Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine
Published in: Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

Determinants of polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations in erythrocytes of pregnant Japanese women from a birth cohort study: study protocol and baseline findings of an adjunct study of the Japan environment & Children’s study

Authors: Shoji Saito, Terue Kawabata, Nozomi Tatsuta, Fumiko Kimura, Teruo Miyazawa, Satoshi Mizuno, Hidekazu Nishigori, Takahiro Arima, Yasuo Kagawa, Kouichi Yoshimasu, Kanami Tsuno, Yuki Ito, Michihiro Kamijima, Kunihiko Nakai, Nobuo Yaegashi, Miyagi Study Group of Japan Environment & Children’s Study

Published in: Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine | Issue 1/2017

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) may have multiple beneficial effects on the outcome of pregnancy, maternal health and child development. The present study introduced the protocol of a birth cohort study to examine the beneficial effects of n-3 PUFA status in pregnant Japanese women as an adjunct study of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS).

Methods

The JECS participants in the coastal areas of Miyagi Prefecture were further invited to participate in this adjunct study, and 1,878 pregnant women were enrolled prior to delivery. Their n-3 PUFA status was evaluated with fatty acid profiles in erythrocytes of maternal blood collected from 1,623 mothers at 24–30 weeks of gestation and cord blood from 1,505 deliveries.

Results

The baseline results, including comprehensive data on the fatty acid status and determinants affecting the PUFA status, were analyzed. In stepwise multivariate analyses, the cord blood docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) level was found to be significantly influenced by the DHA level in maternal blood, the child’s sex, and the gestational period. The maternal DHA level was influenced by fish intake, maternal age, and the prepregnancy body mass index. While cord blood eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was influenced by maternal EPA, fish intake, and season at birth, additional factors such as maternal education, household income, and smoking habits affected the maternal EPA content.

