Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T16:14:58.720Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Breast milk fatty acids in mothers of children with atopic eczema

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Stephen Wright  and
Colin Bolton
Stephen Wright
Affiliation:
University of Zimbabwe Medical School, Harare, Zimbabwe, and University of Bristol, Bristol
Colin Bolton
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The total lipid fatty acid composition of mature breast milk has been analysed in a group of twenty-five mothers of children with atopic eczema, and compared with breast milk from twenty-two controls. Total lipids were extracted into chloroform–methanol (2:1, v/v) and the methyl esters prepared by alkali-catalysed trans-esterification were separated by gas–liquid chromatography and identified by comparison with standard fatty acid methyl esters. Results show that mothers of children with atopic eczema have a significantly greater proportion of linoleic acid, and a smaller proportion of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid in their total breast milk lipid than the controls. Proportions of total derived fatty acids were similar between groups and there were no differences in the principal saturated and monounsaturated fats. It was concluded that mothers of children with atopic eczema have an abnormal breast-milk fatty acid composition. This supports previous evidence of a defect of conversion of linoleic acid into its long-chain polyunsaturated metabolites in the condition.

Keywords

Breast milkPolyunsaturated fatty acidsAtopic eczema
Type
Tissue Lipids
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 62 , Issue 3 , November 1989 , pp. 693 - 697
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1989

References

REFERENCES

Atherton, D.J. (1983). Breast feeding and atopic eczema. British Medical Journal 287, 775–776.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Biagi, P., Bordoni, A., Masi, M., Ricci, G., Fanelli, C., Patrizi, A. & Ceccolino, E. (1988). A long-term study of the use of evening primrose oil in atopic children. Drugs Under Experimental and Clinical Research 14, 285–290.Google ScholarPubMed
Bitman, J., Wood, D.L., Hamosh, M., Hamosh, P. & Mehta, N.R. (1983). Comparison of the lipid composition of breast milk from mothers of term and pre-term infants. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 38, 300–312.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bordoni, A., Biagi, P., Masi, M., Ricci, G., Fanelli, C., Patrizi, A. & Ceccolini, E. (1988). Evening primrose oil in the treatment of children with atopic eczema. Drugs Under Experimental and Clinical Research 14, 291–297.Google ScholarPubMed
Gibson, R.A. & Kneebone, G.M. (1981). Fatty acid composition of human colostrum and mature breast milk. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 34, 252–257.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hall, B. (1979). Uniformity of human milk. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 32, 304–312.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hanifin, J.M. & Rajka, G. (1980). Diagnostic features of atopic dermatitis. Acta Dermatologica et Venereologica Suppl. 92, 44–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hansen, A.E. (1937). Serum lipids in eczema and other pathologic conditions. American Journal of Diseases of Children 53, 933–946.Google Scholar
Hansen, A.E., Knott, E.M., Wiese, H.F., Shaperman, E. & McQuarrie, I. (1947). Eczema and essential fatty acids. American Journal of Diseases of Children 73, 1–16.Google ScholarPubMed
Harzer, G., Haug, M., Dieterich, I. & Gentner, P.R. (1983). Changing patterns of human milk lipids in the course of lactation and during the day. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 37, 612–621.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Manku, M.S., Horrobin, D.F., Morse, N., Wright, S. & Burton, J.L. (1982). Reduced levels of prostaglandin precursors in the blood of atopic patients: defective delta-6-desaturase function as a biochemical basis for atopy. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Medicine 9, 615–625.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Manku, M.S., Horrobin, D.F., Morse, N., Wright, S. & Burton, J.L. (1984). Essential fatty acids in the plasma phospholipids of patients with atopic eczema. British Journal of Dermatology 110, 643–648.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meigel, W., Dettke, T., Meigel, E.-M. & Lenze, U. (1987). Additive orale Therapie der Atopischen Dermatitis mit ungesättigten Fettsäuren. Zeitschrift für Hautkrankheit 62 Suppl. 1, 100–103.Google Scholar
Mellies, M.J., Ishikawa, T.T., Gartside, P.S., Burton, K., MacGee, J., Allen, K., Steiner, P.M., Brady, D. & Glueck, C.J. (1979). Effects of varying maternal dietary fatty acids in lactating women and their infants. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 32, 299–302.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Metcalfe, L.D., Schmitz, A.A. & Pelka, J.R. (1966). Rapid preparation of fatty acid methyl esters for gas chromatographic analysis. Analytical Chemistry 38, 514–523.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morse, P.F., Horrobin, D.F., Manku, M.S., Stewart, J.C.M., Allen, R., Littlewood, S., Burton, J.L., Wright, S., Gould, D.J., Holt, P.J., Jansen, C.T., Mattila, L., Meigel, D., Dettke, T., Wexler, D., Guenther, L., Bordoni, A. & Patrizi, A. (1989). Meta-analysis of placebo controlled studies of the efficacy of gammalinolenic acid in the treatment of atopic eczema. Relationship between plasma essential fatty acid changes and clinical response. British Journal of Dermatology 121, 75–90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Paul, A.A., Southgate, D.A.T. & Russell, J. (1979). The Composition of Foods. First Supplement: Amino Acids and Fatty Acids, p. 105. London: H. M. Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Read, W.W.C., Lutz, P.G. & Tashjian, A. (1965). Human milk lipids. II. The influence of dietary carbohydrate and fat on the fatty acids of mature milk. A study in four ethnic groups. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 17, 180–184.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rocklin, R.E., Thistle, L., Gallant, L., Manku, M.S. & Horrobin, D.F. (1986). Altered arachidonic acid content in polymorphonuclear and mononuclear cells from patients with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma. Lipids 21, 17–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sanders, T.A.B. & Naismith, D.J. (1979). A comparison of the influence of breast feeding and bottle feeding on the fatty acid composition of the erythrocytes. British Journal of Nutrition 41, 619–623.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Strannegard, I.-L., Svennerholm, L. & Strannegard, O. (1987). Essential fatty acids in serum lecithin of children with atopic dermatitis and in umbilical cord serum of infants with high or low IgE levels. International Archives of Allergy and Applied Immunology 82, 422–423.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wright, S. (1985 a). Essential fatty acids and atopic eczema: a biochemical basis for atopy? Acta Dermatologica et Venereologica 114, Suppl., 143–145.Google ScholarPubMed
Wright, S. (1985 b). Essential fatty acids in the plasma phospholipids of patients with leprosy. British Journal of Dermatology 112, 673–677.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wright, S. (1988). Essential fatty acids and atopic eczema. MD Thesis, Cambridge University.Google Scholar
Wright, S. & Burton, J.L. (1982). Evening primrose oil improves atopic eczema. Lancet ii, 1120–1122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar