Associations of serum adipocyte fatty acid binding protein with body composition and fat distribution in nondiabetic Chinese women.

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated evidence of a positive relationship between serum adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) and obesity. However, associations of A-FABP with body composition and ectopic fat accumulation remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the effect of body composition, visceral fat area (VFA), and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) on serum A-FABP levels in a cohort of Chinese women without diabetes mellitus. A total of 2108 women without diabetes (760 premenopausal and 1348 postmenopausal women; age, 20-78 y) selected from the Shanghai Obesity Study were enrolled. VFA and SFA were measured by magnetic resonance imaging, and body composition was determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis. A high VFA was defined as ≥ 80 cm(2). A high SFA was defined as that above the 75th percentile cutoff point of the menopause-specific population, respectively. Serum A-FABP levels were higher in postmenopausal than premenopausal women (P < .001). Both premenopausal and postmenopausal women with an isolated high VFA had higher A-FABP levels than did those with an isolated high SFA (P = .017 and .002, respectively). In both body mass index (BMI) groups (< 25 and ≥ 25 kg/m(2)), women with a high VFA had higher serum A-FABP levels regardless of their menopausal status. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that A-FABP was independently associated with fat mass (Standardized β = 0.417 and 0.252 for premenopausal and postmenopausal status, respectively, both P < .001). Moreover, VFA was identified as an independent risk factor for A-FABP in postmenopausal women (Standardized β = 0.114, P = .001). Application of the same regression analyses model to the two BMI groups produced similar results in both BMI categories. Serum A-FABP levels were associated with fat mass, and were also influenced by VFA after menopause in Chinese women without diabetes mellitus.