Association of polyunsaturated fatty acids in breast milk with fatty acid desaturase gene polymorphisms among Chinese lactating mothers.
The fatty acid desaturase (FADS) controls polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) synthesis in human tissues and breast milk.



Evaluate the influence of 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and various haplotypes in the FADS gene cluster (FADS1, FADS2, FADS3) on PUFA concentration in the breast milk of 209 healthy Chinese women. PUFA concentrations were measured in breast milk using gas chromatography and genotyping was performed using the Sequenom Mass Array system.



A SNP (rs1535) and 2-locus haplotypes (rs3834458-rs1535, rs1535-rs174575) in the FADS2 gene were associated with concentrations of γ-linoleic acid (GLA) and arachidonic acid (AA) in breast milk. Likewise, in the FADS1 gene, a 2-locus constructed haplotype (rs174547-rs174553) also affected GLA and AA concentration (P<0.05 for all). Minor allele carriers of the SNP and haplotypes described above had lower concentrations of GLA and AA. In the FADS2 gene, the 3-locus haplotype rs3834458-rs1535-rs174575, significantly affected concentrations of GLA but not AA. Pairwise comparison showed that individuals major homozygous for the SNP rs1000778 in the FADS3 gene had lower concentrations of ALA and linoleic acid (LA) in their breast milk.



Polymorphisms in the FADS gene cluster influence PUFA concentrations in the breast milk of Chinese Han lactating women.
Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Chang Chun 130021, China.
Zhen
Z
Ding
Experimental Center of Prevention, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Chang Chun 130021, China.
Guo-Liang
GL
Liu
Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Chang Chun 130021, China.
Xiang
X
Li
Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Chang Chun 130021, China.
Xue-Yan
XY
Chen
Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Chang Chun 130021, China.
Yi-Xia
YX
Wu
Medical Law, the Grade of 2011, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Chang Chun 130021, China.
Can-Can
CC
Cui
Medical Law, the Grade of 2011, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Chang Chun 130021, China.
Xi
X
Zhang
Medical Law, the Grade of 2011, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Chang Chun 130021, China.
Guang
G
Yang
Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Chang Chun 130021, China. Electronic address: xielin@jlu.edu.cn.
Lin
L
Xie
D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D000090943:Delta-5 Fatty Acid Desaturase; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000235:genetics*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D006801:Humans; D007774:Lactation / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D009035:Mothers; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D000090943:Delta-5 Fatty Acid Desaturase; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases; C000716847:FADS1 protein, human; C533241:FADS2 protein, human; C545859:FADS3 protein, human
Breast milk; Chinese; Fatty acid; Gene variant; Haplotype