TY - JOUR
T1 - PUFA status at birth and allergy-related phenotypes in childhood
T2 - a pooled analysis of the Maastricht Essential Fatty Acid Birth (MEFAB) and RHEA birth cohorts
AU - Stratakis, Nikos
AU - Gielen, Marij
AU - Margetaki, Katerina
AU - de Groot, Renate H. M.
AU - Apostolaki, Maria
AU - Chalkiadaki, Georgia
AU - Vafeiadi, Marina
AU - Leventakou, Vasiliki
AU - Godschalk, Roger W.
AU - Kogevinas, Manolis
AU - Stephanou, Euripides G.
AU - Zeegers, Maurice P.
AU - Chatzi, Leda
PY - 2018/1/28
Y1 - 2018/1/28
N2 - Lower prenatal exposure to n-3 PUFA relative to n-6 PUFA has been hypothesised to influence allergy development, but evidence remains largely inconsistent. In the Dutch Maastricht Essential Fatty Acid Birth (MEFAB) (n 293) and Greek RHEA Mother-Child (n 213) cohorts, we investigated whether cord blood phospholipid PUFA concentrations are associated with symptoms of wheeze, asthma, rhinitis and eczema at the age of 6-7 years. Information on allergy-related phenotypes was collected using validated questionnaires. We estimated relative risks (RR) and 95 % CI for associations of PUFA with child outcomes using multivariable generalised linear regression models. In pooled analyses, higher concentration of the n-3 long-chain EPA and DHA and a higher total n-3:n-6 PUFA ratio were associated with lower risk of current wheeze (RR 0.61; 95 % CI 0.45, 0.82 per sd increase in EPA+DHA and 0.54; 95 % CI 0.39, 0.75 per unit increase in the n-3:n-6 ratio) and reduced asthma risk (RR 0.50; 95 % CI 0.31, 0.79 for EPA+DHA and 0.43; 95 % CI 0.26, 0.70 for the n-3:n-6 ratio). No associations were observed for other allergy-related phenotypes. The results were similar across cohorts. In conclusion, higher EPA and DHA concentrations and a higher n-3:n-6 fatty acid ratio at birth were associated with lower risk of child wheeze and asthma. Our findings suggest that dietary interventions resulting in a marked increase in the n-3:n-6 PUFA ratio, and mainly in n-3 long-chain PUFA intake in late gestation, may reduce the risk of asthma symptoms in mid-childhood.
AB - Lower prenatal exposure to n-3 PUFA relative to n-6 PUFA has been hypothesised to influence allergy development, but evidence remains largely inconsistent. In the Dutch Maastricht Essential Fatty Acid Birth (MEFAB) (n 293) and Greek RHEA Mother-Child (n 213) cohorts, we investigated whether cord blood phospholipid PUFA concentrations are associated with symptoms of wheeze, asthma, rhinitis and eczema at the age of 6-7 years. Information on allergy-related phenotypes was collected using validated questionnaires. We estimated relative risks (RR) and 95 % CI for associations of PUFA with child outcomes using multivariable generalised linear regression models. In pooled analyses, higher concentration of the n-3 long-chain EPA and DHA and a higher total n-3:n-6 PUFA ratio were associated with lower risk of current wheeze (RR 0.61; 95 % CI 0.45, 0.82 per sd increase in EPA+DHA and 0.54; 95 % CI 0.39, 0.75 per unit increase in the n-3:n-6 ratio) and reduced asthma risk (RR 0.50; 95 % CI 0.31, 0.79 for EPA+DHA and 0.43; 95 % CI 0.26, 0.70 for the n-3:n-6 ratio). No associations were observed for other allergy-related phenotypes. The results were similar across cohorts. In conclusion, higher EPA and DHA concentrations and a higher n-3:n-6 fatty acid ratio at birth were associated with lower risk of child wheeze and asthma. Our findings suggest that dietary interventions resulting in a marked increase in the n-3:n-6 PUFA ratio, and mainly in n-3 long-chain PUFA intake in late gestation, may reduce the risk of asthma symptoms in mid-childhood.
KW - PUFA
KW - Cord blood
KW - Asthma
KW - Eczema
KW - Rhinitis
KW - Childhood
KW - UMBILICAL-CORD PLASMA
KW - WORLDWIDE TIME TRENDS
KW - PHASE-III
KW - PREGNANCY
KW - ASTHMA
KW - N-3
KW - ECZEMA
KW - BLOOD
KW - PREVALENCE
KW - SYMPTOMS
U2 - 10.1017/S0007114517003348
DO - 10.1017/S0007114517003348
M3 - Article
C2 - 29359683
SN - 0007-1145
VL - 119
SP - 202
EP - 210
JO - British Journal of Nutrition
JF - British Journal of Nutrition
IS - 2
ER -