Breast milk fatty acids in mothers of children with atopic eczema

Wright, S.; Bolton, Christopher

doi:10.1079/bjn19890069

Cited by 77 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Nonetheless, neonatal IgE is thought to be a determinant of later atopy and the present results seem to contradict the known relationship between perinatal EFAs and the later development of atopy (14,27,28). However, most studies used clinical atopic outcomes or composite outcomes including clinical and laboratory data; the study in infants that showed an association between cord blood EFAs and later atopy did not find an association with later IgE either (14).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 88%

Determinants of neonatal IgE level: parity, maternal age, birth season and perinatal essential fatty acid status in infants of atopic mothers

Gool

Thijs

Dagnelie

et al. 2004

Allergy

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Objective:The hygiene hypothesis suggests that the protective 'siblings effect' against atopic diseases such as atopic dermatitis, allergic asthma and hay fever is a result of recurrent infections during early childhood. A recent study and review have indicated that this protective effect may already arise in utero. Lower n-3 essential fatty acid (EFA) status is associated with increased parity, and EFA status has also been related to atopy. The present study confirms the negative association between parity and neonatal immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels and further unravel the role of perinatal EFA status. Methodology: In a prospective cohort study in 184 atopic mothers and their neonates, we simultaneously measured serum total IgE and EFA levels in plasma phospholipids, both in the mother at 34-36 weeks of gestation and in the neonate at the age of 1 week. Linear regression analysis was used to estimate the effect of parity on maternal and neonatal IgE and EFA status, and the independent effects of parity and EFA status on IgE, controlling for confounding factors such as maternal age and birth season. Results: Parity was associated with lower neonatal IgE level (P < 0.01), as well as with lower docosahexanoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) status of the mother (P = 0.01) but not of the neonate (P > 0.69). In the multivariate analysis, higher parity, higher maternal IgE, lower maternal age and birth in the first 3 months of the year were independently associated with neonatal IgE level. No association was detected between maternal or neonatal EFA status and neonatal IgE. Conclusions: As neonatal total serum IgE is predictive of later atopy, our results support the hypothesis that the sibling effect in atopy is already being programmed in utero. Our data also confirm earlier findings that DHA status is lower in multiparous women, but this did not confound the relation between parity and neonatal IgE.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 88%

Determinants of neonatal IgE level: parity, maternal age, birth season and perinatal essential fatty acid status in infants of atopic mothers

Gool

Thijs

Dagnelie

et al. 2004

Allergy

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“…Furthermore, sCD14 tended to be higher in breast milk received by infants with atopic eczema. There are previous studies on record both supporting and conflicting with our data (25)(26)(27)(28). The immunologic functions of fatty acids in allergy are generally seen to be proinflammatory because n-6 fatty acids may result in increased immunoglobulin E production (6), and against this background, n-3 fatty acid supplementations have been initiated (29,30).…”

Section: Serum and Milk Immunomodulatory Factorscontrasting

confidence: 58%

Breast Milk Fatty Acids May Link Innate and Adaptive Immune Regulation: Analysis of Soluble CD14, Prostaglandin E2, and Fatty Acids

et al. 2006

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In addition to its role in sensing intraluminal microbial antigens, soluble (s)CD14 may regulate immune responses by its lesser known function as a lipid carrier with possible influences in the production of fatty acid-derived eicosanoids. We investigated the interrelations of fatty acids, prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ), and sCD14 and their role in infant atopic eczema during the first year of life. Serum and breast milk samples from mothers and serum samples from their infants were collected at infant's age 3 mo and analyzed for sCD14 and PGE 2 concentrations and for fatty acid compositions. The main correlation of sCD14 was with arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) (AA). Dihomo-␥-linolenic acid (20:3n-6) (DHGLA) and the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids correlated positively and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) (DHA) and sum of n-3 fatty acid negatively with PGE 2 in mother's serum and linoleic acid (LA) negatively with PGE 2 in breast milk. Soluble CD14 tended to be higher and LA, total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), and sum of n-6 fatty acids were lower in breast milk received by infants with atopic eczema compared with those without. These results suggest that fatty acids contribute to the regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses and link intraluminal exposures, mother's diet, and microbes. C haracteristic dietary habits in Western societies have constantly been linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and more recently allergic diseases. The accumulating data point to the early fetal period and infancy as the critical phase (1). Specific dietary compounds, including fatty acids and probiotics, have been exploited in the development of prophylactic and therapeutic interventions, the effects ensuing through their immunomodulatory properties (2). For the infant, the effects are drawn together by outstanding breast milk composition, providing not only nourishment but also signals for the maturation of the adaptive immune responses considered imperative with regard to the risk of diseases (3).Although the major function described for soluble (s)CD14, a pattern recognition receptor, is binding of lipopolysaccharides and thus antimicrobial host defense (4), its binding specificity is not restricted to bacteria. It also binds phospholipids, thus providing a lipid transfer system (5). This innovative function of sCD14 may prove significant, with a potential to modify immune events through phospholipid polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Both dietary and cellular fatty acids are evidently important immune regulators via their derivative eicosanoids, particularly PGE 2 and consequent cytokine responses, as suggested in allergic disease (6). The concentration of sCD14 in breast milk has been shown to be up to 20-fold higher than in serum (7), thus providing infants with an external source of sCD14 with potential health benefits as previously observed in allergic disease (8). Experimental studies have linked sCD14 to phospholipid transport in blood (5,9) and a positive correlation be...

