Serum levels of unbound free fatty acids. I: Normative data in term newborn infants.
BACKGROUND
Free fatty acids (FFA) play essential roles in maintaining physiologic homeostasis in the newborn infant. Most of the FFA in serum is carried in complex with albumin, but a small fraction remains unbound in the aqueous phase.


OBJECTIVE
This study's goal is to report the values of serum levels of unbound free fatty acids (FFAu) in pregnant women and their newborn infants at term gestation.


METHODS
The measurements were made possible by the availability of the fluorescent probe for unbound FFA, acrylodated intestinal fatty acid binding protein (ADIFAB). Twenty-two mother-infant pairs were enrolled in the study. Maternal levels were obtained immediately before delivery, cord levels at the time of delivery, and infant levels after 24 hours of age.


RESULTS
The level of FFAu measured in maternal samples was 11.8 +/- 4 nM, in cord samples 9.2 +/- 4 nM, and in infants 13.9 +/- 3 nM. These population averages are considerably greater than those observed in healthy adults (7.5 +/- 2.5 nM). No correlation was found between cord levels and birthweight, gestational age, labor duration, mode of deliver, and infant or maternal temperature.


CONCLUSIONS
This investigation is the first to measure FFAu in a group of mothers and their infants and provides the technique for future investigations of the biologic activity of free fatty acids.
Patel
M N
MN
Department of Pediatrics, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, St. Peter's Medical Center, New Brunswick 08903, USA.
Kleinfeld
A M
AM
Richeiri
G V
GV
Ruben
S
S
Hiatt
M
M
Hegyi
T
T
D000328:Adult; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*
D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified