This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Serum leucine, isoleucine may predict hypertriglyceridemia in early adulthood
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Serum levels of the amino acids leucine and isoleucine in girls during pubertal growth may predict hypertriglyceridemia in early adulthood and serve as biomarkers identifying people at high risk for developing hypertriglyceridemia and cardiovascular disease later in life, study data show.
Sulin Cheng, PhD, a professor in the Exercise, Health and Technology Center at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, and in the department of health sciences at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, and colleagues evaluated 396 Finnish girls (mean age, 11.2 years at baseline) without diabetes who were participants in a longitudinal study for an average of 7.5 years. Researchers sought to determine whether serum amino acid profiles were linked to triglyceride concentrations during pubertal growth and could predict hypertriglyceridemia in early adulthood.
Triglyceride levels were correlated with alanine, isoleucine and leucine (P < .05 for all), whereas no link was found between other amino acids and triglycerides. Baseline triglyceride level predicted triglyceride level at 2-year follow-up and 7-year follow-up (P < .001 for both); this association did not remain after adjusting for baseline leucine and isoleucine level.
Seven-year triglyceride level was predicted by baseline isoleucine (P = .026) and 2-year triglyceride by baseline leucine (P = .01); these associations remained after adjustment for baseline triglyceride level. Fat mass and homeostasis model of assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were correlated with triglyceride level (P < .05 for both).
At the end of the follow-up period, when participants were aged 18 years, 13% presented with hypertriglyceridemia. Alanine, isoleucine (P < .01 for both) and leucine (P = .000001) were all determinants of hypertriglyceridemia, whereas HOMA-IR and fat mass were not.
“This study demonstrated that serum leucine and isoleucine associated with future serum triglyceride level in girls during pubertal growth, independent of baseline triglyceride level and predicted hypertriglyceridemia in early adulthood,” the researchers wrote. “Therefore, these amino acid indices may serve as biomarkers to identify individuals at high risk for developing hypertriglyceridemia and CVD later in life.” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Perspective
Back to Top
Kenji Nagao, PhD
Many studies report that the blood amino acid profile is a promising biomarker for the early detection for lifestyle-related diseases, including diabetes and hyperlipidemia. However, the subjects of these studies were mostly adults and the research investigating how these amino acids are affected during pubertal growth were limited.
This study by Wiklund and colleagues explored the patterns of longitudinal changes of serum amino acids and triglyceride across pubertal growth in girls in a 7.5-year prospective study. The blood samples were collected during a strictly defined period of the menstrual cycle in girls with regular cycles. They found that serum leucine and isoleucine were associated with future serum triglyceride level in girls during pubertal growth and predicted hypertriglyceridemia in early adulthood. You could say these findings would be consistent with the results found in adult populations.
If the methodology for measuring amino acids has been refined enough, with the goal of routine clinical application, these circulating amino acids could be used as a biomarker for assessing the risk for hyperlipidemia in these populations.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts