Association between rs174537 <i>FADS1</i> polymorphism and immune cell profiles in abdominal and femoral subcutaneous adipose tissue: an exploratory study in adults with obesity

Fatty acid desaturase 1 (<i>FADS1</i>) polymorphisms alter fatty acid content in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT); however, existing evidence is limited and conflicting regarding the association between <i>FADS1</i> variants and SAT inflammatory status. To advance this area, we conducted an exploratory study to investigate whether the common rs174537 polymorphism in <i>FADS1</i> was associated with immune cell profiles in abdominal and femoral SAT in individuals with obesity. <i>FADS1</i> gene expression and immune cell profiles in SAT depots were assessed by qPCR and flow cytometry, respectively. Although <i>FADS1</i> gene expression was associated with genotype, no associations were observed with immune cell profiles in either depot. Our study provides additional evidence that rs174537 in <i>FADS1</i> has minimal impact on inflammatory status in obese SAT.