title: Fatty acid composition of mid-trimester amniotic fluid in women of different ethnicities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the fatty acid composition of mid-trimester amniotic fluid differs by ethnicity and pregnancy outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fatty acid composition was analyzed by gas chromatography in 198 women undergoing amniocentesis at 15-19 weeks gestation. Cytokine levels were determined by ELISA in a subgroup of 52 subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The major fatty acids detected were palmitic acid (31.8%) and stearic acid (31.5%). The n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), linoleic acid (LA, 18:2) and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4), were 11.3%, while the n-3 PUFA fatty acids, α linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6), were 3.8% of the total. Palmitic acid was a higher percentage in Asians (40.5%) and Whites (34.5%) than in Blacks (22.2%) and Hispanics (23.7%) (p ≤ 0.0012). Oleic acid (18:1 n-9) was a higher percentage in Blacks (12.2%) and Hispanics (12.1%) than in Whites (9.2%) or Asians (7.5%) (≤0.0002). LA and AA were higher in Blacks (9.0%, 5.4%) and Hispanics (8.6%, 4.1%) than in Whites (6.1%, 3.7%) and Asians (5.5%, 2.9%) (p ≤ 0.0002). DHA did not differ among the ethnic groups or according to pregnancy outcome. A reduced palmitic acid percentage was identified in the six women with preeclampsia (p = 0.0233). Tumor necrosis factor-α levels were inversely proportional to the palmitic acid percentage (p = 0.0275) and positively associated with the percentages of stearic (18:0) (p = 0.0132) and oleic (p = 0.0290) acids.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Amniotic fluid fatty acid composition differed among the ethnic groups and may influence inflammatory mediator production and susceptibility to preeclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10065, USA. switkin@med.cornell.edu
authors.forename: Steven S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Witkin
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Skupski
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herway
authors.forename: Marilza V C
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Rudge
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000649:Amniocentesis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids