The relative fatty acid composition of serum lecithin in one woman with essential hypertension superimposed by severe preeclampsia.

A hospitalized woman with essential hypertension complicated by severe preeclampsia was serially studied in the end of her pregnancy and in the puerperal period. The relative composition of serum lecithin fatty acids was analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. In the present case, the main finding during pregnancy was a dramatic decrease of the linoleic acid parallel to a vast increase of nonessential fatty acids. Of these fatty acids, 20:3 of the oleic acid series was found in an extremely high quantity which may suggest a compensatory mechanism to reduced levels of essential polyenoic fatty acids. It was suggested that the linoleic acid decrement was mainly associated with the disease. These changes were found to be enhancements of differences earlier found between preeclamptic and normal pregnant women.