Polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma lipids of obese children with and without metabolic cardiovascular syndrome

Previously we reported significantly higher values of gamma -linolenic acid (CLA, 18:3n-6), dihomo-gamma -linolenic acid (DHGLA, 20:3n-6), and arachid onic acid (20:4n-6) in plasma lipid classes in obese children than in nonob ese controls. In the present study, fatty acid composition of plasma phosph olipids (PL) and sterol esters (STE) was determined by high-resolution capi llary gas-liquid chromatography in obese children with and without metaboli c cardiovascular syndrome [MCS: defined as simultaneous presence of (ii dys lipidemia, (ii) hyperinsulinemia, (iii) hypertension, and.(iv) impaired glu cose tolerance] and in nonobese controls. Fatty acid composition of PL and STE lipids did not differ between obese children without MCS and controls. Obese children with MCS exhibited significantly lower linoleic acid (LA, 18 :2n-6) values in PL (17.43 [2.36], % wt/wt, median [range from the first to the third quartile]) than obese children without MCS (19.14 [3.49]) and co ntrols (20.28 [3.80]). In contrast, PL GLA values were significantly higher in obese children with (0.13 [0.08]) than in those without MCS (0.08 [0.04 ]), whereas STE CLA values were higher in obese children with MCS (1.04 [0. 72]) than in controls (0.62 [0.48]). DHGLA values in PL were significantly higher in obese children with MCS (4.06 [0.74]) than in controls (2.69 [1.6 0]). The GLA/LA ratio was significantly higher, whereas the AA/DHGLA ratio was significantly lower in obese children with MCS than in obese children w ithout MCS and in controls. In this study, LA metabolism was affected only in obese children with but not in those without MCS. In obese children with MCS, Delta6-desaturase activity appeared to be stimulated, whereas Delta5- desaturase activity appeared to be inhibited. Disturbances in LA metabolism may represent an additional health hazard within the multifaceted clinical picture of MCS.