturated fatty acids (14:0 myristic, 16:0 palmitic, and 18:0 stearic acids) were associated with higher levels of resistin (P for trend = 0.048) and lower levels of adiponectin (P for trend = 0.003). By contrast, odd-chain saturated fatty acids (15:0 pentadecanoic and 17:0 heptadecanoic acids) showed inverse associations with leptin and PAI-1 (P for trend = 0.048 and 0.02, respectively). Visfatin was positively associated with both even- and odd-chain saturated fatty acids. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that even- and odd-chain saturated fatty acids are differentially associated with adipokine profile.