Dietary Fatty Acids Contribute to Maintaining the Balance between Pro-Inflammatory and Anti-Inflammatory Responses during Pregnancy.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: During pregnancy, the balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses is essential for ensuring healthy outcomes. Dietary Fatty acids may modulate inflammation. METHODS: We investigated the association between dietary fatty acids as profiled on red blood cells membranes and a few pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, including the adipokines leptin and adiponectin at ~38 weeks in 250 healthy women. RESULTS: We found a number of associations, including, but not limited to those of adiponectin with C223/C224 (coeff -1.44; p = 0.008), C181 c13/c14 (coeff 1.4; p = 0.02); endotoxin with C201 (coeff -0.9; p = 0.03), C220 (coeff -0.4; p = 0.05); MCP-1 with C160 (coeff 0.8; p = 0.04); and ICAM-1 with C140 (coeff -86.8; p = 0.045). Several cytokines including leptin were associated with maternal body weight (coeff 0.9; p = 2.31 × 10-5), smoking habits (i.e., ICAM-1 coeff 133.3; p = 0.09), or gestational diabetes (i.e., ICAM-1 coeff 688; p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: In a general cohort of pregnant women, the intake of fatty acids influenced the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory molecules together with weight gain, smoking habits, and gestational diabetes.