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The development and validation of a fast and robust dried blood spot based lipid profiling method to study infant metabolism.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Prentice, Philippa 
Wong, Max CY 
Matthews, Lee 
Bond, Nicholas J 

Abstract

Early life exposures and metabolic programming are associated with later disease risk. In particular lipid metabolism is thought to play a key role in the development of the metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in later life. Investigative studies of metabolic programming are limited by the ethics and practicalities of sample collection in small infants. Dried blood spots on filter paper, derived from heel pricks are considered as the most suitable option for this age group. We validated a novel lipid profiling method, based on high resolution mass spectrometry to successfully determine the lipid composition of infants using dried blood spots. The spotting and air drying of blood on paper has noticeable effects on many of the lipids, leading to lipid oxidation and hydrolysis, which demand careful interpretation of the obtained data. We compared the lipid profiles from plasma or whole blood samples and the results from dried blood spots to determine if these revealed the same inter-subject differences. The results from dried blood spots were no less reproducible than other lipid profiling methods which required comparatively larger sample volumes. Therefore, lipid profiles obtained from dried blood spots can be successfully used to monitor infancy lipid metabolism and we show significant differences in the lipid metabolism of infants at age 3 versus 12 months.

Description

Keywords

DIMS, Dried blood spots, FTMS, Infant lipid metabolism, Lipidomics

Journal Title

Metabolomics

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1573-3882
1573-3890

Volume Title

10

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Sponsorship
Medical Research Council (G1001995)
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (via West Anglia Comprehensive Local Research Network (CLRN)) (UKCRN 11822)
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) via Comprehensive Local Research Network (CLRN) (UKCRN 15224)
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (via West Anglia Comprehensive Local Research Network (CLRN)) (11822)
Medical Research Council (G0600717)