Plasma lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase activity in normal full-term newborn infants.

Plasma lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity was studied in 100 normal full-term newborn infants during the first few days of life. The present study shows that plasma LCAT activity present at birth-though at much lower levels than those in the maternal blood-undergoes a fall after birth followed by a rise. It is also shown that the activity of the plasma LCAT enzyme is not strictly linked to the esterification of plasma-free cholesterol in the first three days after birth. However, from the fourth day onwards, there was a good correlation between LCAT activity and esterification of plasma-free cholesterol. The results suggest that plasma LCAT in newborn infants could be partially derived from maternal sources.