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Topical Area: Maternal, Perinatal and Pediatric Nutrition

Maternal, Perinatal and Pediatric Nutrition (II) (Poster Session)

(P18-054-23) Omega-3 Fatty Acid Nutritional Status During Pregnancy Is Associated With Infant Inflammatory Marker Concentrations

Sunday, July 23, 2023

12:45 PM – 1:45 PM ET

Location: Poster Board 528

Presenting Author(s)

RS

Rebecca Slotkowski, B.S. (she/her/hers)

Graduate Student
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, Nebraska, United States

Co-Author(s)

MV

Matthew VanOrmer, BS

University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Anum Akbar, MBBS

Graduate Research Assistant (PhD student)
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, Nebraska, United States
TH

Taija M. Hahka, MS, BS

Graduate Student
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, Nebraska, United States
MT

Melissa k. Thoene, PhD, RD

Assistant Professor
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, Nebraska, United States
CH

Corrine Hanson, PhD, RD, LMNT, FAND

Professor
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Ann L. Anderson Berry, MD, PhD

Professor and Vice Chair of Research, Pediatrics
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omah, Nebraska, United States

Disclosure(s):

Rebecca Slotkowski, B.S.: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Anum Akbar, MBBS: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Taija M. Hahka, MS, BS: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Objectives: Inflammation plays a key role in healthy fetal development during pregnancy. However, excessive inflammation is associated with severe infant morbidities such as cerebral palsy or preterm birth. Dietary omega-6 fatty acids (n-6 FA), such as arachidonic acid, linoleic acid, and their metabolites generally promote a pro-inflammatory environment in adults, but little is known about how maternal dietary intake of omega-6 fatty acids during pregnancy may affect infant inflammatory status. The objective of this study is to correlate infant inflammatory marker levels with maternal and infant n-6 FA nutritional status.

Methods: Maternal-infant dyads were enrolled at time of delivery. Maternal and umbilical cord plasma samples (N=36) were analyzed for inflammatory markers (IL-10, IL-8, and TNFα) via multi-analyte bead array and n-6 FA metabolites via HPLC-MS/MS. Average daily maternal dietary intake of n-6 FA (arachidonic acid, linoleic acid, and total) were calculated using the validated Harvard Food Frequency Questionnaire (N=116). Spearman’s correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationship between inflammatory markers, n-6 FA metabolite plasma concentrations, and n-6 FA intake, with p≤0.05 considered significant.

Results: IL-8 cord plasma concentrations were positively correlated with both cord and maternal plasma concentrations of 11-HETE and 15-HETE. Additionally, IL-8 cord plasma concentrations were positively correlated with maternal 9-HETE and cord 11(12)-EET, 11β-PGE2, 14(15)-EET, 8-HETE, PGF2α, and thromboxane B2. IL-10 cord plasma concentrations were inversely correlated with cord 11(12)-DiHET, 12(13)-EpOME, and 9(10)-EpOME. TNFα cord plasma concentrations were positively correlated with maternal arachidonic acid intake. No other significant associations were observed.

Conclusions: This study provides evidence that n-6 FA metabolites are positively correlated with an inflammatory cytokine (IL-8) and inversely correlated with an anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10). Additional research is needed to identify how dietary interventions to modify n-6 FA intake during pregnancy may impact infant inflammatory status and associated long-term health outcomes.

Funding Sources: This research was funded by the University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Pediatrics and the Child Health Research Institute.