Maternal polyunsaturated fatty acids and allergic disease development in the offspring

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Maternal polyunsaturated fatty acids and allergic disease development in the offspringTo the Editor, The increasing global prevalence of allergic diseases makes it imperative to identify modifiable risk factors for allergic disease development.Maternal antenatal plasma fatty acid composition has been proposed as a risk factor of infant allergic disease.1,2 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are key components of cell membranes and influence immune cell function by regulating membrane fluidity, intracellular signaling, and gene expression.3 They can be classified into n-3 and n-6 PUFAs, which are linked to production of anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory molecules, respectively.3 The fetoplacental unit lacks the desaturase enzymes required to synthesize long chain PUFAs so that, during pregnancy, the fetus is dependent on transplacental supply of PUFAs from the mother.