title: Fatty acids, inflammation, and asthma.
abstract: Fatty acids and consequently diet play an essential role in the formation of inflammatory mediators involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. Because intake variations of omega-6 (n-6) and omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids ultimately determine cell membrane incorporation, changes in diet have the potential to modify downstream production of inflammatory mediators derived from these compounds. It has long been hypothesized that decreasing the n-6/n-3 ratio could reduce the production of more proinflammatory mediators while increasing the formation of downstream metabolites that can serve to limit or resolve inflammation. In turn, these changes would result in improved asthma outcomes or would lower the risk for asthma incidence. This review will focus on the role of fatty acid inflammatory and resolving mediators and will summarize the clinical and epidemiologic data on how diet and obesity alter fatty acid profiles that can contribute to asthma.
authors.affiliation: Asthma Institute, UPMC, Department of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa.
authors.forename: Stacy Gelhaus
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Wendell
authors.affiliation: Asthma Institute, UPMC, Department of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa.
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baffi
authors.affiliation: Asthma Institute, UPMC, Department of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa. Electronic address: feh9@pitt.edu.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Holguin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D018836:Inflammation Mediators
keywords: Asthma; diet; fatty acids; inflammation; n-3; n-6; obesity; resolution