{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,24]],"date-time":"2026-01-24T09:55:25Z","timestamp":1769248525810,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,3]],"date-time":"2023-08-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1691020800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission","award":["2016-014"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2016-014"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study aims to explore the relationship between macrosomia and amino acids in maternal and cord sera. Methods: In the case-control study, 78 pairs of mothers and newborns were recruited from December 2016 to November 2019. Participants were divided into the macrosomia group (BW \u2265 4000 g, n = 39) and the control group (BW between 2500 g and 3999 g, n = 39) according to the birth weight (BW) of newborns. Maternal vein blood samples were collected before delivery and cord vein blood samples were collected after birth. The levels of amino acids in maternal and cord sera were measured by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS\/MS) in the year 2021. The difference in amino acid levels in maternal and cord sera between the two groups was compared, and the contribution of each amino acid to the difference between the two groups was analyzed. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to test the relationship between macrosomia and amino acids. Results: In maternal serum during the antepartum, the levels of asparagine, glutamine, methionine, alanine, and threonine in the macrosomia group were higher but arginine was lower than that in the control group (p &lt; 0.05). In cord serum, the levels of lysine, histidine, phenylalanine, arginine, tryptophan, valine, isoleucine, glutamate, tyrosine, and total essential amino acid (EAA) in the macrosomia group were lower while glutamine was higher than that in the control group (p &lt; 0.05). The ratios of EAA, valine, threonine, methionine, tryptophan, and alanine in maternal serum to those in cord serum were higher, while the ratio of glutamine was lower in the macrosomia group (p &lt; 0.05). Arginine and threonine in maternal serum and glutamate, glutamine, and histidine in cord serum were associated with macrosomia (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: Most of the amino acid levels in the maternal sera of the macrosomia group are higher than those in the control group, while most of the amino acids\u2019 levels in the cord sera of the macrosomia group are lower than those in the control group. The ratios of some amino acids in maternal serum to those in cord serum were different between the two groups. Arginine and threonine in maternal serum and glutamate, glutamine, and histidine in cord serum are closely related to macrosomia.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu15153440","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,3]],"date-time":"2023-08-03T11:13:06Z","timestamp":1691061186000},"page":"3440","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["The Association between Macrosomia and Amino Acids\u2019 Levels in Maternal and Cord Sera: A Case-Control Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Xinxin","family":"Xing","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7900-6541","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yifan","family":"Duan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ye","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jie","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zhenyu","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lijun","family":"Shao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Health Bio Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing 102200, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lin","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Health Bio Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing 102200, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jianqiang","family":"Lai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Copel, J.A., D\u2019Alton, M.E., Feltovich, H., Gratac\u00f3s, E., Krakow, D., Odibo, A.O., Platt, L.D., and Tutschek, B. (2018). Obstetric Imaging: Fetal Diagnosis and Care, Elsevier. [2nd ed.]."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lu, Y., Zhang, J., Lu, X., Xi, W., and Li, Z. (2011). Secular trends of macrosomia in southeast China, 1994-2005. BMC Public Health, 11.","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2458-11-818"},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"11","article-title":"Incidence of fetal macrosimia and influencing factors in China in 2006","volume":"16","author":"Yu","year":"2008","journal-title":"Chin. J. Child Health Care"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"345","DOI":"10.1111\/ppe.12133","article-title":"Prevalence of macrosomia and its risk factors in china: A multicentre survey based on birth data involving 101,723 singleton term infants","volume":"28","author":"Li","year":"2014","journal-title":"Paediatr. Perinat. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"623","DOI":"10.1080\/14767058.2016.1252746","article-title":"Risk factors and outcomes of macrosomia in China: A multicentric survey based on birth data","volume":"30","author":"Wang","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Matern-Fetal Neonatal Med."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"409","DOI":"10.1111\/birt.12506","article-title":"Fetal macrosomia in home and birth center births in the United States: Maternal, fetal, and newborn outcomes","volume":"47","author":"Pillai","year":"2020","journal-title":"Birth"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4790136","DOI":"10.1155\/2018\/4790136","article-title":"Foetal Macrosomia and Foetal-Maternal Outcomes at Birth","volume":"2018","author":"Turkmen","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Pregnancy"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Schellong, K., Schulz, S., Harder, T., and Plagemann, A. (2012). Birth weight and long-term overweight risk: Systematic review and a meta-analysis including 643,902 persons from 66 studies and 26 countries globally. PLoS ONE, 7.