Developmental changes in polyunsaturated fetal plasma phospholipids and feto-maternal plasma phospholipid ratios and their association with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

backgroundDocosahexaenoic (C22:6) and arachidonic acid (C20:4) are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), essential to fetal development, and preferentially transported by plasma phospholipids.

objectiveTo characterize fetal and maternal plasma phospholipid changes during gestation, and to investigate whether LC-PUFA phospholipid profiles are associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

designCord plasma and parturient serum from N = 108 pregnancies [24-42 week postmenstrual age (PMA)] were collected. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were analyzed with tandem mass spectrometry. PMA-associated changes were quantified, and break point analyses served to describe nonlinear changes during gestation.

resultsPC and PE were lower in cord than in parturient samples. In parturients, PC decreased until 33 week PMA, but then re-increased, whereas in cord plasma, concentrations linearly decreased. Fetal PC and PC sub-group values correlated with maternal values. C20:4-PC was twofold higher in cord than in maternal samples throughout gestation. C22:6-PC values, however, exceeded maternal values only beyond 33 week PMA. Consequently, early preterm C20:4-PC-to-C22:6-PC ratio largely exceeded term infant values. In infants born before 28 week PMA, a low C20:4-PC-to-C22:6-PC ratio was associated with BPD severity.

conclusionsFetal plasma LC-PUFA-PC composition correlates with maternal values. Fetal C20:4-PC exceeds maternal values throughout gestation, whereas C22:6-PC exceeds maternal values only beyond 33 week PMA, resulting in a low fetal C20:4-PC/C22:6-PC ratio only toward end gestation. A low C20:4-PC/C22:6-PC ratio before 28 week PMA is associated with BPD severity. These data point to a concept of PMA-adjusted ARA and DHA supplementation and, potentially, cord plasma phospholipid analysis for BPD prediction.