Comparative analysis between White and African American groups reveals unique immunometabolic signatures of diabetes 4313

Description Diabetes is an inflammatory health disparity. Research suggests an association between compromised lipid metabolism and chronic inflammation in this disease, which could disproportionally impact some minority populations like African Americans (AA). The integrative role of underlying immunological and metabolic contributors to diabetes (lipids and inflammatory markers) in AA is poorly understood. We employed a cohort of 40 individuals from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study, comparing groups equally distributed by race, sex, and diabetes status and matched by age, body mass index, and poverty status. We integrated information obtained from clinical parameters, and lipidomics and cytokines profiling. Clinical information shows characteristic diabetic dyslipidemia unique to White group. Lipidomics show striking race and diabetes-dependent differences in plasma lipid profiles between White and AA groups, especially in triglycerides levels. Cytokines analysis shows that an inflammatory status characterized by Th17-cytokines was predominant in AA with diabetes, while a Th1-Th2 signature is characteristic of diabetes in the White group. Integrative analysis of the dynamic of ratios between lipids and inflammatory markers in diabetes confirms the striking differences in these immunological and metabolic features between these HANDLS cohorts. This work will drive mechanistic studies addressing modulatory responses in diverse groups. Funding Sources Supported by NIH/ grant number DP2AI171121 and by NIDDK, ODP, ONR, COSWD, and OBSSR under award number U24DK132746-01, UCLA LIFT-UP obtained by G.P.S.