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0047776"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"161","DOI":"10.1111\/jdi.12552","article-title":"Reported prevalence of gestational diabetes in Scotland: The relationship with obesity, age, socioeconomic status, smoking and macrosomia, and how many are we missing?","volume":"8","author":"Collier","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Diabetes Investig."},{"key":"ref_10","first-page":"923","article-title":"A cohort study on the correlation between birth weight, simple obesity, blood lipids, blood glucose and blood pressure from childhood to adolescenc","volume":"46","author":"Hua","year":"2007","journal-title":"Chin. J. Intern. Med."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1537","DOI":"10.1007\/s00787-019-01466-7","article-title":"Macrosomia and psychiatric risk in adolescence","volume":"29","author":"Savoy","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eur. Child. Adolesc. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"220","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijgo.2004.08.010","article-title":"Risk factors and obstetric complications associated with macrosomia","volume":"87","author":"Stotland","year":"2004","journal-title":"Int. J. Gynaecol. Obstet."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"58","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ogrm.2006.12.010","article-title":"Fetal macrosomia","volume":"17","author":"Wallace","year":"2007","journal-title":"Obstet. Gynaecol. Reprod. Med."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"249","DOI":"10.1152\/physrev.00018.2006","article-title":"Amino acid transport across mammalian intestinal and renal epithelia","volume":"88","year":"2008","journal-title":"Physiol. Rev."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1218S","DOI":"10.1093\/ajcn\/71.5.1218s","article-title":"Physiology of pregnancy and nutrient metabolism","volume":"71","author":"King","year":"2000","journal-title":"Am. J. Clin. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.1016\/j.diabres.2018.10.017","article-title":"Increased placental IGF-1\/mTOR activity in macrosomia born to women with gestational diabetes","volume":"146","author":"Shang","year":"2018","journal-title":"Diabetes Res. Clin. Pract."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"689","DOI":"10.1172\/JCI117386","article-title":"Altered activity of the system A amino acid transporter in microvillous membrane vesicles from placentas of macrosomic babies born to diabetic women","volume":"94","author":"Kuruvilla","year":"1994","journal-title":"J. Clin. Investig."},{"key":"ref_18","first-page":"42","article-title":"Effects of amino acids and vitamin concentrations of pregnant women on birth weight of infants","volume":"49","author":"Wen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Tianjin Sci. Tech."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"234","DOI":"10.1016\/0026-0495(88)90101-1","article-title":"Relationship between neonatal birth weight and maternal plasma amino acid profiles in lean and obese nondiabetic women and in type I diabetic pregnant women","volume":"37","author":"Kalkhoff","year":"1988","journal-title":"Metabolism"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"278","DOI":"10.1017\/S2040174415001117","article-title":"Maternal and newborn infants amino acid concentrations in obese women born themselves with normal and small for gestational age birth weight","volume":"6","author":"Tsyvian","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Dev. Orig. Health Dis."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1575","DOI":"10.1016\/S0002-9378(96)70609-9","article-title":"Maternal concentrations and fetal-maternal concentration differences of plasma amino acids in normal and intrauterine growth-restricted pregnancies","volume":"174","author":"Cetin","year":"1996","journal-title":"Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol."},{"key":"ref_22","first-page":"7298","article-title":"Analysis method and application of free amino acids","volume":"12","author":"Chen","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Food Saf. Food Qual."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e060868","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2022-060868","article-title":"Cohort profile: The Taicang and Wuqiang mother-child cohort study (TAWS) in China","volume":"12","author":"Wang","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hartvigsson, O., Barman, M., Savolainen, O., Ross, A.B., Sandin, A., Jacobsson, B., Wold, A.E., Sandberg, A.S., and Brunius, C. (2022). Differences between Arterial and Venous Umbilical Cord Plasma Metabolome and Association with Parity. Metabolites, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/metabo12020175"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"868","DOI":"10.1111\/jcpp.13332","article-title":"Maternal and cord plasma branched-chain amino acids and child risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A prospective birth cohort study","volume":"62","author":"Anand","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry Allied Discip."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"134","DOI":"10.1080\/00016340801899289","article-title":"The macrosomic fetus: A challenge in current obstetrics","volume":"87","author":"Henriksen","year":"2008","journal-title":"Acta Obstet. Gynecol. Scand."},{"key":"ref_27","first-page":"1121","article-title":"Fetal macrosomia in pregnant women with gestational diabetes","volume":"33","author":"Segregur","year":"2009","journal-title":"Coll. Antropol."