title: Effect of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on inflammatory cytokine levels in infants at high genetic risk for type 1 diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results from the inflammatory destruction of pancreatic β-cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation on stimulated inflammatory cytokine production in white blood cells (WBC) from infants with a high genetic risk for T1D.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a multicenter, two-arm, randomized, double-blind pilot trial of DHA supplementation, beginning either in the last trimester of pregnancy (41 infants) or in the first 5 months after birth (57 infants). Levels of DHA in infant and maternal red blood cell (RBC) membranes and in breast milk were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Inflammatory cytokines were assayed from whole blood culture supernatants using the Luminex multiplex assay after stimulation with high dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS), 1 µg/mL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of RBC DHA were increased by 61-100% in treated compared to control infants at ages 6-36 months. There were no statistically significant reductions in production of the inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β, TNFα, or IL-12p40 at any of the six timepoints measured. The inflammatory marker, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), was significantly lower in breast-fed DHA-treated infants compared to all formula-fed infants at the age of 12 months. Three infants (two received DHA) were removed from the study as a result of developing ≥two persistently positive biochemical islet autoantibodies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot trial showed that supplementation of infant diets with DHA is safe and fulfilled the pre-study goal of increasing infant RBC DHA levels by at least 20%. Inflammatory cytokine production was not consistently reduced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors.forename: H Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Chase
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boulware
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Donaldson
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chritton
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rafkin-Mervis
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krischer
authors.forename: Jay S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Skyler
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clare-Salzler
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D016207:Cytokines; D014807:Vitamin D; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: breast milk DHA; cytokines; docosahexaenoic acid (DHA); red blood cell DHA; type 1 diabetes