Differences in maternal serum fatty acid composition and dietary fat intake in women with gestational diabetes or mild gestational hyperglycemia

Abstract

We examined maternal serum fatty acid (FA) composition and dietary fat intake in a nested case‐control study in 227 women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), positive glucose challenge test without GDM (positive GCT non‐GDM) and normal GCT (controls).Fasting total serum FAs and FA composition at entry (16wk) and 3rd trimester was determined by a combination of enzymatic and gas‐chromatography mass‐spectrometry analyses. The mean levels of total FA and FA composition (10 FAs) at the 3rd trimester showed an graded increase among groups (e.g. total FA: 325±19, 357±21, 419±28; palmitate: 117±6, 128±7, 148±9; oleic: 88±7, 100±8, 120±10; linoleic: 44±3, 48±3, 59±5; linolenic: 1.5±0.1, 1.7±0.1, 2.1±0.2; arachidonic: 1.3±0.1, 1.6±0.1, 2.0±0.2 μM/l (mean±SE) for controls, positive GCT non‐GDM and GDM respectively (p for trend <0.01). Similar relations were observed at entry for total FA and 3 FAs. In contrast, dietary intake of polyunsaturated fat (g/day, adjusted for energy and total fat intake) was decreased in GDM (12±0.7), positive GCT non GDM (14±0.6) vs. controls (15±0.5, p<0.05) and intake of saturated fat was increased in GDM (34±0.7), positive GCT non GDM (33±0.6) vs. controls (32±0.5, p<0.01).The results suggest alterations in the type of dietary fat intake and possibly important changes in fat metabolism with untreated mild gestational hyperglycemia (positive GCT non‐GDM) as well as GDM pregnancy.