Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fatty acid composition of serum lecithin in healthy children

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
European Journal of Pediatrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Serum concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids and the fatty acid composition of lecithin were determined in 107 children aged 1–15 years. The major aim of the study was to find out the normal ranges of the proportions of the essential fatty acids in lecithin for further studies of nutritional and metabolic disorders. The population contained partly children admitted for general anaesthesia, partly healthy school children. The series was considered to be representative of normal children of the ages in question.

The fatty acid composition of lecithin did not differ with sex, but changed with increasing age. Linoleic acid increased and arachidonic acid decreased, both significantly (P<0.001 and P<0.01, respectively). Palmitic acid decreased with increasing age (P<0.05). The changes were small. At all ages palmitic acid was the largest proportion of the fatty acids in lecithin and linoleic acid the second largest. In all the age groups there was an inverse relationship between linoleic acid and oleic acid, and between palmitic acid and stearic acid.

The mean values of cholesterol varied between 3.9 and 4.6 mmol/l and triglycerides between 0.6 and 1.0 mmol/l. The concentration of these two lipids increased with increasing age. The mean phospholipid concentration varied between 2.4 and 2.8 mmol/l and did not vary with age.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Adam D, Hansen AE, Wiese HF (1958) Essential fatty acids in infant nutrition. II. Effect of linoleic acid on caloric intake. J Nutr 66:555–564

    Google Scholar 

  2. Alling C, Bruce Å, Karlsson I, Svennerholm L (1974) The effect of different dietary levels of essential fatty acids on body composition of the rat. Nutr Metab 16:181–191

    Google Scholar 

  3. Alling C, Bruce Å, Karlsson I, Svennerholm L (1976) Effect of different dietary levels of essential fatty acids on liver and serum lipids in the rat. Nutr Metab 20:440–451

    Google Scholar 

  4. Alström T, Gräsbäck R, Hjelm M, Skandsen R (1975) Recommendations concerning the collection of reference values in clinical chemistry. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 35, Suppl 144: 1–45

    Google Scholar 

  5. Andersen GE, Lifschitz C, Friis-Hansen (1979) Dietary habits and serum lipids during first 4 years of life. Acta Paediatr Scand 68:165–170

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bartlett GR (1969) Phospholipid assay in column chromatography. J Biol Chem 234:466–468

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bickel JP, Doksum KA (1977) Mathematical statistics: Basic ideas and selected topics. Holden-Day, Inc., San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  8. Biggs HG, Erikson JM, Morehead WR (1975) A manual colorimetric assay of triglycerides in serum. Clin Chem 21: 437–441

    Google Scholar 

  9. Caldwell MD, Jonsson HT, Othersen HB (1972) Essential fatty acid deficiency in an infant receiving prolonged parenteral alimentation. J Pediatr 81:894–898

    Google Scholar 

  10. Campbell IM, Crozier DN, Caton RB (1976) Abnormal fatty acid composition and impaired oxygen supply in cystic fibrosis patients. Pediatrics 57:480–486

    Google Scholar 

  11. Caren R, Corbo L (1966) Plasma fatty acids in pancreatic cystic fibrosis and liver disease. J Clin Endocrin Metabol 26:470–477

    Google Scholar 

  12. Cash R, Berger CK (1969) Acrodermatitis enterophatica. Defective metabolism of unsaturated fatty acids. J Pediatr 74:717–729

    Google Scholar 

  13. Chase P, Dupont J (1978) Abnormal levels of prostaglandins and fatty acids in blood of children with cystic fibrosis. Lancet 2:236–238

    Google Scholar 

  14. Elliot RB (1976) A therapeutic trial of fatty acid supplementation in cystic fibrosis (CF). Pediatrics 57:474–479

    Google Scholar 

  15. Francy R, Amador E (1968) Serum cholesterol measurement based on ethanol extraction and ferric chloride-sulfuric acid. Clin Chim Acta 21:255–263

    Google Scholar 

  16. Hagberg B, Sourander P, Svennerholm L (1968) Late infantile progressive encephalopathy with disturbed polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism. Acta Paediatr Scand 57: 495–499

    Google Scholar 

  17. Hagberg B, Haltia M, Sourander P, Svennerholm L, Eeg-Olofsson O (1974) Polyunsaturated fatty acid lipidosis infantile form of so-called neural ceroidlipofuscinosis. I. Clinical and morphological aspects. Acta Paediatr Scand 63:753–763

    Google Scholar 

  18. Hallgren B, Stenhagen S, Svanborg A, Svennerholm L (1960) Gas chromatographic analysis of the fatty acid composition of the plasma lipids in normal and diabetic subjects. J Clin Invest 39:1424–1434

    Google Scholar 

  19. Hansen AE, Haggard ME, Boelsche AN, Adam DJD, Wiese HF (1958) III. Clinical manifestations of linoleic and acid deficiency. J Nutr 66:565–576

    Google Scholar 

  20. Hansen AE, Wiese HF, Boelsche AN, Haggard ME, Adam DJD, Davis H (1963) Role of linoleic acid in infant nutrition: Clinical and chemical study of 428 infants fed on milk and mixtures varying in kind and amount of fat. Pediatrics 31: Suppl 1, 171–192

