Independent and opposite associations between branched-chain amino acids and lysophosphatidylcholines with incident diabetes in Thais

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) have been reported to be associated with diabetes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relative contributions of BCAAs and LPCs to the progression of prediabetes to diabetes using a targeted metabolomic approach. This study was part of a health survey of employees of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (n = 79; nine females and 70 males). A targeted metabolomics analysis was performed using an AbsoluteIDQ® p180 kit, flow injection analysis, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The highest variable importance in projection (VIP) scores for the progression to diabetes of the amino acids and phospholipids were associated with isoleucine and LPC acyl C28:1, respectively. Using logistic regression analysis, we found that high baseline isoleucine concentration was associated with a higher incidence of diabetes, while high LPC acyl 28:1 was associated with a lower incidence. Isoleucine and LPC acyl 28:1 were independently associated with incident diabetes in a model that also included conventional risk factors for diabetes (baseline fasting plasma glucose (FPG), age, sex, and body mass index (BMI)). In addition, isoleucine and LPC acyl 28:1 were independently associated with serum HbA1c 5 years later in a robust regression model that also included baseline FPG, age, sex, and BMI. Isoleucine, LPC acyl 28:1, age, and FPG were significantly associated with HbA1c at this time. In conclusion, these results provide evidence that isoleucine and LPC acyl C28:1 have respective positive and negative independent associations with incident diabetes.