Abstract
Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is a common endocrine disorder affecting women of reproductive age. Although SCH and abnormal fatty acid composition are often associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and metabolic syndrome later in maternal and fetal life, the longitudinal relationship between SCH and serum fatty acids during pregnancy has rarely been studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between SCH and maternal serum fatty acids throughout gestation. A total of 240 women enrolled in the Complex Lipids in Mothers and Babies (CLIMB) study in Chongqing, China were included in our study. Clinical information and maternal serum samples were collected at three time points during pregnancy: 11–14th, 22–28th, and 32–34th weeks of gestation. Twenty serum fatty acids were quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. A majority of the 20 serum fatty acids increased as gestation progressed in women with a normal pregnancy and women experiencing SCH. Levels of arachidic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosenoic acid were significantly higher in the serum of women with SCH when compared to women with a normal pregnancy, in the second trimester. On the other hand, the levels of eicosadienoic acid and octadecanoic acid were significantly higher in SCH in the third trimester. Our findings demonstrate that serum fatty acid composition during the second and third trimesters was significantly associated with SCH in pregnant Chinese women.
Highlights
Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is a common endocrine disorder affecting women of reproductive age
The thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were significantly higher in SCH women when compared to normal women (3.30 uIU/ml vs. 1.19 uIU/ml; p < 0.001)
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was reduced in both SCH and normal groups from the second to the third trimester, while docosapentenoic acid (DPA) and γ-linolenic acid were only reduced in the normal women from the second to the third trimester
Summary
Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is a common endocrine disorder affecting women of reproductive age. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between SCH and maternal serum fatty acids throughout gestation. Our findings demonstrate that serum fatty acid composition during the second and third trimesters was significantly associated with SCH in pregnant Chinese women. Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is a common endocrine disorder that can manifest in pregnant women This complication of pregnancy is diagnosed when a mildly elevated serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level above the upper limit of the trimester-specific reference is detected in combination with a normal free thyroxine (FT4) concentration during pregnancy[1,2]. Considering the importance of fatty acids for both maternal and offspring health, as well as an increasing prevalence of SCH during pregnancy, our study aimed to investigate the changes in serum fatty acids in women with SCH, throughout pregnancy. Years Total years of schooling Gravidity Parity BMI (kg/m2) 1st trimester 2nd trimester 3rd trimester sBP (mmHg) 1st trimester 2nd trimester 3rd trimester dBP (mmHg) 1st trimester 2nd trimester 3rd trimester GA at sampling (weeks) 1st trimester 2nd trimester 3rd trimester s-TSH (uIU/ml) FT4 (ng/ml)
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