Is there a role for fatty acids in early life programming of the immune system?

Abstract

There may be a causal relationship betweenn-6 PUFA intake and allergic disease and there are biologically plausible mechanisms, involving eicosanoid mediators of then-6 PUFA arachidonic acid, that could explain this. There is some evidence that high linoleic acid intake is linked with increased risk of atopic sensitisation and allergic manifestations. Fish and fish oils are sources of long-chainn-3 PUFA and these fatty acids act to oppose the actions ofn-6 PUFA. It is considered thatn-3 PUFA will protect against atopic sensitisation and against the clinical manifestations of atopy. All five epidemiological studies investigating the effect of maternal fish intake during pregnancy on atopic or allergic outcomes in infants/children of those pregnancies concluded protective associations. Epidemiological studies investigating the effects of fish intake during infancy and childhood on atopic outcomes in those infants or children are inconsistent, although the majority of the studies (9/14) showed a protective effect of fish. Fish oil provision to pregnant women is associated with immunologic changes in cord blood. Provision of fish oil during pregnancy may reduce sensitisation to common food allergens and reduce the prevalence and severity of atopic dermatitis in the first year of life. This effect may persist until adolescence with a reduction in prevalence and/or severity of eczema, hayfever and asthma. Fish oil supplementation in infancy may decrease the risk of developing some manifestations of allergic disease, but whether this benefit persists as other factors come into play remains to be determined.

Maternal fish consumption during pregnancy and risks of wheezing and eczema in childhood: The Generation R Study

“…4,6 In our study, we did not observe consistent associations of maternal fish consumption during pregnancy with the risks of childhood wheezing. Furthermore, we observed no associations of maternal total-or lean fish consumption during pregnancy with risks of eczema in the offspring.…”

“…[1][2][3] Suboptimal maternal diet during pregnancy is one of these exposures, which might lead to fetal lung development adaptations and to fetal immune system programming. [3][4][5] Previous studies investigating maternal diet during pregnancy in relation with childhood asthmatic and atopic diseases mainly focused on vitamins, allergenic foods and fish consumption. 5 Fish, in particular fatty fish, contains anti-inflammatory n-3 PUFAs, which regulate immune responses and might be protective against atopic diseases and asthma.…”

“…5 Fish, in particular fatty fish, contains anti-inflammatory n-3 PUFAs, which regulate immune responses and might be protective against atopic diseases and asthma. 4,6 On the other hand, contaminants of fish might counterbalance the protective effects of n-3 PUFAs when fish consumption is low. 7 Many observational and interventional studies, explored the associations of maternal fish consumption or fish oil supplementation during pregnancy with the risks of childhood asthma and atopy.…”

Fatty Acids as Biocompounds: Their Role in Human Metabolism, Health and Disease - A Review. Part 2: Fatty Acid Physiological Roles and Applications in Human Health and Disease

“…It has been shown that LC n-3 PUFA status in maternal blood and umbilical cord blood is lower in mothers of allergic (atopic) children 115,116 . It is now considered that supply of EPA and DHA to the fetus might be important in promoting appropriate immune development 117,118 . With regard to the latter, there is some evidence that early fish and LC n-3 PUFA exposure protects against immune dysfunctions like sensitisation to allergens (atopy), allergy and asthma in infancy and childhood 119 .…”

Does maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation affect outcomes in offspring? A systematic review of food-based approaches

“…Why children are becoming increasingly sensitized to environmental allergens is a matter of debate. Several factors may be involved, including whether the child is breastfed from birth [12], the anti-oxidant status of the individual [13], the balance of n-6 to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the diet [14] and environmental influences such as microbial exposure, cigarette smoke and other pollutants [15].…”