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“…This was based on studies that have found decreased levels of n-6 LCP derivatives in umbilical cord blood of children at risk of atopy (Strannega Êrd et al, 1987;Ioppi et al, 1994) and children who later developed atopy (Galli et al, 1994). Businco et al (1993) and Wright & Bolton (1989) showed that mothers with atopic children have lower levels of n-6 LCPs in their breast milk. Because LCPs have now been shown to be altered in the breast milk of atopic mothers, the hypothesis of a causal role can be further delineated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (except the parent fatty acids linoleic acid and alphalinoleic acid; LCPs) in human milk could play a protective role: human milk contains signi®cant amounts of LCPs, whereas most term infant formulas are devoid of it (Melnik & Plewig, 1992). Businco et al (1993) and Wright & Bolton (1989) reported reduced levels of n-6 LCPs in breast milk from mothers of children who got atopic eczema. Since these studies were performed in a mixed group of atopic and non-atopic mothers, it was not clear whether the ®ndings indicate a direct (causal) effect, or merely re¯ects the mothers' atopic constitution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Essential fatty acids in breast milk of atopic mothers: comparison with non-atopic mothers, and effect of borage oil supplementation

et al. 2000

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Objective: To evaluate whether levels of n-6 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPs) in human breast milk are related to the mother's atopic constitution, and whether a decreased level can be restored by gamma-linolenic acid supplementation. Design: Cross-sectional study and dietary supplementation trial. Subjects: 20 atopic mothers and 20 non-atopic mothers (controls), all lactating. Setting: General population. Interventions: The atopic mothers were randomly assigned to low (n 10) or high (n 10) dosage oral supplementation with oral borage oil for one week (230 or 460 mg gamma-linolenic acid (18:3n-6) per day). Main outcome measures: Essential fatty acid composition of the breast milk total fat fraction, determined by gas liquid chromatography. Results: Arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) was lower in breast milk of atopic mothers compared with non-atopic mothers (0.39 wt% vs 0.46 wt%, difference 7 0.07% wt% (95% con®dence limits 7 0.13, 7 0.01 wt%; P`0.05). The ratio between linoleic acid and the sum of n-6 derivatives did not differ between these groups, indicating no difference in delta-6-desaturase (D6D) activity. Supplementation of the atopic mothers signi®-cantly increased the levels of gamma-linolenic acid and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid in breast milk in a doserelated way, but the level of arachidonic acid was not increased. Conclusion: We found a decreased level of arachidonic acid in breast milk in atopic compared to non-atopic mothers, but no indication that the rate-limiting enzymatic step (D6D) is involved. Supplementation increased the precursor pool but did not restore the level of arachidonic acid. We conclude that atopy is related to a metabolic disturbance beyond the D6D enzymatic step. A low level of arachidonic acid in breast milk may be a risk factor for the development of atopy in the infant, especially when the possible underlying metabolic disturbance of EFA metabolism is inherited by the child.

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Breast milk fatty acids in mothers of children with atopic eczema

Cited by 77 publications

References 19 publications

Determinants of neonatal IgE level: parity, maternal age, birth season and perinatal essential fatty acid status in infants of atopic mothers

Determinants of neonatal IgE level: parity, maternal age, birth season and perinatal essential fatty acid status in infants of atopic mothers

Breast Milk Fatty Acids May Link Innate and Adaptive Immune Regulation: Analysis of Soluble CD14, Prostaglandin E2, and Fatty Acids

Essential fatty acids in breast milk of atopic mothers: comparison with non-atopic mothers, and effect of borage oil supplementation

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