Table 2

Maternal erythrocyte total phospholipid fatty acid concentrations (wt % of total fatty acids) and erythrocyte deformabilities (as measured by their transit times in seconds (log transformed; Log₁₀ TT) through a membrane of 5 μm diameter pore size) from normal singleton and twin pregnancies

	Singletons (n=25)			Twins (n=7)
	Fatty acid	r	p Value	Fatty acid	r	p Value
Erythrocyte fatty acid concentrations (as weight % of total fatty acids) are given as mean (SD) and log transit times (in seconds) as medians (ranges).
*Statistically significant Spearman rank correlations (r) between individual erythrocyte fatty acid concentrations and transit times.
AA, Arachidonic acid; DHA, docosahexaenoic acid.
Palmitic C16:0	30.2 (1.9)	0.03	0.902	31.4 (2.9)	0.68	0.094
Stearic C18:0	13.9 (1.2)	−0.11	0.604	13.6 (0.6)	−0.61	0.149
Oleic C18:1 n-9 + n-7	17.9 (1.1)	0.31	0.126	17.8 (1.0)	0.39	0.383
Linoleic C18:2 n-6	12.1 (1.3)	0.22	0.297	11.4 (1.2)	0.25	0.588
Dihomo-γ-linolenic C20:3 n-6	1.88 (0.65)	−0.10	0.641	1.84 (0.73)	−0.14	0.760
AA C20:4 n-6	12.3 (1.5)	0.47	0.017*	11.5 (1.1)	0.14	0.760
Docosatetraenoic C22:4 n-6	2.72 (0.81)	0.34	0.098	2.53 (0.68)	0.14	0.760
Docosapentaenoic C22:5 n-3	2.22 (0.80)	−0.53	0.007*	2.53 (1.03)	−0.96	<0.001*
DHA C22:6 n-3	5.94 (1.22)	−0.55	0.004*	6.51 (1.66)	−0.78	0.048*
AA/DHA (wt % ratio)	2.19 (0.59)	0.60	0.002*	1.88 (0.53)	0.46	0.299

Log₁₀ TT	0.29 (−0.18 to 1.01)			0.11 (−0.03 to 0.69)