Conclusion

Further studies are warranted to clarify the nutritional impacts of n-3 PUFA in pregnant Japanese women of the cohort study.
Literature
1.
Helland IB, Smith L, Saarem K, Saugstad OD, Drevon CA. Maternal supplementation with very-long-chain n-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation augments children’s IQ at 4 years of age. Pediatrics. 2003;111:e39–44.CrossRefPubMed
2.
Hibbeln JR, Davis JM, Steer C, Emmett P, Rogers I, Williams C, et al. Maternal seafood consumption in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in childhood (ALSPAC study): an observational cohort study. Lancet. 2007;369:578–85.CrossRefPubMed
3.
Oken E, Osterdal ML, Gillman MW, Knudsen VK, Halldorsson TI, Strom M, et al. Associations of maternal fish intake during pregnancy and breastfeeding duration with attainment of developmental milestones in early childhood: a study from the Danish national birth cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;88:789–96.PubMedPubMedCentral
4.
Hanebutt FL, Demmelmair H, Schiessl B, Larque E, Koletzko B. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) transfer across the placenta. Clin Nutr. 2008;27:685–93.CrossRefPubMed
5.
Martinez-Victoria E, Yago MD. Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and body weight. Br J Nutr. 2012;107(Suppl 2):S107–116.CrossRefPubMed
6.
Koletzko B, Boey CC, Campoy C, Carlson SE, Chang N, Guillermo-Tuazon MA, et al. Current information and Asian perspectives on long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in pregnancy, lactation, and infancy: systematic review and practice recommendations from an early nutrition academy workshop. Ann Nutr Metab. 2014;65:49–80.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Innis SM. Metabolic programming of long-term outcomes due to fatty acid nutrition in early life. Matern Child Nutr. 2011;7(Suppl 2):112–23.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Hamazaki K, Harauma A, Otaka Y, Moriguchi T, Inadera H. Serum n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and psychological distress in early pregnancy: adjunct study of Japan environment and children’s study. Transl Psychiatry. 2016;6:e737.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
9.
Shapiro GD, Fraser WD, Seguin JR. Emerging risk factors for postpartum depression: serotonin transporter genotype and omega-3 fatty acid status. Can J Psychiatry. 2012;57:704–12.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
10.
Vidakovic AJ, Jaddoe VW, Gishti O, Felix JF, Williams MA, Hofman A, et al. Body mass index, gestational weight gain and fatty acid concentrations during pregnancy: the generation R Study. Eur J Epidemiol. 2015;30:1175–85.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
11.
Lauritzen L, Carlson SE. Maternal fatty acid status during pregnancy and lactation and relation to newborn and infant status. Matern Child Nutr. 2011;7(Suppl 2):41–58.CrossRefPubMed
12.
Govarts E, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Schoeters G, Ballester F, Bloemen K, de Boer M, et al. Birth weight and prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE): a meta-analysis within 12 European Birth Cohorts. Environ Health Perspect. 2012;120:162–70.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Wells EM, Herbstman JB, Lin YH, Jarrett J, Verdon CP, Ward C, et al. Cord blood methylmercury and fetal growth outcomes in Baltimore newborns: potential confounding and effect modification by omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and sex. Environ Health Perspect. 2016;124:373–9.PubMed
14.
Grandjean P, Weihe P, Debes F, Choi AL, Budtz-Jorgensen E. Neurotoxicity from prenatal and postnatal exposure to methylmercury. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2014;43:39–44.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
15.
Tatsuta N, Nakai K, Murata K, Suzuki K, Iwai-Shimada M, Kurokawa N, et al. Impacts of prenatal exposures to polychlorinated biphenyls, methylmercury, and lead on intellectual ability of 42-month-old children in Japan. Environ Res. 2014;133:321–6.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Meldrum SJ, D’Vaz N, Casadio Y, Dunstan JA, Niels Krogsgaard-Larsen N, Simmer K, et al. Determinants of DHA levels in early infancy: differential effects of breast milk and direct fish oil supplementation. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2012;86:233–9.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Al MD, van Houwelingen AC, Hornstra G. Relation between birth order and the maternal and neonatal docosahexaenoic acid status. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1997;51:548–53.CrossRefPubMed
18.
Gellert S, Schuchardt JP, Hahn A. Higher omega-3 index and DHA status in pregnant women compared to lactating women – Results from a German nation-wide cross-sectional study. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2016;109:22–8.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Sands SA, Reid KJ, Windsor SL, Harris WS. The impact of age, body mass index, and fish intake on the EPA and DHA content of human erythrocytes. Lipids. 2005;40:343–7.CrossRefPubMed
20.
Friedman AN, Moe SM, Perkins SM, Li Y, Watkins BA. Fish consumption and omega-3 fatty acid status and determinants in long-term hemodialysis. Am J Kidney Dis. 2006;47:1064–71.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Itomura M, Fujioka S, Hamazaki K, Kobayashi K, Nagasawa T, Sawazaki S, et al. Factors influencing EPA + DHA levels in red blood cells in Japan. In vivo. 2008;22:131–5.PubMed
22.
