Phospholipid fatty acids in cord blood: family history and development of allergy

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Abstract
The fatty acid composition of umbilical cord serum phospholipids was investigated by gas chromatography in 33 infants with allergic and 35 babies of non‐allergic mothers. The relative levels of the linoleic acid metabolites C20:3, arachidonic acid (AA, C20:4) and C22:4n‐6, and two α‐linolenic acid metabolites, i.e. eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6) were significantly higher in infants of allergic mothers than in non‐allergic mothers (all p < 0.05). Furthermore, an altered proportional relationship between the various fatty acids in n‐6 series fatty acids and between n‐3 and n‐6 series fatty acids was present already at birth in infants who developed allergic disease during their first 6 years of life. These observations cannot be employed for the prediction of allergy, however, as the individual variations were considerable.

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