Dietary fat, prostaglandins and the immune response

Events leading to the interest in dietary fat and immunity are summarized. This is followed by an account of the possible functions of prostaglandins and other eicosanoids in the immune response. Dietary studies on the influence of quantity and quality of fat on immune responses and the histopathology of lymphoid organs are critically reviewed. The next section deals primarily with work conducted in the authors' laboratories on essential fatty acid deficiency and the immune response and on the effects of varying the ratio of dietary linoleic to linolenic acids on prostaglandin synthesis by immunocompetent cells and immune functions. A brief account of a study on the influence of dietary fat on leukotriene synthesis follows. Finally the problems encountered in research on dietary fat and immunity are discussed and recommendations for design and execution of such studies are given.