Maternal and Fetal Lipid and Adipokine Profiles and Their Association with Obesity

Background. Maternal metabolic changes impact fetal metabolism resulting in a higher risk for developing chronic diseases later in life. The aim of this study was to assess the association between maternal and fetal adipokine and lipid profiles, as well as the influence of maternal weight on this association. Methods. Healthy pregnant women at term who delivered by C-section were enrolled. Maternal and fetal glucose, lipid profile, adiponectin, leptin, and resistin levels were analyzed by obesity and maternal weight gain. Statistics included descriptives, correlations, and mean differences (SPSS v20.0). Results. Adiponectin and resistin concentrations were higher in fetal blood, while leptin was lower (p < 0.05). A significant inverse association between maternal resistin and fetal LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) (r = -0.327; p = 0.022) was observed. A positive correlation was found between maternal and fetal resistin (r = 0.358; p = 0.013). Women with excessive weight gain had higher leptin levels and their fetuses showed higher LDL-C levels (p < 0.05). Conclusions. Maternal resistin showed an inverse association with fetal LDL-C, suggesting that maternal adiposity status may play an active role in the regulation of fetal lipid profile and consequently, in fetal programming. Excessive maternal weight gain during pregnancy may exert an effect over metabolic mediators in both mother and newborn.