Endocrine Abstracts

Background and Objectives: Since previously, we performed an untargeted metabolomics analysis in a cohort of morbidly obese (MO) women, in which we observed a different lipid metabolite pattern between metabolically healthy MO (MHMO) individuals and those with associated type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). To validate these findings, now we have performed a complementary study of lipidomics.

Materials and Methods: We assessed a liquid chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer untargeted lipidomic analysis on serum samples from 209 women, 73 normal-weight (NW) women (control group) and 136 MO women. From those, 65 MHMO and 71 with associated T2DM.

Results: Significantly elevated levels of ceramides, sphingomyelins, diacyl and triacylglycerols, fatty acids, and phosphoethanolamines were observed in MO vs NW. Conversely, significantly decreased levels of acylcarnitines, bile acids, lyso-phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylcholines (PC), phosphatidylinositols, and phosphoethanolamine PE (O-38:4) were noted. Furthermore, comparing MO women with T2DM vs MHMO, a distinct lipid profile emerged, featuring increased levels of metabolites: deoxycholic acid, diacylglycerol DG (36:2), triacylglycerols, phosphatidylcholines, phosphoethanolamines, phosphatidylinositols, and lyso-phosphatidylinositol LPI (16:0).

Conclusions: Analysing both comparatives, we observed decreased levels of deoxycholic acid, PC (34:3), and PE (O-38:4) in MO women vs NW. Conversely, we found elevated levels of these lipids in MO women with T2DM vs MHMO. These profiles of metabolites could be explored for the research as potential factors of metabolic risk of T2DM in MO women.