(P27-080-25) Skin Carotenoid Concentrations Are Inversely Associated With Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Mass Across Pregnancy in Healthy Adults

Objectives: Pregnancy is accompanied by dynamic shifts in adiposity, and the extent and site of expansion can differentially impact maternal metabolic health. Carotenoids are lipid-soluble phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables that beneficially impact adipogenesis and metabolic health in controlled experiments, but their relationship with adipose tissue (AT) depot size in pregnancy has yet to be defined. This preliminary study examines the relationship between skin carotenoid score (SCS) and AT depot sizes across pregnancy.

Methods: A cohort of pregnant adults (N=61, 33.0±4.2 years, BMI 25.0±4.0 kg/m², 80.3% White) participating in the Mother and Infant NuTrition study (MINT, 2019-2024) in Austin, TX were followed at 15-, 25-, and 35-weeks gestation. SCS was non-invasively assessed by reflection spectroscopy (Veggie Meter™) which quantifies aggregate skin carotenoid concentrations as a biomarker of carotenoid status. Adiposity was measured using whole-body T1-weighted MRI and segmented into subcutaneous AT (SAT), visceral AT (VAT), intermuscular AT (IMAT), and total AT compartments using sliceOmatic software. Repeated measures ANOVA and bivariate correlations were used to examine changes and relationships among variables.

Results: SCS was stable across pregnancy despite increases in blood volume and body weight (15 weeks: 243.5 ± 108.1, 25 weeks: 256.1 ± 107.3, 35 weeks: 254.7 ± 102.8 units). Total AT mass and SAT mass increased across pregnancy (p < 0.001, both). At 15 weeks gestation (n=61), SCS was inversely associated with SAT and IMAT (r=-0.377, p=0.003; r=-0.264, p=0.040, respectively), as well as non-significantly inversely associated with VAT mass (r=-0.242, p=0.061). At 25 weeks gestation (n=41), SCS was also inversely associated with SAT mass, albeit non-significant (r=-0.293, p=0.063). At 35 weeks gestation (n=36), SCS was inversely associated with SAT only (r=-0.413, p=0.012, n=36). SCS at 15 weeks was not associated with AT depot changes across pregnancy.

Conclusions: SCS is relatively stable across pregnancy and is inversely associated with SAT mass; however, it does not predict AT changes. This finding warrants further investigation on the impact of carotenoid status on AT depots during pregnancy.

Funding Sources: NIH/NICHD R00HD086304, USDA/ARS 3092-51000-059-002S