Association of changes in body fatness and fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids during early puberty in Japanese children.

Aims: Plasma fatty acid composition can change with age, reflecting diet and levels of desaturating enzymes such as stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), delta-6 desaturase (D6D) and delta-5 desaturase (D5D), which contribute to the development of insulin resistance. This study analyzed longitudinal changes in fatty acid composition in Japanese children during early puberty and the association between changes in desaturase indices and changes in body fatness and insulin resistance.

Methods: The study included 77 children (38 boys and 39 girls) aged 9.