title: Atopic dermatitis and essential fatty acids: a biochemical basis for atopy?
abstract: The effects of dietary supplementation with evening primrose oil (Efamol) in 99 patients with atopic dermatitis were investigated in a double blind, controlled crossover study. Simultaneously, plasma phospholipid essential fatty acid status was determined in 50 of these patients before and after treatment. In a separate study, lymphocyte subsets and mitogen responses were investigated in 15 atopic patients before and after treatment. The conclusion is that evening primrose oil improves atopic dermatitis; an abnormality of the enzyme delta-6-desaturase is proposed to explain the biochemical findings. Finally, it is concluded that the therapeutic effect of evening primrose oil is unlikely to be mediated through a primarily immunological mechanism.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D031665:Oenothera biennis; D010938:Plant Oils; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid
chemical_list: D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D010938:Plant Oils; C028498:evening primrose oil; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid