RESUMO
Background: A high concentration of arachidonic acid in maternal erythrocytes and trophoblast could have a role in pre term deliveries. Aim: To study the fatty acid composition of long chain fatty acids from erythrocytes of mothers who gave birth to pre term and full term infants. Patients and methods: Thirty three healthy women that gave birth to healthy newborns in a public hospital were studied. Twenty two had pre term (34 weeks) and 11 full term (40 weeks) deliveries. The fatty acid profile of phospholipids isolated from erythrocytes of these women was analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. Results: Compared to women giving birth to full term infants, phospholipids of women giving birth to pre term infants had a higher content of arachidonic acid (20:4w6) and all the species of w6 fatty acids. They also had a lower concentration of palmitic and eicosapentanoic (20:5w3) acids and thus a higher arachidonic acid/eicosapentanoic acid ratio. Conclusions: A high arachidonic acid content in phospholipids of erythrocytes could be a risk factor or predictive marker for pre term deliveries