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Differences in plasma levels of long chain and very long chain ceramides between African Americans and whites: An

Joy N Jones Buie1,2, Samar M Hammad3, Paul J Nietert4

  • 1WISSDOM Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States of America.

Plos One
|May 9, 2019
PubMed

Insights

African Americans exhibit distinct plasma ceramide levels, particularly with metabolic disorders. These sphingolipid differences may explain disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and inform future therapeutic strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Health Disparities

Background:

  • Cardiovascular disease (CVD) reductions are not uniform across populations, with African Americans facing a disproportionately higher burden of CVD risk factors like metabolic disorders and obesity.
  • Sphingolipids, including ceramide, sphingosine, and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), are implicated in the pathogenesis of CVD, metabolic disorders (MetD), and obesity.
  • It remains unclear whether African Americans possess distinct sphingolipid expression profiles that contribute to their elevated CVD risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate potential racial disparities in plasma sphingolipid concentrations between White and African American individuals.
  • To determine if metabolic disorders influence these sphingolipid levels differently across racial groups.
  • To explore the association between specific sphingolipids and metabolic disease markers in African Americans.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional analysis of plasma concentrations of ceramides, sphingosine, and S1P.
  • Participants were stratified by race (White, African American) and metabolic status (presence or absence of MetD).
  • High-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS-MS) was used for quantification, with data analyzed via Two-Way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test.

Main Results:

  • Distinct plasma ceramide profiles were observed in African Americans, particularly those with MetD.
  • Specific ceramides (C16, C20, C24:0, C24:1) showed differential concentrations between racial groups and metabolic statuses.
  • Plasma sphingosine-1-phosphate (Sph-1P) ceramide was significantly higher in African Americans compared to Whites, and ceramide C20 negatively correlated with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c).

Conclusions:

  • Plasma ceramide concentration patterns are notably distinct in African Americans with metabolic disorders.
  • These findings suggest potential racial disparities in sphingolipid metabolism that warrant further investigation.
  • Larger studies are needed to confirm these results and explore the therapeutic implications for CVD-related health outcomes.
Abstract

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