Little is known about the relation between the activities of certain
enzymes involved in endogenous
fatty acid synthesis and metabolic risk factors, particularly in young adults and non-Western populations. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the associations between estimated desaturase and elongase activities and metabolic risk factors in young Japanese women. The subjects were 640 female Japanese dietetic students aged 18 to 22 years. Body height and weight, from which body mass index (BMI) was derived, waist circumference, and blood pressure were measured. Fasting blood samples were collected for biochemical and
fatty acid measurements. Desaturase and elongase
enzyme activities were estimated as the ratio of product to precursor of individual
fatty acids in serum
lipids.
delta-9 desaturase activity was positively associated with BMI, diastolic blood pressure, total and
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and
triacylglycerol and was negatively associated with
high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P <or= .019). delta-6 desaturase activity showed positive associations with BMI, systolic blood pressure,
triacylglycerol, and the homeostasis model assessment of
insulin resistance (P <or= .045). delta-5 desaturase activity showed independent negative associations with BMI, systolic blood pressure,
triacylglycerol,
insulin, and the homeostasis model assessment of
insulin resistance (P <or= .007). Elongase activity was associated negatively with BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and
triacylglycerol and was positively associated with
high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P <or= .026). In conclusion, increased estimates of delta-9 and delta-6 desaturase activity and decreased estimates of delta-5 desaturase and elongase activity were associated with adverse profiles for several metabolic risk factors in young Japanese women.