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Plasma Lipidomics of Preadolescent Children: A Hokkaido Study
Jayashankar Jayaprakash1, Siddabasave Gowda B Gowda1,2, Divyavani Gowda2
1Graduate School of Global Food Resources, Hokkaido University, Kita-9, Nishi-9, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Japan.
Insights
This study reveals significant changes in children's plasma lipidome based on sex, age, and weight. Triacylglycerols (TGs) show potential as early markers for childhood obesity.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pediatric Health
- Metabolomics
Background:
- Lipid balance is crucial for health and disease, yet comprehensive plasma lipidome data in children is limited.
- Understanding pediatric lipid profiles is essential for early disease detection and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex, age, and weight-specific variations in the plasma lipidome of preadolescent children.
- To identify potential lipid biomarkers for childhood obesity.
Main Methods:
- Nontargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze plasma samples from 342 children aged 9-12 years.
- Multivariate analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were employed to identify significant lipid changes and potential biomarkers.
Main Results:
- A total of 219 lipid species were identified, with boys showing higher levels of capric acid-composed triacylglycerols (TGs).
- Sphingolipids and phosphatidylinositol were higher in 10-year-olds, while TGs and phosphatidylserine increased with age (9-12 years).
- Overweight children exhibited increased TG levels, and a specific TG (10:0/10:0/18:1) showed potential as an obesity marker (AUC = 0.72).
Conclusions:
- Plasma lipidome in preadolescent children varies significantly with sex, age, and weight status.
- Specific triacylglycerol species show promise as early detection markers for childhood obesity, aiding therapeutic strategy development.
Abstract:
Lipids are the most abundant biomolecules of human plasma, and their balance plays a significant role in health and disease management. Despite the importance of lipids, the studies focused on the comprehensive determination of the plasma lipidome in children are limited. In this study, we investigated the sex, age, and weight-specific changes in the plasma lipidome of nonfasting preadolescent children aged 9-12 years (n = 342) using a nontargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry technique. A total of 219 lipid species were characterized in the plasma samples. Multivariate analysis revealed that boys and girls have similar lipid profiles, but relatively higher levels of capric acid-composed triacylglycerols (TGs) were observed in plasma samples of boys. Saturated fatty acids are the most abundant fatty acyls followed by mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the plasma of both boys and girls. Sphingolipids such as ceramides, hexosylceramides, sphingomyelin, and a phospholipid (phosphatidylinositol) were relatively higher in the plasma of a 10-year-old group than other age groups. Plasma levels of TG and phosphatidylserine were increased within age from 9 to 12 years. Furthermore, most of the TG molecular species were increased in the plasma of overweight children compared to the normal range groups. The receiver operating characteristic analysis results show that TG (10:0/10:0/18:1) could be a specific marker for childhood obesity (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.72). Overall, this study highlights the altered plasma lipidome in preadolescent children for sex, age, and percentage of overweight. Early detection of lipid markers for obesity would be a promising target for developing therapeutic strategies.
