THE LIPEMIA OF PREGNANCY

Abstract

Fasting whole blood, plasma and red blood cells were analyzed (oxidative micro-methods) in 9 women toward the end of normal pregnancy and in 9 normal non-pregnant women. In pregnancy, plasma lipids were increased, lipids in red cells were unchanged, and only slight changes were found in whole blood; in plasma, neutral fat was increased over 100%, phospholipid, free and ester cholesterol about 25%, and total lipid 50%; the I numbers of phospholipid and total fatty acids were unchanged. By showing the changes in lipid content are not the same for whole blood and plasma or serum, apparent discrepancies in earlier literature are explained. The lipemia of pregnancy is similar to other persistent lipemias.