Cohen BE, Garg SK, Ali S, Harris WS, Whooley MA. Red blood cell docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid concentrations are positively associated with socioeconomic status in patients with established coronary artery disease: data from the Heart and Soul Study. J Nutr. 2008;138:1135–40.PubMedPubMedCentral
23.
Wagner A, Simon C, Morio B, Dallongeville J, Ruidavets JB, Haas B, et al. Omega-3 index levels and associated factors in a middle-aged French population: the MONA LISA-NUT Study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2015;69:436–41.CrossRefPubMed
24.
Childs CE, Romeu-Nadal M, Burdge GC, Calder PC. Gender differences in the n-3 fatty acid content of tissues. Proc Nutr Soc. 2008;67:19–27.CrossRefPubMed
25.
Carnielli VP, Simonato M, Verlato G, Luijendijk I, De Curtis M, Sauer PJ, et al. Synthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in preterm newborns fed formula with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;86:1323–30.PubMed
26.
Horiguchi S, Nakayama K, Iwamoto S, Ishijima A, Minezaki T, Baba M, et al. Associations between a fatty acid desaturase gene polymorphism and blood arachidonic acid compositions in Japanese elderly. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2016;105:9–14.CrossRefPubMed
27.
Kawamoto T, Nitta H, Murata K, Toda E, Tsukamoto N, Hasegawa M, et al. Rationale and study design of the Japan environment and children’s study (JECS). BMC Public Health. 2014;14:25.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
28.
Michikawa T, Nitta H, Nakayama SF, Ono M, Yonemoto J, Tamura K, et al. The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS): a preliminary report on selected characteristics of approximately 10000 pregnant women recruited during the first year of the study. J Epidemiol. 2015;25:452–8.CrossRefPubMed
29.
Nakai K, Suzuki K, Oka T, Murata K, Sakamoto M, Okamura K, et al. The Tohoku Study of Child Development: a cohort study of effects of perinatal exposures to methylmercury and environmentally persistent organic pollutants on neurobehavioral development in Japanese children. Tohoku J Exp Med. 2004;202:227–37.CrossRefPubMed
30.
Kawabata T, Nakai K, Hagiwara C, Kurokawa N, Murata K, Yaginuma K, et al. Comparison of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma and erythrocyte phospholipids for biological monitoring. Nihon Eiseigaku Zasshi. 2011;66:108–14. in Japanese.CrossRefPubMed
31.
Rose HG, Oklander M. Improved procedure for the extraction of lipids from human erythrocytes. J Lipid Res. 1965;6:428–31.PubMed
32.
Hirota S, Adachi N, Gomyo T, Kawashima H, Kiso Y, Kawabata T. Low-dose arachidonic acid intake increases erythrocytes and plasma arachidonic acid in young women. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2010;83:83–8.CrossRefPubMed
33.
Simon JA, Fong J, Bernert Jr JT, Browner WS. Relation of smoking and alcohol consumption to serum fatty acids. Am J Epidemiol. 1996;144:325–34.CrossRefPubMed
34.
Cao J, Schwichtenberg KA, Hanson NQ, Tsai MY. Incorporation and clearance of omega-3 fatty acids in erythrocyte membranes and plasma phospholipids. Clin Chem. 2006;52:2265–72.CrossRefPubMed
35.
Flock MR, Skulas-Ray AC, Harris WS, Etherton TD, Fleming JA, Kris-Etherton PM. Determinants of erythrocyte omega-3 fatty acid content in response to fish oil supplementation: a dose-response randomized controlled trial. J Am Heart Assoc. 2013;2:e000513.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
36.
Scaglia N, Chatkin J, Chapman KR, Ferreira I, Wagner M, Selby P, et al. The relationship between omega-3 and smoking habit: a cross-sectional study. Lipids Health Dis. 2016;15:61.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
37.
Tatsuta N, Nakai K, Satoh H, Murata K. Impact of the great east Japan earthquake on child’s IQ. J Pediatr. 2015;167:745–51.CrossRefPubMed
38.
Suzuki K, Nakai K, Sugawara T, Nakamura T, Ohba T, Shimada M, et al. Neurobehavioral effects of prenatal exposure to methylmercury and PCBs, and seafood intake: neonatal behavioral assessment scale results of Tohoku study of child development. Environ Res. 2010;110:699–704.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Determinants of polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations in erythrocytes of pregnant Japanese women from a birth cohort study: study protocol and baseline findings of an adjunct study of the Japan environment & Children’s study
Authors
Shoji Saito
Terue Kawabata
Nozomi Tatsuta
Fumiko Kimura
Teruo Miyazawa
Satoshi Mizuno
Hidekazu Nishigori
Takahiro Arima
Yasuo Kagawa
Kouichi Yoshimasu
Kanami Tsuno
Yuki Ito
Michihiro Kamijima
Kunihiko Nakai
Nobuo Yaegashi
Miyagi Study Group of Japan Environment & Children’s Study
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine / Issue 1/2017
Print ISSN: 1342-078X
Electronic ISSN: 1347-4715
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12199-017-0636-5

Other articles of this Issue 1/2017

Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine 1/2017 Go to the issue

Regular Article

The impact of different lenses on visual and musculoskeletal complaints in VDU workers with work-related neck complaints: a randomized controlled trial

Research

Enterococcus hirae biofilm formation on hospital material surfaces and effect of new biocides

Regular Article

Prevalence of stroke and associated risk factors among middle-aged and older farmers in western China

Regular Article

Influence of a 50bp Ins/Del polymorphism at promoter of the superoxide dismutase-1 on gene expression and risk of heroin dependency

Research article

Effects of chronic noise on the corticotropin-releasing factor system in the rat hippocampus: relevance to Alzheimer’s disease-like tau hyperphosphorylation

Editorial

Personal perspective on Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine