OMEGA-3-FATTY-ACIDS IN MATERNAL ERYTHROCYTES AND RISK OF PREECLAMPSIA

Preeclampsia is a systemic disease characterized by diffuse endothelia l dysfunction, increased peripheral vascular resistance, coagulation a bnormalities, antioxidant deficiency, persistent elevations of materna l leukocyte-derived cytokines, and hyperlipidemia. Fish oil, rich in o mega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, is known to reduce fasting and pos tprandial triglycerides and to decrease platelet and leukocyte reactiv ity; it may also decrease blood pressure. Additionally, omega-3 fatty acids may beneficially influence vessel wall characteristics and blood theology. In light of the potential beneficial effects of dietary ome ga-3 fatty acids, we conducted a cross-sectional case-control study to examine the hypothesized exposure effect relation between maternal di etary intake of marine omega-3 fatty acids and risk of preeclampsia. W e measured polyunsaturated fatty acids in erythrocytes obtained from 2 2 preeclamptic women and 40 normotensive women; we measured polyunsatu rated fatty acids as the percentage of total fatty acids from gas chro matography. We employed logistic regression procedures to estimate odd s ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). After adjusting for confounders, women with the lowest levels of omega-3 fatty acids were 7.6 times more likely to have had their pregnancies complicated by pr eeclampsia as compared with those women with the highest levels of ome ga-3 fatty acids (95% CI = 1.4-40.6). A 15% increase in the ratio of o mega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids was associated with a 46% reduction in r isk of preeclampsia (OR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.41-0.72). Low erythrocyte l evels of omega-3 fatty acids and high levels of some omega-6 fatty aci ds, particularly arachidonic acid, appear to be associated with an inc reased risk of preeclampsia.