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.nu.08.070188.000355","article-title":"Fetal nutrition","volume":"8","author":"Battaglia","year":"1988","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2626","DOI":"10.1093\/jn\/130.11.2626","article-title":"Arginine nutrition and cardiovascular function","volume":"130","author":"Wu","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Szlas, A., Kurek, J.M., and Krejpcio, Z. (2022). The Potential of L-Arginine in Prevention and Treatment of Disturbed Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolism\u2014A Review. Nutrients, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu14050961"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"446","DOI":"10.1016\/S0753-3322(02)00285-8","article-title":"Glutamine and glutamate","volume":"56","author":"Tapiero","year":"2002","journal-title":"Biomed. Pharmacother."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Moro, J., Roisne-Hamelin, G., Chaumontet, C., Even, P.C., Blais, A., Cansell, C., Piedcoq, J., Gaudichon, C., Tome, D., and Azzout-Marniche, D. (2022). Lysine or Threonine Deficiency Decreases Body Weight Gain in Growing Rats despite an Increase in Food Intake without Increasing Energy Expenditure in Response to FGF21. Nutrients, 15.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu15010197"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"179","DOI":"10.1016\/0026-0495(73)90269-2","article-title":"The glucose-alanine cycle","volume":"22","author":"Felig","year":"1973","journal-title":"Metabolism"},{"key":"ref_34","first-page":"30","article-title":"Association between maternal-cord blood plasma amino acids concentrations and birth weight","volume":"41","author":"Zhang","year":"2019","journal-title":"Acta Nutr. Sin."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"972562","DOI":"10.1155\/2012\/972562","article-title":"Placental amino acids transport in intrauterine growth restriction","volume":"2012","author":"Avagliano","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Pregnancy"},{"key":"ref_36","first-page":"356","article-title":"Plasma amino acid concentrations throughout normal pregnancy and early stages of intrauterine growth restricted pregnancy","volume":"15","author":"Carelli","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Matern. -Fetal Neonatal Med. Off. J. Eur. Assoc. Perinat. Med. Fed. Asia Ocean. Perinat. Soc. Int. Soc. Perinat. Obstet."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"398","DOI":"10.1016\/S0002-9378(16)33441-X","article-title":"Relationship of maternal amino acids and proteins to fetal growth and mental development","volume":"123","author":"Moghissi","year":"1975","journal-title":"Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"253","DOI":"10.1016\/0002-9378(90)90860-A","article-title":"Umbilical amino acid concentrations in normal and growth-retarded fetuses sampled in utero by cordocentesis","volume":"162","author":"Cetin","year":"1990","journal-title":"Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7824","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-021-87323-7","article-title":"Insights into intrauterine growth restriction based on maternal and umbilical cord blood metabolomics","volume":"11","author":"Moros","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1864","DOI":"10.1038\/s41390-021-01672-7","article-title":"The newborn metabolome: Associations with gestational diabetes, sex, gestation, birth mode, and birth weight","volume":"91","author":"Mansell","year":"2022","journal-title":"Pediatr. Res."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S12","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1753-4887.2009.00152.x","article-title":"Developmental origins of health and disease: Concepts, caveats, and consequences for public health nutrition","volume":"67","author":"Solomons","year":"2009","journal-title":"Nutr. Rev."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.1016\/j.placenta.2005.11.010","article-title":"Human Placental Transport in Altered Fetal Growth: Does the Placenta Function as a Nutrient Sensor?\u2014A Review","volume":"27","author":"Jansson","year":"2006","journal-title":"Placenta"},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"145","DOI":"10.1053\/plac.2000.0612","article-title":"Placental transport and metabolism of amino acids","volume":"22","author":"Battaglia","year":"2001","journal-title":"Placenta"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2552","DOI":"10.1210\/jc.2017-00289","article-title":"Large Reduction in Adiponectin During Pregnancy Is Associated With Large-for-Gestational-Age Newborns","volume":"102","author":"Lekva","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"718","DOI":"10.1016\/j.placenta.2010.06.006","article-title":"Placental amino acid transport and placental leptin resistance in pregnancies complicated by maternal obesity","volume":"31","author":"Farley","year":"2010","journal-title":"Placenta"},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"687","DOI":"10.1177\/1933719107306895","article-title":"System A amino acid transporter activity in term placenta is substrate specific and inversely related to amino acid concentration","volume":"14","author":"Parrott","year":"2007","journal-title":"Reprod. Sci."},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"165373","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bbadis.2018.12.024","article-title":"Complex, coordinated and highly regulated changes in placental signaling and nutrient transport capacity in IUGR","volume":"1866","author":"Chassen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Biochim. Biophys. Acta Mol. Basis Dis."}],"container-title":["Nutrients"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6643\/15\/15\/3440\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T20:25:13Z","timestamp":1760127913000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6643\/15\/15\/3440"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,3]]},"references-count":47,"journal-issue":{"issue":"15","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,8]]}},"alternative-id":["nu15153440"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/nu15153440","relation":{},"ISSN":["2072-6643"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2072-6643","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,3]]}}}