Cord blood eicosanoid signatures and newborn gestational age

• Beyond prostaglandins, the function of eicosanoids and other oxylipins in pregnancy and labor is poorly understood. In contrast to earlier work focusing on preterm infants, we investigated how oxylipin levels in newborns (measured in cord blood) vary during the last weeks of pregnancy in 190 mother-newborns (≥37 weeks of gestation) of the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort, Belgium. We found increased levels of PGE2 (p = 0.003), PGF2α (p = 0.042), 8,9-DHET (p = 0.037), 11-HETE (p = 0.034), and 15-HETrE (p = 0.008) associated with full term pregnancy compared to early term labor. Furthermore, late vs early term was associated with increased levels of PGE2 (p = 0.012) and TXB2 (p = 0.033), while late vs full term was associated with decreased levels of 14,15-DHET (p = 0.029), 11,12-DHET (p = 0.033), and 5-HETE (p = 0.045). To summarize, nine eicosanoids, derived via three enzymatic pathways, were significantly associated with gestational age. Eight of these were derived from arachidonic acid, and one from dihomo-γ-linolenic acid.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinsk bioteknologi -- Medicinsk bioteknologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Medical Biotechnology -- Medical Biotechnology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Eicosanoids

Gestational age

Lipid metabolism

Mass spectrometry

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)