gamma-linolenic-acid and Food-Hypersensitivity

The genetic setting and immunopathogenesis of patients with ankylosing spondylitis can not be changed by the diet. Therefore, an effective pharmacological therapy always is required. As adjuvant therapy the anti-inflammatory diet can help to reduce inflammatory processes, and to delay flares of the disease. The anti-inflammatory diet is consistent with a balanced diet and prevents infirmity provoked by malnutrition. Ankylosing spondylitis is an autoimmune disease and, as such, nutrients may mimic an antigen and cause flares of the disease and increase disease activity driven by antigen reaction. This nutrient-receptor interaction occurs in the individual patient, necessitating an individual dietary counselling for the patient with ankylosing spondylitis.

Topics: Antioxidants; Arachidonic Acid; Autoimmune Diseases; Cross Reactions; Eicosanoids; Eicosapentaenoic Acid; Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Food Hypersensitivity; gamma-Linolenic Acid; Glutathione Peroxidase; Humans; Nutrition Assessment; Selenium; Spondylitis, Ankylosing; Vitamin E

In 1989 we demonstrated that 71% of children referred to our paediatric dermatology clinic with atopic dermatitis (AD) had been subject to dietary manipulation by their parents in order to manage their disease. We have re-examined our clinic population to determine whether the documented rise in the use of complementary therapy in children with skin disease has been accompanied by a rise in dietary manipulation.. To qualify and quantify the usage of dietary manipulation in children with AD in secondary care.. A face-to-face structured questionnaire study of 100 children with AD.. The mean age of the children interviewed was 7.3 years (median 5.9, range 0.6-17.1) and ethnic origin was 59% white, 35% Indo-Asian, 3% Afro-Caribbean and 3% mixed race. Seventy-five per cent of patients (75 of 100) had tried some form of dietary exclusion; the most common foods omitted were dairy products in 48% (36 of 75), eggs in 27% (20 of 75) and cow's milk in 25% (19 of 75). Forty-one per cent of patients (41 of 100) had tried some form of dietary supplementation. The most common dietary supplement was evening primrose oil in 59% (24 of 41), of whom 13% (three of 24) felt this had helped their skin. Only 51% (38 of 75) had consulted a doctor or dietician before commencing any dietary change, but 39% (29 of 75) felt that their skin had improved as a result of this dietary manipulation.. In comparison with our previous study, the proportion of patients excluding foods from their diet had increased from 71% to 75%. The proportion of these dietary changes that are unsupervised has remained the same, as have the food types avoided. The proportion of patients who report that unsupervised dietary manipulation is beneficial has increased from 10% to 39%.

Topics: Adolescent; Animals; Child; Child, Preschool; Dairy Products; Dermatitis, Atopic; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Eggs; Fatty Acids, Essential; Female; Food Hypersensitivity; gamma-Linolenic Acid; Humans; Infant; Linoleic Acids; Male; Milk; Oenothera biennis; Parents; Plant Oils; Self Care

The increased consumption of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) has been shown to coincide with the increased prevalence of atopic diseases. We aimed to investigate whether maternal diet and atopic status influence the PUFA composition of breast milk and the serum lipid fatty acids of infants.. Maternal diet was assessed by a food questionnaire. The PUFA composition of breast milk obtained at 3 months from 20 allergic and 20 healthy mothers and of their infants' (10 atopic and 10 nonatopic/group of mothers) serum lipids was analyzed.. Although no differences in maternal PUFA intake were observed, the breast milk of allergic mothers contained less gamma-linolenic acid (18:3 n-6) than that of healthy mothers. Similarly, atopic infants had less gamma-linolenic acid in phospholipids than healthy infants, although n-6 PUFA were elevated in other serum lipid fractions in atopic infants. The serum lipid fatty acids in atopic infants did not correlate with those in maternal breast milk.. Our results suggest that dietary n-6 PUFA are not as readily transferred into breast milk or incorporated into serum phospholipids, but may be utilized for other purposes, such as eicosanoid precursors, in allergic/atopic individuals. Subsequently, high dietary proportions of n-6 PUFA, or reduced proportions of regulatory PUFA, such as gamma-linolenic acid and n-3 PUFA, may be a risk factor for the development of atopic disease.

Topics: Cholesterol Esters; Diet; Docosahexaenoic Acids; Fatty Acids; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; Female; Food Hypersensitivity; gamma-Linolenic Acid; Humans; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Infant; Infant Welfare; Male; Maternal Exposure; Maternal Welfare; Milk, Human; Phospholipids; Triglycerides

For the past decades, the prevalence of atopic dermatitis is on the rise. Three phases of the disease are recognized according to the age of the patient, either in the newborn age, in infancy or after puberty. A partial enzymatic defect in delta-6 desaturase has been reported. Such metabolic anomaly would be responsible for the alterations in both the skin barrier function and in the Th2 inflammatory reactions in part mediated through IgE. Some microorganisms colonizing the skin play an important causal role in the clinical exacerbations. The influence of food allergy on atopic dermatitis remains obscure and often unconvincing. By contrast, irritant and allergic challenges from the environment exhibit an undisputable worsening effect. The prevention relies on the eviction of predisposing factors and is favourably influenced by emollients specifically designed for atopic dermatitis. A food supplementation in alpha-linoleic acid and some specific chinese herbal remedies might well be useful. The treatment relies primarily on topical applications of corticoids. Puva-therapy, UVB phototherapy and immunomodulation by cyclosporine are indicated for difficult cases.

Topics: Administration, Topical; Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Allergens; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Child; Child, Preschool; Cyclosporine; Dermatitis, Atopic; Dermatologic Agents; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Emollients; Fatty Acid Desaturases; Food Hypersensitivity; gamma-Linolenic Acid; Glucocorticoids; Humans; Immunoglobulin E; Immunosuppressive Agents; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Irritants; Linoleoyl-CoA Desaturase; Metabolism, Inborn Errors; Prevalence; PUVA Therapy; Skin; Th2 Cells; Ultraviolet Therapy

Topics: Dermatitis, Atopic; Fatty Acids, Essential; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; Food Hypersensitivity; gamma-Linolenic Acid; Humans; Hypolipidemic Agents; Linoleic Acids; Oenothera biennis; Plant Oils