Lipoprotein metabolism during normal pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: Mle sought to investigate the changes in circulating serum lipid s and lipoproteins, including lipoprotein (a), and low-density lipoprotein size in women during normal pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty-two women (mean age, 31 +/- 5 years; 13 primiparous su bjects) were studied during uncomplicated pregnancy with normal outcome. Tw enty-four nulliparous women of similar age (31 +/- 4 years) were studied as control subjects. RESULTS: Serum triglycerides and total and low-density lipoprotein choleste rol increased significantly during pregnancy in all women. Women with chang es in low-density lipoprotein during the second and third trimesters showed a more marked increase in serum triglycerides, and this effect was slightl y more evident in the multiparous subjects. No other differences were evide nt between primiparous and multiparous women apart from high-density lipopr otein cholesterol levels, which were slightly decreased in the latter subje cts. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that during normal pregnancy, the increase in plasma triglycerides may lead to the appearance of the atherogenic dense l ow-density lipoproteins in a subgroup of women. We suggest that the observe d changes in low-density lipoprotein patterns during pregnancy might be use d to identify those women who later in life will have these atherogenic sma ll and dense low-density lipoproteins.