title: Decreased cord blood IL-4, IL-13, and CCR4 and increased TGF-beta levels after fish oil supplementation of pregnant women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Altered intakes of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids were suggested to modulate allergic disease, but intervention trials yielded inconclusive results. Because allergies are primed in early infancy and in utero, the fetus might be more accessible to nutritional intervention strategies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to investigate how supplementation of pregnant women with a fish oil (FO) preparation modulates allergy-related immune parameters in mothers and offspring.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Three hundred eleven pregnant women received daily either FO with 0.5 g of docosahexaenoic acid and 0.15 g of eicosapentaenoic acid, 400 mug of methyl-tetra-hydrofolic acid, both, or placebo from the 22nd gestational week. T(H)1/T(H)2-related molecules were quantified in 197 maternal and 195 cord blood samples by using real-time RT-PCR. Data are given as geometric means [95% CIs].
  
  
  RESULTS
  FO supplementation was associated with increased TGF-beta mRNA in maternal (0.85 [0.8-0.89]; placebo: 0.68 [0.64-0.72]) and cord blood (0.85 [0.81-0.9]; placebo: 0.75 [0.71-0.79]). IL-1 (0.69 [0.66-0.73]; placebo: 0.83 [0.79-0.88]) and IFN-gamma (0.54 [0.51-0.57]; placebo: 0.65 [0.61-0.69]) were decreased in mothers only (P < .001). Cord blood mRNA levels of IL-4 (0.54 [0.52-0.57]; placebo: 0.64 [0.61-0.68]), IL-13 (0.61 [0.58-0.65]; placebo: 0.85 [0.80-0.89]), CCR4 (0.70 [0.67-0.73]; placebo: 0.88 [0.84-0.92]; all P < .001), and natural killer (P < .001) and CCR3+CD8+ T cells (P < .04) were decreased in the FO group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Supplementation with FO during pregnancy is associated with decreased mRNA levels of T(H)2-related molecules in the fetus and decreased maternal inflammatory cytokines. We speculate that both effects are mediated by TGF-beta.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Cooperation Group "Pediatric Immune Regulation," Children's Hospital of Ludwig-Maximilians-University and GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Neuherberg, Germany. susanne.krauss-etschmann@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krauss-Etschmann
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hartl
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rzehak
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.forename: Rania
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shadid
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Carmen Ramírez-Tortosa
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campoy
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pardillo
authors.forename: Dolores J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Schendel
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Decsi
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Demmelmair
authors.forename: Berthold V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Koletzko
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood; D054398:Receptors, CCR4 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C515354:CCR4 protein, human; D016207:Cytokines; D005395:Fish Oils; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D018793:Interleukin-13; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D054398:Receptors, CCR4; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D015847:Interleukin-4; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids