Abstract
Background/Aim: The association between heavy metal exposure and adverse birth outcomes is well-established. However, there is a paucity of research identifying biomarker profiles that may improve the early detection of heavy metal-induced adverse birth outcomes. Because lipids are abundant in our body and associated with important signaling pathways, we assessed associations between maternal metals/metalloid blood levels with lipidomic profiles among 83 pregnant women in the Puerto Rico PROTECT birth cohort.Methods: We measured 10 metals/metalloid blood levels during 24–28 weeks of pregnancy. Prenatal plasma lipidomic profiles were identified by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry-based shotgun lipidomics. We derived sums for each lipid class and sums for each lipid sub-class (saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated), which were then regressed on metals/metalloid. False discovery rate (FDR) adjusted p-values (q-values) were used to account for multiple comparisons.Results: A total of 587 unique lipids from 19 lipid classes were profiled. When controlling for multiple comparisons, we observed that maternal exposure to manganese and zinc were negatively associated with plasmenyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (PLPE), particularly those containing polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) chains. In contrast to manganese and zinc, arsenic and mercury were positively associated with PLPE and plasmenyl-phosphatidylcholine (PLPC).Conclusion: Certain metals were significantly associated with lipids that are responsible for the biophysical properties of the cell membrane and antioxidant defense in lipid peroxidation. This study highlighted lipid-metal associations and we anticipate that this study will open up new avenues for developing diagnostic tools.
Highlights
Lipids serve important roles in multiple processes in our body, including energy reserves and hormone regulation [1]
During the first and second trimesters, there is an increase in maternal lipid levels, resulting in the accumulation of stored lipids to prepare for increased fetal energy needs in late pregnancy
Though the changes in the lipid profiles are considered to be physiologically normal during pregnancy, excessively elevated serum lipid levels can potentially lead to pregnancy complications, such as preterm birth and preeclampsia [9, 10]
Summary
Lipids serve important roles in multiple processes in our body, including energy reserves and hormone regulation [1]. The lipids can be further subcategorized by their structures, such as head groups and backbone that define their specific functions. These varieties of lipids and their functions highlight the complexity of their biological roles. During the third trimester, catabolism or decomposition of lipid stores occurs, as the energy demand of the fetus diminishes [3,4,5]. Maintaining this dynamic of lipid profiles during gestation is critical for fetal development and for a healthy pregnancy. Though the changes in the lipid profiles are considered to be physiologically normal during pregnancy, excessively elevated serum lipid levels can potentially lead to pregnancy complications, such as preterm birth and preeclampsia [9, 10]
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