Fatty Acid Composition of Plasma Phosphatidylcholine Determines Body Fat Parameters in Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome-Related Traits

Background: This study examines the associations of fatty acids (FAs) in plasma phosphatidylcholine (PC) with the anthropometrical and biochemical characteristic of patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS)-related traits. Methods: We analyzed the FA profiles of PC in 300 persons with MetS-related traits (152 M/148F, mean age 46.9 ± 9.0 years) and in 70 healthy controls of the same age using a balanced men/women ratio and gas–liquid chromatography. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to determine the coefficients of determination (R2) using FA proportions of the mentioned proband characteristics. Results: The FA composition of PC in patients with MetS traits was only associated with waist circumference (R2 = 0.27), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR; R2 = 0.41), body fat percentage (R2 = 0.62), and fat mass (R2 = 0.29). Positive associations were found for dihomo-γ-linolenic (DGLA), palmitic, stearic (SA), α-linolenic (ALA), and eicosapentaenoic acids, whereas negative associations were foun...