title: Serum fatty acids in infants, reflecting family fish consumption, were inversely associated with allergy development but not related to farm residence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study, differences in serum fatty acid patterns between farm and nonfarm infants were investigated and related to subsequent allergy development. We also related allergy-related serum fatty acids to maternal diet and breast milk fatty acids.
  
  
  METHODS
  The FARMFLORA birth cohort included 28 farm and 37 nonfarm infants. Serum was obtained from 21 farm infants and 29 controls at four months post-partum and analysed for phospholipid fatty acids. Allergy was diagnosed by paediatricians at three years of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum fatty acid patterns were similar in farm and control infants, although farm infants had lower 18:1 omega-7 proportions. Serum proportions of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were unrelated to farming status, but lower in children who subsequently developed allergy, with an odds ratio of 0.47 and 95% confidence interval of 0.27-0.83 (p = 0.01) for every 0.1% EPA increase. The infants' serum EPA proportions correlated with breast milk EPA proportions, which, in turn, correlated with maternal oily fish intake during lactation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The allergy-protective effect of farming was not linked to infant serum fatty acid composition. However, healthy infants had higher proportions of EPA in their sera, probably reflecting a family diet rich in fish, compared to subsequently allergic children.
authors.affiliation: Food and Nutrition Science, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jonsson
authors.affiliation: Food and Nutrition Science, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Malin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barman
authors.affiliation: Food and Nutrition Science, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Agneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sjöberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Hilde K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Brekke
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hesselmar
authors.affiliation: Food and Nutrition Science, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ann-Sofie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Sandberg
authors.affiliation: Clinical Bacteriology Section, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Agnes E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Wold
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D000072480:Farms; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D011247:Pregnancy; D017747:Seafood / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids
keywords: Atopy; Eicosapentaenoic acid; Farm children; Fatty acid composition; Serum