Dietary fatty acid intake and concentrations in serum and erythrocyte membranes of students with allergic disease

PURPOSE: An attempt was made to utilize accumulated scientific evidence for nutritional guidance concerning dietary fatty acids (FAs) for students with allergic diseases METHODS: A questionnaire survey on dietary fatty acid intake was conducted with 128 women students aged 19-20. In addition to hematological and physical examinations, fatty acid analyses were performed with serum and erythrocyte membrane samples using gas chromatography. Based on the answers to questions about allergic diseases, the subjects were divided into three groups (59 healthy students, 45 with previous experience of allergies, and 24 with allergies). We then investigated the influences of dietary fatty acids and other nutritional components on fatty acid compositions of serum and erythrocyte membranes, and statistically analyzed the results by comparing the three groups. RESULTS: 1) Dietary n-3 (g) intake by all students was lower than the tentative dietary goal in the Dietary Reference Intakes. However, there were no effects of allergic diseases on physical measurements and blood test data. Dietary n-3 (g) was negatively correlated with erythrocyte membrane n-3 (%), and dietary n-3 (%) was positively correlated with the number of acidophils (%). In addition, a positive correlation was found between serum n-3 (%) and dietary S (Saturated fatty acid) (%). 2) For the allergic group, the ratio of erythrocyte membrane M (Monounsaturated fatty asid) (%) to dietary M (%) was high. For the allergic predisposition group (allergic subjects and subjects with past history of allergic disease), a negative correlation was found between erythrocyte membrane M (%) and dietary S (%). CONCLUSION: Dietary n-3 (g) was insufficient in all subjects enrolled in this study, but erythrocyte membrane n-3 (Y%) decreased with increase of dietary n-3 (g). There was a tendency for acidophil number (%) to increase with the dietary n-3 (%). Therefore, it was suggested that if nutritional guidance is to made with attention to increasing dietary S (%), it should be stressed that serum n-3 (%) might become elevated and erythrocyte membrane M (%) depressed, especially in those with a predisposition to allergies.