Open trial of supplements of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals in atopic dermatitis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether dietary supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of the omega 3 series (n-3 PUFA: 18:3, n-3; 20:5, n-3; and 22:6, n-3), the omega 6 series (n-6 PUFA: 18:3, n-6), vitamins and minerals have a clinical effect on atopic dermatitis. METHODS: A total of 19 patients aged 17-43 years with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis participated in an open trial of high oral doses of n-3 and n-6 PUFA in dry form (powder) or omega 3,6,9 fatty acid capsules, vitamin E tablets (d-alpha-tocopherol), zinc solution or tablets, and multivitamin capsules daily for 16 weeks. RESULTS: The mean SCORAD improved in 14 of 17 patients by more than 50% after 8 weeks and 16 weeks of treatment (p<0.01 and p<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: The open nature of this trial and the small number of subjects are major limitations of this study. The possible role of dietary omega 3 and 6 fatty acids in the treatment of atopic dermatitis should be tested more extensively in a double-blind trial using high doses of antioxidants combined with PUFA.