Research describing fatty acids as modulators of inflammation and immune responses abounds. Many of these studies have focused on one particular group of fatty acids, omega-3. The data from animal studies have shown that these fatty acids can have powerful anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities in a wide array of diseases (e.g., autoimmunity, arthritis, and infection). However, the evidence from human trials is more equivocal. In this review, a historical framework for understanding how and why fatty acids may affect the immune system is provided. Second, highlights of two recent landmark reports from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality are presented. These reports critically evaluate the evidence from human clinical trials of omega-3 fatty acids and rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and a few other immune-mediated diseases. Third, the data from human clinical trials investigating the impact of various bioactive fatty acids on ex vivo and in vivo immune response are reviewed. Limitations in experimental design and immune assays commonly used are discussed. The discordance between expectation and evidence in this field has been a disappointment. Recommendations for improving both animal-based and human studies are provided.

中文翻译：

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脂肪酸作为免疫反应的调节剂。

大量研究将脂肪酸作为炎症和免疫反应的调节剂。这些研究中的许多都集中于一组特定的脂肪酸，omega-3。来自动物研究的数据表明，这些脂肪酸在多种疾病（例如自身免疫，关节炎和感染）中具有强大的抗炎和免疫调节活性。但是，来自人体试验的证据更加模棱两可。在这篇综述中，提供了一个了解脂肪酸如何以及为什么会影响免疫系统的历史框架。其次，介绍了医疗保健研究与质量局最近发表的两篇具有里程碑意义的报告。这些报告严格评估了人类临床试验中omega-3脂肪酸和类风湿性关节炎，哮喘以及其他几种免疫介导的疾病的证据。第三，综述了来自人类临床试验的数据，这些数据研究了各种生物活性脂肪酸对离体和体内免疫反应的影响。讨论了实验设计和常用免疫分析的局限性。期望与证据在该领域之间的矛盾令人失望。提供了改进基于动物和人类研究的建议。