Gestational diabetes mellitus prediction? A unique fatty acid profile study

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate whether women at risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have a unique fatty acid profile compared to women considered normal healthy controls (NHC). METHODS: Three hundred pregnant women were randomized to a control group (NHC) (n = 50) and to one of three high risk groups (n = 250), one of which was GDM (n = 50). At recruitment participants’ booking bloods were taken and analyzed for lipid profiles. The GDM group’s fatty acid profile is reported here. RESULTS: GDM women compared to NHC had elevated levels of omega 6 (n-6) fatty acids compared to omega 3 (n-3) fatty acids (p = 0.01), of linoleic acid (LA) to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) p = 0.001, sequentially distorted levels of n-6 fatty acids LA and arachidonic acid (ArA) p = 0.035, as well as significantly depressed levels of n-3 DHA (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: This paper shows that GDM women have a unique fatty acid profile with elevated levels of n-6 fats, depressed levels of n-3 fats and an abnormal pattern of sequential n-6 metabolism. This profile probably results from a combination of factors including underexpression and or poor utilization of desaturase enzymes, suboptimal dietary fatty acids intake, poor micronutrient status or dysbiosis of the microbiome. These results help inform development of a clinical predictive tool.