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. 2021 Oct 8;6(19):e152109. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.152109

Figure 3. Z score–standardized mean relative abundance of FFAs, ACs, and complex lipids by carbon numbers and double bond numbers among postmortem groups.

Figure 3

(A) Significantly higher abundant long chain ACs (C ≥ 14) in participants without diabetes and diabetics without retinopathy, higher unsaturated FFAs in participants without diabetes, and higher polyunsaturated longer-chain FAHFA in participants without diabetes, and their lower levels among diabetics with retinopathy. P values refer to significance of change in relative abundance of the corresponding lipid by increase in carbon number in ACs, by increase in unsaturated FFAs as compared with saturated FFAs in FFAs, and by increase in carbon number and number of double bonds (interaction term) in FAHFAs. (B) Significantly higher abundance of unsaturated DAGs, polyunsaturated TAGs, and PCs with higher carbon numbers in groups without diabetes and diabetics without retinopathy; however, a significantly lower abundance of unsaturated DAGs, polyunsaturated TAGs, PGs, and PCs is shown with higher carbon numbers in diabetes with retinopathy. Within each diagram, the x axis shows the number of carbons, and the y axis shows the number of double bonds. Statistical tests are based on mixed models tested the effect of study group, carbon number, and number of double bonds as the main effects and their interaction, adjusted for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, cancer, and kidney failure. P values refer to significance of change in relative abundance of the corresponding lipid by increase in number of double bonds in DAGs, and by increase in carbon number and number of double bonds (their interaction term) in TAGs, PGs, and PCs. n for both A and B is 19, 20, and 20 for participants without diabetes, diabetes with no DR, and diabetes with DR, respectively. AC, acylcarnitine; FAHFA, fatty acid ester of hydroxyl fatty acid; FFA, free fatty acid; DAG, diacylglycerol; TAG, triacylglycerol; PG, phosphatidylglycerol; PC, phosphatidylcholine; DM; diabetes mellitus; NPDR, nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy.