P0113 PP COMPARISON OF ESSENTIAL FATTY ACID STATUS AMONG GERMAN, HUNGARIAN AND SPANISH WOMEN AT MID-GESTATION

Abstract

Introduction: Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) play an important role in early human neurodevelopment, and LC-PUFA status at birth is strongly correlated to LC-PUFA status in infancy. Results of studies investigating the effect of LC-PUFA supplementation to the diet of expecting women are controversial, and the controversy may originate from different LC-PUFA status of mothers before supplementation. Methods: Venous blood samples were obtained at the 20th week of gestation from women living in Germany (GER, n = 23), Hungary (HUN, n = 34) and Spain (ESP, n = 44). Basic anthropometric indices (age: 32.9 (5.3) and 31.4 (5.1) and 32.0 (8.2) years, body mass index: 25.0 (3.9) and 25.0 (9.19) and 24. 8 (3.4) kg/m2; median (IQR), GER and HUN and ESP) and parity (data not shown) did not differ. Fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membrane phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) lipids was determined by capillary gas-liquid chromatography. Results: Values of linoleic acid (C18:2n-6), dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (C20:3n-6) and arachidonic acid (C20:4n-6) were significantly higher in HUN than in GER (table). In contrast, values of eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3) were significantly lower in HUN than in GER and ESP, and values of docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3) were significantly lower in HUN than in GER (table).Table 1: Erythrocyte fatty acids in expecting women in Germany, Hungary and SpainConclusion: 1. At mid-gestation, LC-PUFA status differed significantly among expecting women living in three European countries. 2. The controversial results seen in apparently similar studies investigating maternal LC-PUFA supplementation in different countries may at least partly originate from different LC-PUFA status of the mothers at study entry.