457-P: Ceramides and the Ceramide-Based Risk Scores CERT1 and CERT2 Are Elevated in Patients with the Metabolic Syndrome

Plasma ceramides, phosphatidylcholines (PC) and the ceramide- and PC-based Coronary Event Risk Test scores CERT1 and CERT2 have recently been shown to predict cardiovascular risk. Their association with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) is unclear and is addressed in the present study. We measured ceramides (Cer(d18:1/16:0), Cer(d18:1/18:0), Cer(d18:1/24:0), and Cer(d18:1/24:1)) and PCs (PC(36:6), PC(38:5), and PC(32)) in a cohort of 1306 high-risk patients, of whom 580 had the MetS and 728 did not have the MetS. All investigated ceramides and PC(36:6) as well as CERT1 (4.6±3.3 vs. 3.4±3.0) and CERT2 (5.9±2.5 vs. 5.3±2.5) were elevated in patients with the MetS vs. those who did not have the MetS (p<0.001 for all comparisons). In regression analyses adjusting for age, sex, smoking, BMI and LDL-C CERT1 and CERT2 proved to be independent predictors of the MetS, with ORs of 1.14 [95% CI 1.09-1.19] and 1.09 [1.04-1.15], respectively. From our data we conclude that ceramides Cer(d18:1/16:0), Cer(d18:1/18:0), Cer(d18:1/24:0), and Cer(d18:1/24:1), phosphatidylcholine PC(36:6) and the ceramide- and PC derived risk scores CERT1 and CERT2 are elevated in Patients with the MetS.