[Rapid and Easy Measurement of Serum Fatty Acid Composition of Neonates, Infants and Young People Using the Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry].

A variation of the fatty acid composition is closely associated with the clinical state of inflammatory disorder and metabolic syndrome. The analysis of serum fatty acid composition of neonates and infants has been measured hardly at the laboratory, because a large quantity of serum was required for an analysis and the measurement procedure was cumbersome. We examined the rapid and easy analysis in a small amount of serum using the combination methods of the gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC MS) and the quick transmethylation. The serum fatty acid composition of neonates and infants were compared with the young people. The serum fatty acids with the internal standard material were performed transmethylation using the microwave, and then the lipids were extracted. The fatty acid esters were analyzed by GC MS with capillary column, and the statistical procedure used nonparametric method. The repeatability of each fatty acid concentration was CV = 5-11.3% (n = 5) with serum 50 μl. The lowest quantity of sample was possible to measure with 13 μl of serum. The total serum fatty acid, saturated fatty acid and monounsaturated fatty acid levels did not show a significant difference at all age, but the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) level of neonates and infants was significantly lower than young people, p = 0.007. The four main PUFA exclusive of α-linolenic acid showed a significant difference. The fatty acid composition with small quantities serum was measured by the rapid and accurate method using the GC MS and the microwave. The serum PUFA concentrations have fluctuated according to growth, therefore it was necessary to evaluate serum fatty acid composition in each age category.