Table 4 Comparisons of clinical parameters, plasma fatty acids and desaturase activities grouping by rs174537 GG genotype

Total cholesterol (mmol/l)

4.50 ± 0.72*

4.79 (4.00, 5.30)*

4.05 (3.29, 4.60)

4.52 (3.59, 5.50)

Triglyceride (mmol/l)

0.97 (0.79, 1.22)*

1.71 (1.21, 2.33)*

1.31 (1.01, 1.60)

1.36 (1.05, 1.94)

HDL-cholesterol (mmol/l)

1.37 (1.10, 1.55)*

1.07 (0.90, 1.21)

1.10 (0.94, 1.37)*

1.10 (0.93, 1.35)

LDL-cholesterol (mmol/l)

2.74 (2.27, 3.29)*

2.81(2.10, 3.17)*

2.42 (1.83, 2.84)

2.75 (2.03, 3.53)

Fasting plasma glucose (mmol/l)

4.89 (4.58, 5.54)*

8.51 (6.56, 12.24)*

5.47 (5.01, 6.29)*

7.00 (6.08, 8.24)

Total saturated fatty acid

32.14 (31.21, 33.53)

32.88 (31.24, 34.39)

33.07 (31.21, 34.97)

32.86 (29.45, 34.20)

Palmitic acid, C16:0

22.17 (21.44, 23.58)*

23.62 (21.80, 25.37)

22.46 (21.27, 24.41)

23.96 (21.00, 25.09)

Stearic acid, C18:0

9.19 (8.51, 9.87)*

9.02 (7.62, 10.55)

9.24 (8.56, 10.19)

8.45 (6.86, 9.75)

Total monounsaturated fatty acid

16.13 (14.40, 18.27)*

18.93 (16.80, 21.12)

16.58 (15.04, 19.52)

18.21 (15.41, 20.39)

Palmitoleic acid, C16:1

0.73 (0.57, 0.96)*

0.65 (0.33, 1.30)

0.88 (0.55, 1.26)

1.00 (0.55, 1.67)

Oleic acid, C18:1n-9

15.09 (13.33, 16.89)*

18.00 (16.16, 20.07)*

15.38 (13.91, 17.65)*

16.83 (13.76, 18.70)

Total polyunsaturated n-3 fatty acid

3.92 (3.24, 4.56)*

6.74 (1.99, 10.07)*

3.40 (2.81, 4.09)*

5.37 (3.45, 8.51)

Alpha-linolenic acid, C18:3n-3

0.66 (0.47, 0.86)*

0.56 (0.12, 1.13)

0.59 (0.36, 0.79)

0.67 (0.33, 0.95)

Eicosapentaenoic acid, C20:5n-3

0.31 (0.10, 0.56)

0.75 (0.21, 1.52)*

0.28 (0.00, 0.47)

0.27 (0.00, 1.80)

Docosahexaenoic acid, C22:6n-3

2.94 (2.33, 3.36)*

4.32 (1.16, 6.91)

2.50 (1.98, 3.12)*

3.66 (2.72, 5.92)

Total polyunsaturated n-6 fatty acid

45.70 (43.71, 48.00)*

46.51 (43.40, 50.40)

43.94 (41.11, 48.44)

45.85 (41.87, 48.23)

Linoleic acid, C18:2n-6

36.21 (33.33, 39.64)*

35.13 (30.12, 45.38)*

32.59 (29.13, 35.74)

32.52 (27.44, 36.37)

Gamma-linolenic acid, C18:3n-6

0.24 (0.09, 0.32)

0.12 (0.01, 0.34)

0.38 (0.11, 0.58)

0.12 (0.00, 0.54)

Dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, C20:3n-6

1.39 (1.11, 1.77)*

1.29 (0.10, 2.12)

1.67 (1.19, 2.13)

1.64 (0.93, 2.58)

Arachidonic acid, C20:4n-6

7.66 (6.24, 9.19)*

8.04 (3.97, 11.93)

8.13 (6.33, 10.43)

9.21 (6.50, 11.48)

Desaturase activity

C20:4n-6/C20:3n-6 (D5D)

5.54 (4.39, 7.30)

5.92 (4.33, 8.41)*

5.09 (3.47, 7.78)

4.20 (2.66, 6.85)

C20:4n-6/C18:2n-6 (D6D)

0.22 (0.16, 0.26)*

0.23 (0.09, 0.39)*

0.24 (0.19, 0.34)

0.29 (0.19, 0.38)

C16:1/C16:0 (D9D-16)

0.03 (0.02, 0.05)

0.03 (0.01, 0.06)

0.04 (0.03, 0.06)

0.04 (0.03, 0.07)

C18:1n-9/C18:0(D9D-18)¹

1.64 (1.39, 2.00)*

1.86 (1.56, 2.43)

1.73 (1.44, 2.06)*

1.95 (1.69, 2.32)

n-3/n-6

0.08 (0.07, 0.10)*

0.15 (0.04, 0.23)*

0.08 (0.06, 0.09)*

0.11 (0.07, 0.21)