Acylcarnitines Are Associated with Metabolic Syndrome and Hypertension in Two Contrasted Obese Populations

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a constellation of components that includes type 2 diabetes/hyperglycemia, central obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Its prevalence is increasing dramatically in Africa, where it is predominant in obese females. Incomplete fatty acid β-oxidation is among the complex mechanisms that increase MetS risk. However, it remains unclear whether MeS components are associated with increased acylcarnitine categories. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between acylcarnitines and all components of metabolic syndrome in females with obesity from two populations with distinct ethnicities and dietary habits. Methods: We investigated the association of obesity (BMI > 35) with acylcarnitines determined by LC-MS/MS with MetS components in women from Benin, West Africa, and French women. Acylcarnitines and biological and clinical outcomes of MetS according to International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria were assessed in 428 ambulatory women recruited at the market of Dantokpa, Cotonou, and 220 women of Aldepi/Obesepi cohort recruited in the North-East of France. Results: Compared to those without MetS, we observed an association of short-, medium-, and long-chain acylcarnitines (SC, MC, LC) with MetS (p = 0.0001; p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0004, respectively) in African women and of SC acylcarnitines with MetS (p < 0.0001), blood glucose (p < 0.001), low HDL-cholesterol (p < 0.05) and high triglycerides (p < 0.01) in French women. We also observed significant associations of MC and LC total and mono-unsaturated acylcarnitines with hypertension in both African and French populations (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). The independent determinants of systolic blood pressure were age, body mass index, glycemia, long-chain acylcarnitines, LDL-C and HDL-C. Conclusions: An association of acylcarnitine indexes of altered SC, MC, LC fatty acid β-oxidation with hypertension was reported in the two contrasted women populations, while an association of altered SC fatty acid β-oxidation with glucose and hypertriglyceridemia was reported in French women only. The association of altered acylcarnitine indexes with high SBP could be related to the effects of impaired β-oxidation on endothelial dysfunction. This study was registered at clinical trials.gov as NCT02663388.