Abstract
Introduction.
The inflammatory process in COVID-19 is accompanied by profound remodeling of lipid metabolism; however, the nature of alterations in the fatty acid profile in pregnant women with this pathology remains insufficiently studied, which determines the relevance of the present research.
Aim.
To characterize quantitative changes in the spectrum of minor saturated fatty acids (SFAs) in the erythrocyte membrane in women with moderate COVID-19 during the second trimester of gestation.
Materials and methods.
The study included 79 women in the second
trimester of pregnancy. The main group comprised 39 patients with moderate COVID-19, while the control group consisted of 40 women who had not been infected with COVID-19 previously or at the time of examination. Peripheral blood erythrocytes served as the study material. Quantitative analysis of the individual SFA spectrum in the erythrocyte membrane was performed by gas chromatography.
Results.
In pregnant women with moderate COVID-19 during the second trimester, a statistically significant increase in the levels of capric acid (by 30 %, p
Conclusion.
For the first time, an imbalance of minor SFAs in the erythrocyte membrane was characterized in pregnant women with moderate COVID-19 during the second trimester. In our opinion, the accumulation of minor SFAs–capric, lauric, pentadecanoic, and heptadecanoic acids–reflects a compensatory response of the organism aimed at protecting cells against SARS-CoV-2 and reducing the level of the inflammatory process, whereas the decreased content of myristic acid indicates impairment of the structural and functional integrity of the erythrocyte membrane.