Phospholipid fatty acids in cord blood: family history and development of allergy.
The fatty acid composition of umbilical cord serum phospholipids was investigated by gas chromatography in 33 infants with allergic and 35 babies of non-allergic mothers. The relative levels of the linoleic acid metabolites C20:3, arachidonic acid (AA, C20:4) and C22:4n-6, and two alpha-linolenic acid metabolites, i.e. eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6) were significantly higher in infants of allergic mothers than in non-allergic mothers (all p < 0.05). Furthermore, an altered proportional relationship between the various fatty acids in n-6 series fatty acids and between n-3 and n-6 series fatty acids was present already at birth in infants who developed allergic disease during their first 6 years of life. These observations cannot be employed for the prediction of allergy, however, as the individual variations were considerable.
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Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Sweden.
Kjellman
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NI
Björkstén
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B
D000367:Age Factors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000276:immunology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000276:immunology*
D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D010743:Phospholipids