This study investigated circulating markers for early detection of ectopic fat in the pancreas and liver. Using data from the TOFI_Asia study (68 healthy or pre-diabetic women), magnetic resonance imaging/spectroscopy (MRI/S) assessed lipid storage in various adipose tissue depots. Plasma metabolites were measured using untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS). Multivariate partial least squares (PLS) regression identified metabolites predictive of different fat depots. The results showed that several plasma metabolites were associated with liver fat and VAT/SAT ratio independent of covariates, while pancreatic fat deposition was associated with increased sulfolithocholic acid independent of adiposity but not age. Untargeted metabolomics identified candidate markers of visceral and ectopic fat that improved fat level prediction compared to clinical markers.

Zhanxuan E. Wu, Karl Fraser, Marlena C. Kruger, Ivana R. Sequeira, Wilson Yip, Louise W. Lu, Lindsay D. Plank, Rinki Murphy, Garth J. S. Cooper, Jean-Charles Martin, Kieren G. Hollingsworth, Sally D. Poppitt