Circulating short-chain fatty acids in type 2 diabetic patients and overweight/obese individuals.

Aim: aim of the study was to evaluate serum short chain fatty acids (SCFA) concentrations in patients with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and overweight/obese individuals. Methods: In forty-three patients with T2D and twenty-eight overweight/obese patients SCFA were determined by Gas-Chromatography/Flame Ionization Detector (GC/FID). Results: Acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and total SCFA were significantly reduced in T2D patients compared to overweight/obese in the unadjusted model. Adjusting for all variables only propionic acid remained significantly lower in T2D. Conclusion: Only reduction of propionic acid was closely related to diabetes itself, regardless of all other factors.