Abstract
Introduction: Palmitoleic acid, 16:1, is amajor free fatty acid found in bloodsynthesized from palmitic acid (16:0) by stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1), and a bio-marker for oxidative stress. 16:1 was recently identified as lipokine, a lipid hormone, regulating cell proliferation, inflammatory response and glucose metabolism. We examined the association between 16:1 and lung function in healthy control subjects and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Methods:103 subjects with normal lung function and 18 COPD patients were enrolled. Plasma was collected and free fatty acid componentsmeasured. Univariate regression analysis wasperformed prior to the mutivariate analyses to elucidate characteristics that were associated with FEV1 and 16:1. 16:1 association with FEV1 with age was investigated by regression analysis and ANCOVA in healthy subjects and COPD patients.
Results: 16:1 levels and FEV1 were significantly associated (p<0.05) although multivariate analyses revealed that FEV1 was significantly associated with age (p<0.0001) and body height (p<0.001), rather than 16:1 directly. There was a significant positive association between 16:1/16:0 ratio and age in healthy subjects (p<0.01). The association between 16:1/16:0 ratio with ageing was significantly different between healthy subjects and COPD patients (p<0.01).
Conclusion:The association between 16:1 and FEV1 is due to an age-dependent increase in 16:1/16:0, or SCD-1 activity, in health subjects. The down regulation of this age-dependency may play a pathogenic role in COPD.
- © 2014 ERS