Inverse association between trans isomeric and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in cord blood lipids of full-term infants

Background: Previous studies showed significant inverse correlations between values of trans isomeric and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma lipids of preterm infants and healthy children aged 1-15 y. Objective: We sought to evaluate the same correlations in fullterm infants at birth. Design: We studied healthy full-term infants (n=42) born after normal pregnancies and deliveries. All infants had a family history of atopy (both parents or one of the parents and a sibling had atopic symptoms). The fatty acid composition of venous cord blood lipids was determined by high-resolution capillary gas-liquid chromatography. Results: The mean ( SEM) sum of trans fatty acids was 0.49 +/-0.02% by wt in phospholipids, 2.47 +/-0.20% by wt in cholesterol esters, 1.73 +/-0.09% by wt in triacylglycerols, and 1.59 +/-0.07% by wt in nonesterified fatty acids. Linear correlation analysis showed significant inverse correlations between the sum of trans fatty acids and both arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in phospholipids (r = -0.56, P<0.001, and r = -0.48, P=0.01, respectively), cholesterol esters (r= -0.52, P<0.001, and r = -0.39, P=0.018, respectively), and nonesterified fatty acids (r = -0.41, P=0.007, and r = -0.41, P=0.006, respectively). Conclusion: Because trans fatty acids in the fetal circulation must originate from the maternal diet, our results indicate that maternal exposure to trans fatty acids may represent a previously neglected variable that inversely influences long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid status in full-term infants at birth.