    Google Scholar 

  21. Hardell L (1978) Serum lipids and lipoproteins at birth and in carly childhood. Dissertation, Uppsala

  22. Holman RT (1978) Essential fatty acid deficiency in humans. CRC Handbook Series in Nutrition and Food, Vol III: 335–368

    Google Scholar 

  23. Kaas Ibsen K, Lous P, Andersen GE (1980) Lipids and lipoproteins in 350 Danish schoolchildren, aged 7 to 18 years. Acta Paediatr Scand 69:231–233

    Google Scholar 

  24. Karlberg P, Taranger T (1976) The somatic development of children in a Swedish urban community. Acta Paediatr Scand, Suppl 258

  25. Kuo PT, Huang HN, Basset DR (1962) The fatty acid composition of the serum chylomicrons and adipose tissue of children with cystic fibrosis of the pancreas. J Pediatr 60: 394–403

    Google Scholar 

  26. Oleård R, Svennerholm L (1970) Fatty acid composition of plasma and red cell phosphoglycerides in full-term infants and their mothers. Acta Paediatr Scand 59:637–647

    Google Scholar 

  27. Olegård R, Svennerholm L (1971) Effects of diet on fatty acid composition of plasma and red cell phosphoglycerides in three-month-old infants. Acta Paediatr Scand 60:505–511

    Google Scholar 

  28. Paulsrud JR, Pensler L, Whitten CF, Stewart S, Holman RT (1972) Essential fatty acid deficiency in infants induced by fat free intravenous feeding. Am J Clin Nutr 25:897–904

    Google Scholar 

  29. Rafstedt S (1955) Studies on serum lipids and lipoproteins in infancy and childhood. Acta Paediatr Scand 44: Suppl 102

  30. Rivers JPW, Hassam AG (1975) Defective essential fatty acid metabolism in cystic fibrosis. Lancet 2:642–643

    Google Scholar 

  31. Räsänen L, Wilske M, Kantero R-L, Näntö V, Ahlström A, Hallman N (1978) Nutrition survery of Finnish rural children. Serum cholesterol values in relation to dietary variables. Am J Clin Nutr 31:1050–1056

    Google Scholar 

  32. Samsioe G, Johnson P, Gustafson A (1975) Studies in normal pregnancy. I. Serum lipids and fatty acid composition of serum phosphoglycerides. Acta Obstet Gynec Scand 54:265–270

    Google Scholar 

  33. Svennerholm L (1968) Distribution and fatty acid composition of phosphoglycerides in normal human brain. J Lipid Res 9:570–579

    Google Scholar 

  34. Svennerholm L, Hagberg B, Haltia M, Sourander P, Vanier M-T (1975) Polyunsaturated fatty acid lipidosis. II. Lipid biochemical studies. Acta Paediatr Scand 64:489–496

    Google Scholar 

  35. Svennerholm L (1976) Polyunsaturated fatty acid lipidosis: A new nosological entity. In: Volk BW, Schneck L (eds) Current trends in sphingolipidoses and allied disorders. Advances in experimental medicine and biology, Vol 68. Plenum Press, New York London, pp 389–402

    Google Scholar 

  36. Underwood BA, Denning CR, Navab M (1972) Polyunsaturated fatty acids and tocopherol levels in patients with cystic fibrosis. Ann N.Y. Acad Sci 203:237–247

    Google Scholar 

  37. Westerberg B, Hagberg B, Svennerholm L (1979) Serum fatty acid patterns in children with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathies. Neuropädiatrie 10, Suppl 459

  38. White HB Jr, Turner MD, Turner AC, Miller RC (1973) Blood lipid alterations in infants receiving intravenous fatfree alimentation. J Pediatr 83:305–313

    Google Scholar 

  39. Yao J, Ellefson R, Dyck PJ (1976) Lipid abnormalities in hereditary neuropathy, Part 1. Serum non-polar lipids. J Neurol Sciences 29:161–175

    Google Scholar 

  40. Yao J, Dyck PJ (1978) Lipid abnormalities in hereditary neuropathy, Part 2. Serum phospholipids. J Neurol Sciences 36:225–236

    Google Scholar 

  41. Yao J, Dyck PJ (1978) Lipid abnormalities in hereditary neuropathy, Part 3. Plasma and erythrocyte lipids of HMSN-III. J Neurol Sciences 38:59–65

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, St. Jörgen Hospital, S-42203, Hisings Backa, Sweden

    C. Alling

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Östra sjukhuset, University of Göteborg, Sweden

    B. Westerberg

Authors
  1. C. Alling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. B. Westerberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

The parents and patients gave their full consent to the blood sampling, which was done before operation or at the same time as the examination. Permission for the study was also given by the Ethical Committee of the University of Gothenburg

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Alling, C., Westerberg, B. Fatty acid composition of serum lecithin in healthy children. Eur J Pediatr 137, 197–201 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00441317

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00441317

Key words

Search

Navigation