THE EFFECT OF GAMMA-LINOLENIC ACID ON CLINICAL STATUS, RED-CELL FATTY-ACID COMPOSITION AND MEMBRANE MICROVISCOSITY IN INFANTS WITH ATOPIC-DERMATITIS

A double blind placebo-controlled study of two doses of gamma-linoleni c acid, provided by evening primrose oil (EPO, Epogam((R)), Searle, U. K.), in children with atopic dermatitis was performed: 1) to examine t he effect of gamma-linolenic acid administration on the clinical statu s of children with atopic dermatitis and abnormalities of IgE-mediated immune responses compared to those without such IgE abnormalities; 2) to investigate the effect of gamma-linolenic acid on red cell fatty a cid composition and 3) to assess whether treatment with gamma-linoleni c acid induced changes in red cell membrane microviscosity. A signific ant improvement in the overall severity of the clinical condition was seen in children treated with gamma-linolenic acid, independent of whe ther the children had manifestations of IgE-mediated allergy. Furtherm ore, gamma-linolenic acid treatment increased the percentage content o f n-6 fatty acids in erythrocyte cell membrane; this increase was more marked in the membranes of children treated with high doses of EPO. I n the high dose group a significant increase in dihomogamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) occurred. This may be of particular relevance because of t he potential importance of DGLA as a precursor of antiinflammatory pro stanoids. Red cell membrane microviscosity did not change in any group after treatment with EPO, even in high doses, despite a significant i ncrease in the proportion of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.