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Comprehensive fatty acid fractionation profilling in preeclampsia: a case control study with multivariable analysis
Herlambang Herlambang1,2, Anggelia Puspasari3, Citra Maharani3
1Departement of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitas Jambi, Jambi, Indonesia. herlambang_fkik@unja.ac.id.
Insights
Preeclampsia is linked to altered fatty acid profiles in pregnant women. Specifically, higher palmitoleic acid and lower omega-3 levels are associated with increased preeclampsia risk.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Obstetrics
- Metabolomics
Background:
- Preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication, involves new-onset hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks gestation.
- Pregnancy dyslipidemia correlates with increased preeclampsia risk.
- Dynamic changes in maternal fatty acid metabolism during preeclampsia are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare fatty acid fractions in the maternal circulation of women with preeclampsia versus those with normotensive normal pregnancies.
- To identify specific fatty acid profiles associated with preeclampsia.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study included 34 women with preeclampsia and 32 normotensive controls.
- Serum fatty acid fractions, including long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA), monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), and saturated fatty acid, were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
- Logistic regression models assessed the risk of preeclampsia associated with fatty acid levels.
Main Results:
- Women with preeclampsia exhibited lower high-density lipoprotein and higher triglyceride levels.
- Palmitoleic acid levels were significantly higher in women with preeclampsia.
- Lower omega-3 levels and reference-range saturated fatty acids were associated with a higher risk of preeclampsia.
Conclusions:
- Palmitoleic acid is elevated in women with preeclampsia.
- Specific fatty acid profiles, including omega-3 and saturated fatty acids, characterize women with preeclampsia.
Background:
Preeclampsia is a complication during pregnancy characterised by new-onset hypertension and proteinuria that develops after 20 weeks of gestation. Dyslipidemia in pregnancy is correlated with an increased risk of preeclampsia. However, the dynamic changes in lipid metabolic product, particularly fatty acid fraction, in preeclampsia maternal circulation, are not well understood. This study aimed to investigate fatty acid fraction in preeclampsia maternal blood compared with normotensive normal pregnancy.
Methods:
A total of 34 women who developed preeclampsia and 32 women with normotensive normal pregnancy were included in our case-control study. Maternal blood samples were collected for serum fatty acid fractions analysis and other biochemical parameters. Serum fatty acid fractions included long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA), monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), saturated fatty acid, and total fatty acid, measured with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The mean difference of fatty acid level was analysed using parametric and non-parametric bivariate analysis based on normality distributed data, while the risk of preeclampsia based on fatty acid fraction was analysed using a logistic regression model.
Results:
Women with preeclampsia have lower high-density lipoprotein (53.97 ± 12.82 mg/dL vs. 63.71 ± 15.20 mg/dL, p = 0.006), higher triglyceride (284.91 ± 97.68 mg/dL vs. 232.84 ± 73.69 mg/dL, p = 0.018) than that in the normotensive group. Higher palmitoleic acid was found in women with preeclampsia compared to normotensive normal pregnancy (422.94 ± 195.99 vs. 325.71 ± 111.03 μmol/L, p = 0.037). The binary logistic regression model showed that pregnant women who had total omega-3 levels within the reference values had a higher risk of suffering preeclampsia than those with the higher reference value (odds ratio OR (95% CI): 8,5 (1.51-48.07), p = 0.015). Pregnant women who have saturated fatty acid within reference values had a lower risk for suffering preeclampsia than those in upper reference value (OR (95% CI): 0.21 (0.52-0.88), p = 0.032).
Conclusion:
Overall, palmitoleic acid was higher in women with preeclampsia. Further analysis indicated that reference omega-3 in and high saturated fatty acid serum levels are characteristics of women with preeclampsia.
