African American Women with Cardiometabolic Complications of Pregnancy Have Decreased Serum Abundance of Specialized Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediators and Endocannabinoids

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Kristal M. Maner-Smith, Emory University; Erin Ferranti, Emory University; Anne Dunlop, Emory University; Elizabeth Corwin, Emory University; Eric Ortlund, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2023-01-01
• Publisher: MDPI
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2022 by the authors.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu15010140
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: NUTRIENTS
• Volume: 15
• Issue: 1
• Grant/Funding Information: This research was funded by National Institutes of Health National Institutes of Nursing Research (R01NR014800), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (R24ES929490) the Office of the Director [UG3/UH3OD023318], and the Office of Research on Women’s Health (K12HD085850) to Anne Dunlop, Elizabeth Corwin, and Erin Ferranti.
• Keywords: specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPM); Life Sciences & Biomedicine; PRETERM BIRTH; gestational hypertension; ASSOCIATION; PHOSPHOLIPASE A(2); gestational diabetes (GDM); DHA; Nutrition & Dietetics; nutrition; BLACK-WHITE DISPARITY; GESTATIONAL DIABETES-MELLITUS; oxylipins; Science & Technology; polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA); endocannabinoids; preeclampsia; FETAL; BIRTH OUTCOMES; RISK; docosahexaenoic acid (DHA); lipidomics
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Nutrition; Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies

Abstract

African American (AA) women experience higher rates of maternal morbidity and mortality compared to US women of other racial/ ethnic groups. Cardiometabolic complications of pregnancy (including gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia) are leading contributors to maternal morbidity and mortality. Marked changes in circulating lipids are known to accompany cardiometabolic complications of pregnancy. Serum concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been shown to be inversely correlated with risk for preeclampsia. DHA is a biosynthetic precursor of a class of specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), resolvins, that have anti-inflammatory properties and are also associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. We employed targeted lipidomics to characterize the distribution of DHA-containing phospholipids and SPMs in maternal serum collected in early and late pregnancy (8–14 weeks and 24–30 weeks gestation, respectively) to identify key lipids that are dysregulated during pregnancy in AA women who develop cardiometabolic complications. We identified a lipid signature in early pregnancy serum samples of AA women that is predictive of cardiometabolic complications of pregnancy with 74% accuracy. These are Resolvin D1, Resolvin E1, 2-AG, PGE2-glyerol ester, and 36:6 PC. These findings suggest that there are blood-based markers detectable in early pregnancy that can potentially identify persons at risk and tailor clinical interventions.