Wiedeman Alejandra M, Dyer Roger A, Green Timothy J, Xu Zhaoming, Barr Susan I, Innis Sheila M, Kitts David D
BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 950 west 28(th) avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Food, Nutrition, and Health Program, University of British Columbia, 2205 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 950 west 28(th) avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada.
Clin Biochem. 2018 Sep;60:77-83. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2018.08.002. Epub 2018 Aug 17.
Plasma concentrations of choline and its metabolites might serve as biomarkers for the health outcomes of several pathological states such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. However, information about the reliability of biomarkers of choline status is limited. We investigated biological variations in repeated measures of choline and metabolites in healthy adults to assess them as biomarkers.
Blood samples were collected after an overnight fast at three-time points 12 days apart from 40 adults (mean age, 33 y; male, n = 21). A subset (n = 19; [male, n = 8]) provided one additional sample after a breakfast meal. Plasma free choline, betaine and dimethylglycine were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and plasma phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin and lysophosphatidylcholine were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography.
The biological variations observed for choline and metabolites were ≤ 13% for adult fasting samples. This corresponded to intra-class correlations (ICC) that ranged from 0.593 to 0.770 for fasting values for choline and metabolites. A similar ICC range was also obtained between fasting and post-prandial states. Although most post-prandial concentrations of choline and metabolites were significantly higher (P < .05) than fasting, all fell within a calculated reference interval. The participants were correctly classified in tertiles for fasting and post-prandial states for choline (68%) and metabolites (range = 32% phosphatidylcholine and 79% for sphingomyelin).
These findings indicate that biological variations of choline and metabolites are low in healthy adults and values from a single blood sample can be used as a biomarker. However, choosing phosphatidylcholine as a biomarker is less reliable.
胆碱及其代谢产物的血浆浓度可能作为多种病理状态（如心血管疾病和癌症）健康结局的生物标志物。然而，关于胆碱状态生物标志物可靠性的信息有限。我们研究了健康成年人中胆碱和代谢产物重复测量的生物学变异，以评估它们作为生物标志物的情况。
40名成年人（平均年龄33岁；男性21名）在禁食过夜后，于三个时间点（间隔12天）采集血样。其中一个亚组（19名；男性8名）在早餐后提供了一份额外的血样。采用液相色谱-串联质谱法测定血浆游离胆碱、甜菜碱和二甲基甘氨酸，采用高效液相色谱法测定血浆磷脂酰胆碱、鞘磷脂和溶血磷脂酰胆碱。
成年禁食样本中胆碱和代谢产物的生物学变异≤13%。这对应于胆碱和代谢产物禁食值的组内相关系数（ICC）范围为0.593至0.770。在禁食和餐后状态之间也获得了类似的ICC范围。尽管大多数胆碱和代谢产物的餐后浓度显著高于禁食状态（P<0.05），但所有值均落在计算出的参考区间内。参与者在胆碱（68%）和代谢产物（范围为磷脂酰胆碱32%和鞘磷脂79%）的禁食和餐后状态三分位数中被正确分类。
这些发现表明，健康成年人中胆碱和代谢产物的生物学变异较低，单个血样的值可作为生物标志物。然而，选择磷脂酰胆碱作为生物标志物不太可靠。
