Fatty acid composition of cholesteryl esters in serum in boys from 16 developing and developed countries

The fatty acid composition of the cholesteryl esters in serum was measured in 7- and 8-year-old boys in groups from 16 countries. The ratio of esterified cholesterol: total cholesterol was also measured. All sample collections and analyses were carried out under standardized conditions. The proportion of palmitic acid in the cholesteryl esters was high in the groups from Asia and Africa (0.17-0.26) compared with that in the groups from the U.S.A. and Europe (0.14-0.18). The proportion of linoleic acid in the cholesteryl esters was low in the groups from Asia and Africa (0.39-0.48) and high in the groups from the U.S.A. and Europe (0.45-0.58). The proportion of oleic acid, arachidonic acid, palmitoleic acid and stearic acid showed little variation between the groups. The proportion of linoleic acid in the cholesteryl esters was positively correlated with the concentration of total cholesterol (r = 0.75, n = 26, P < 0.005).