Increased plasma acylation-stimulating protein correlates with hyperlipidemia at late gestation.
OBJECTIVE
Obesity is often associated with negative consequences, including hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance. Weight gain during pregnancy is also associated with major lipid alterations. Fat storage is enhanced in early pregnancy. At late gestation, hyperlipidemia becomes a major manifestation. The acylation-stimulating protein (ASP) is a potent lipogenic adipocytokine that correlates with postprandial triglyceride (TG) clearance in vivo and has been linked to hyperlipidemic disorders. The role of ASP during a normal pregnancy is unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate plasma ASP levels in correlation with the lipid profile during late gestation.


METHODS
Seventy healthy women at late gestation and 60 non-pregnant controls of similar age and prepregnancy BMI were included in a cross-sectional study. Fasting plasma ASP levels and the lipid profile of all of the women were measured.


RESULTS
ASP levels were markedly elevated in the pregnant women (66%, p < 0.001). ASP levels correlated strongly with the elevated levels of TGs (r = 0.608, p < 0.000), apolipoprotein B (0.519, p < 0.000), and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (r = 0.405, p < 0.000). Multivariate analysis adjusting for BMI and age showed that changes in ASP levels at late gestation were best predicted by TG and apoB levels, accounting for 53.8% of plasma ASP variation. For the controls, ASP strongly correlated with BMI, which was the only significant predictor of ASP levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Gestational hormone alterations during pregnancy may affect ASP function as a lipogenic factor. Increased plasma ASP levels at late gestation and their strong correlation with parameters reflecting very low-density lipoprotein accumulation are suggestive of ASP resistance, which may further contribute to the hyperlipidemic state, shifting energy in the form of TGs to the rapidly growing fetus.
Saleh
Jumana
J
Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 35, Postal Code 123, Muscat, Oman. jumana@squ.edu.om
Cianflone
Katherine
K
Chaudhary
Taqdees
T
Al-Riyami
Hamed
H
Al-Abri
Abdul-Raheem
AR
Bayoumi
Riad
R
D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood*; D016014:Linear Models; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000097:blood*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D003176:Complement C3; D014280:Triglycerides