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Breast milk of atopic mothers provides their infants with normal amounts of w‐6‐fatty acids
Author(s) -
Schroten H.,
Schöls K.,
Melnik B.,
VonKries R.,
Wahn V.,
Biggemann B.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
pediatric allergy and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.269
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1399-3038
pISSN - 0905-6157
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3038.1992.tb00038.x
Subject(s) - breast milk , asthma , medicine , arachidonic acid , fatty acid , linoleic acid , atopy , atopic dermatitis , breast feeding , endocrinology , physiology , enzyme , immunology , biochemistry , chemistry , pediatrics
Impaired function of the enzyme δ‐6‐desaturase has been proposed as a pathogenetic factor for atopic disease, especially eczema. Such a defect would lead to an increase in linolic acid and a decrease of its metabolic products (e. g. γ‐linolenic acid and arachidonic acid). If a general defect were present in atopic mothers it would be detectable from the distribution of w‐6‐fatty acids in breast milk. We analysed the fatty acid pattern of breast milk samples of 29 healthy, 23 atopie mothers with allergic rhinitis or allergic bronchial asthma and of 20 mothers with atopic eczema. Fatty acid patterns in the breast milk of atopic mothers with rhinoconjunctivitis or bronchial asthma, non‐atopic mothers and in those with atopic eczema were almost identical with respect to the mean values, 95% confidence intervals of the mean and ranges of the individual values of fatty acids. Additionally, the ratio of linoleic acid/dihomo‐γ‐linolenic acid + arachidonic acid as a measure of δ‐6‐desaturase activity did not differ between the groups. Our results do not confirm an impaired activity of δ‐6‐desaturase in breast milk of atopic mothers. Thus, the biochemical basis and rationale for supplementing lactating atopic mothers with γ‐linolenic acid preparations seem questionable.