| Title: | Plasma Phospholipids and Incident Ulcerative Colitis: A Prospective Cohort Study in the UK Biobank. |
| Journal: | Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology |
| Published: | 4 Jun 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42241831/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.14309/ctg.0000000000001051 |
Publication 19776
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between plasma levels of total phospholipids in lipoprotein particles and the risk of incident ulcerative colitis (UC).</p>
METHODS: This prospective cohort study analyzed data from 254,921 participants in the UK Biobank (2006-2020), excluding those with pre-existing UC or missing data. Phospholipid levels were measured via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Cox proportional hazards models were adjusted for demographic, lifestyle, socioeconomic, and genetic factors. Dose-response and subgroup analyses were conducted using generalized additive models.</p>
RESULTS: During a median follow-up duration of 15.78 years, 1,330 incident UC cases were identified. Higher phospholipid levels demonstrated a significant inverse association with UC risk. After full adjustment, each unit increase in phospholipids was associated with a 16% lower risk (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.75-0.95, p=0.006). Quartile analyses showed lower risks in higher quartiles, with the risk reduction most evident by the third quartile and then generally stable (Q4 vs Q1: HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.71-0.97, p=0.020). Generalized additive and quartile analyses suggested a non-linear plateau/threshold pattern rather than a strictly linear association. Subfraction analyses showed heterogeneous associations, with inverse patterns mainly observed for phospholipids carried by HDL, IDL, and LDL particles, whereas chylomicron- and several VLDL-related phospholipids showed null or positive/non-protective associations.</p>
CONCLUSION: Higher plasma total phospholipid levels are independently associated with reduced UC risk, suggesting phospholipid metabolism may play a protective role in UC pathogenesis. However, this association is not uniform across lipoprotein subfractions. These findings highlight potential metabolic biomarkers and mechanistic pathways requiring further validation for UC prevention.</p>
3 Authors
- Jialu Tang
- Dawei Zhou
- Shaojun Liu
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 29447 | Predictors of successful cognitive ageing and well-being: impact of sleep, physical activity and neuromodulators on age-related changes in frontoparietal connectivity. |
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