Previously we reported significantly higher values of γ-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6), dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DHGLA,, and arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) in plasma lipid classes in obese children than in nonobese controls. In the present study, fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids (PL) and sterol esters (STE) was determined by high-resolution capillary gas-liquid chromatography in obese children with and without metabolic cardiovascular syndrome [MCS: defined as simultaneous presence of (i) dyslipidemia, (ii) hyperinsulinemia, (iii) hypertension, and (iv) impaired glucose tolerance] and in nonobese controls. Fatty acid composition of PL and STE lipids did not differ between obese children without MCS and controls. Obese children with MCS exhibited significantly lower linoleic acid (LA, values in PL (17.43 [2.36], % wt/wt, median [range from the first to the third quartile]) than obese children without MCS (19.14 [3.49]) and controls (20.28 [3.80]). In contrast, PL GLA values were significantly higher in obese children with (0.13 [0.08]) than in those without MCS (0.08 [0.04]), whereas STE GLA values were higher in obese children with MCS (1.04 [0.72]) than in controls (0.62 [0.48]). DHGLA values in PL were significantly higher in obese children with MCS (4.06 [0.74]) than in controls (2.69 [1.60]). The GLA/LA ratio was significantly higher, whereas the AA/DHGLA ratio was significantly lower in obese children with MCS than in obese children without MCS and in controls. In this study, LA metabolism was affected only in obese children with but not in those without MCS. In obese children with MCS, ∆6-desaturase activity appeared to be stimulated, whereas ∆5-desaturase activity appeared to be inhibited. Disturbances in LA metabolism may represent an additional health hazard within the multifaceted clinical picture of MCS.Prevalence of childhood obesity is high and still increasing in many affluent countries. In children and adolescents investigated from 1988 to 1991 in the United States, the prevalence of overweight based on body mass index was 11% according to the 95th and 22% according to the 85th percentile cutoff points (1). In Hungary, the prevalence of childhood obesity defined as body mass index exceeding the 90th percentile is around 13% (2). The long-term morbidity and mortality associated with childhood obesity are closely connected to the cardiovascular and metabolic status detectable in the pediatric age group (3). Therefore, identification of cardiovascular risk factors in obese children is of practical importance.Previously we found significantly higher percentage contributions of the n-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), γ-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6), dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DHGLA, 20:3n-6), and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6) to the fatty acid composition of plasma lipid classes in obese children than in nonobese controls (4). Since LCPUFA are prone to lipid peroxidation, their enhanced availability in circulating lipids may represent a further risk factor of atherogenesis in ob...

In this study, percentage contributions of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids as well as the those of the intermediary metabolites of essential fatty acid metabolism were all significantly higher in early human milk samples of mothers giving birth to very low birth weight preterm as compared with 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 gasliquid 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.Am J Clin Nutr 2001;74:364-8.

No abstract

Background: Fatty acid composition of human milk (HM) is known to change considerably during lactation. However, we were unable to find data on changes of fatty acid composition of HM during the very early phase of lactation, i.e. in the first week of life. Subjects and Methods: HM samples were obtained from 18 healthy lactating women every day during the first week and thereafter on the 14th and 28th days of lactation. Fatty acid composition of colostrum and mature HM samples was determined by high-resolution capillary gas-liquid chromatography. Results: Values of the n-6 essential fatty acid, linoleic acid, in HM did not change significantly during the first month of lactation, whereas values of the n-3 essential fatty acid, α-linolenic acid, showed significant increases during the first 2 weeks of lactation (1st day: 0.49 [0.12], % weight/weight, median [ranges from the 1st to the 3rd quartile], 14th day: 0.69 [0.31], p < 0.05). In contrast, values of the n-6 long-chain metabolites, eicosadienoic-, dihomo-γ-linolenic- and arachidonic acid, as well as the values of the n-3 long-chain metabolites, eicosatrienoic-, and eicosapentaenoic acid exhibited significant decreases during the entire period investigated. The principal n-3 long-chain metabolite, docosahexaenoic acid, showed a significant increase between the 3rd and 14th days, but a significant decrease between the 14th and 28th days (3rd day: 0.15 [0.13], 14th day: 0.28 [0.11], p < 0.05, 28th day: 0.19 [0.12], p < 0.01). There were statistically significant positive correlations between arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid values on the 1st (r = 0.67, p < 0.01), 5th (r = 0.56, p < 0.05) and the 6th (r = 0.53, p < 0.05) days of lactation. Conclusion: Fatty acid composition of HM changes significantly even during the first week of lactation. The lack of positive correlation between essential fatty acids and their long-chain metabolites suggests that it is not only the availability of essential fatty acids that influences the fatty acid composition of human colostrum.

The fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membrane lipids may better reflect the fatty acid status of the organism than the fatty acid composition of plasma lipids. The present study aimed to provide normal values for erythrocyte fatty acid composition in a sizeable group of healthy subjects throughout the paediatric age group. The fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membrane phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) lipids was determined by high-resolution capillary gas chromatography in 188 apparently healthy subjects from birth to young adulthood (newborns: n=17, infants: n=97, children: n=38, young adults: n=36). The values of linoleic acid (C18:2n-6) increased steadily between birth and young adulthood (newborns: 6.49 [2.45], infants: 14.51 [4.32], children: 18.10 [3.25], young adults: 19.87 [2.03], PC lipids, shown as median [interquartile range, IQR], p<0.001]. In contrast, the values of arachidonic acid (C20:4n-6) were significantly higher in children than in young adults (PC: 9.48 [6.64] versus 8.00 [1.85], PE: 26.38 [3.98] versus 24.46 [2.44], p<0.05). The values of alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3) decreased significantly between children and young adults (0.14 [0.11] versus 0.08 [0.07], PE lipids, p<0.05). The values of docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3) increased significantly from infancy through childhood up to young adulthood (PE: 4.20 [2.41] and 4.55 [0.97] and 6.66 [1.81], p<0.05 and 0.001, respectively). We found significantly higher total trans isomeric fatty acid values in newborns than in infants (PC: 0.60 [0.27] versus 0.43 [0.19], p<0.05; PE: 0.66 [0.76] versus 0.30 [0.26], p<0.001). From the results, we conclude that: (1) the data obtained in the present study may serve as reference values in the evaluation of the fatty acid status from birth to young adulthood; (2) the significantly higher values of trans fatty acids at birth than at later stages of life may be of concern, because previous studies suggested that trans fatty acids may interfere with essential fatty acid metabolism during the perinatal period.

No abstract

Healthy, full-term infants fed formula without preformed dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are unable to match the arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid status of breast-fed infants even during the second half of the first year of life.