Obesity-related metabolite profiles of black women spanning the epidemiologic transition

Lara R. Dugas*, Elin Chorell, Jacob Plange-Rhule, Estelle V. Lambert, Guichan Cao, Richard S. Cooper, Brian T. Layden, Denise Scholten, Tommy Olsson, Amy Luke, Julia H. Goedecke

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

In developed countries, specific metabolites have been associated with obesity and metabolic diseases, e.g. type 2 diabetes. It is unknown whether a similar profile persists across populations of African-origin, at increased risk for obesity and related diseases. In a cross-sectional study of normal-weight and obese black women (33.3 ± 6.3 years) from the US (N = 69, 65 % obese), South Africa (SA, N = 97, 49 % obese) and Ghana (N = 82, 33 % obese) serum metabolite profiles were characterized via gas chromatography-time of flight/mass spectrometry. In US and SA women, BMI correlated with branched-chain and aromatic amino acids, as well as dopamine and aminoadipic acid. The relationship between BMI and lipid metabolites differed by site; BMI correlated positively with palmitoleic acid (16:1) in the US; negatively with stearic acid (18:0) in SA, and positively with arachidonic acid (20:4) in Ghana. BMI was also positively associated with sugar-related metabolites in the US; i.e. uric acid, and mannitol, and with glucosamine, glucoronic acid and mannitol in SA. While we identified a common amino acid metabolite profile associated with obesity in black women from the US and SA, we also found site-specific obesity-related metabolites suggesting that the local environment is a key moderator of obesity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number45
Pages (from-to)1-10
Number of pages10
JournalMetabolomics
Volume12
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1 2016

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge the site-specific clinic staff members as well as the 2500 participants. LRD, EC, JG all conceived the idea, performed the analyses and wrote the manuscript. JPR, EVL, AL, LD, EC all collected the data and wrote the manuscript, EC, GC, LRD and DMS performed the analyses and BTL and RC wrote the manuscript. METS is funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (1R01DK80763). The metabolomics analysis is funded by Thuringsstiftelsen.

Keywords

  • African-origin
  • Amino acid profile
  • Obesity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Clinical Biochemistry
  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

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