Maternal metabolic profiling across body mass index groups: An exploratory longitudinal study

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Metabolic Health
• Pregnancy Research

Background:

• Increased body mass index (BMI) is a known risk factor for pregnancy complications.
• Underlying metabolic factors linking BMI to adverse pregnancy outcomes remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare metabolic profiles between overweight/obese and normal-weight/underweight women during pregnancy.
• To investigate the influence of gestational weight gain (GWG) on maternal metabolic profiles across gestation.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory nested case-control study of 107 women (48 overweight/obese, 59 normal-weight/underweight).
• Plasma samples analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy at four gestational time points.
• Quantified 91 metabolites, including lipids, fatty acids, and amino acids.

Main Results:

• Overweight/obese women exhibited higher levels of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) lipids, triglycerides, and branched-chain amino acids (leucine, valine) early in pregnancy.
• Lower docosahexaenoic acid and degree of unsaturation were observed in overweight/obese women later in pregnancy.
• Higher XXL-VLDL particle concentration and glycoprotein acetyls (GlycA) were noted in overweight/obese women at multiple time points.

Conclusions:

• Overweight/obese women experienced less pronounced pregnancy-related metabolic shifts compared to normal-weight/underweight women.
• Trends suggest higher triglycerides and VLDL particle concentration in overweight/obese individuals.
• Findings warrant further investigation into links with pre-eclampsia and implications of altered fatty acid composition for offspring.