FACTORS AFFECTING THE REQITrJEMEXT 803 



deficiency in the dog were similar to those produced by fat-free diets in 

 other species. It has been suggested that dietary fat may supply a factor 

 necessar\^ for the maturation of epithelial, sebaceous, and sudoriparous 

 cells. The fat-deficiency symptoms in the dog were found to respond 

 quickly to a diet containing fresh lard to the extent of 29% of the total 

 calories. ^--•'-■'' 



There is less absolute proof that the EFA are required by man than is 

 the case for other species, v. Order'-* and Hansen'-^ reported that a 

 characteristic eczema develops in infants on a fat-low diet which rapidly 

 responds when fat is added to the restricted regimen. Although neither 

 Taub and Zakon'-^ nor Ginsberg et al.^^ were able to confirm the above 

 results on infants, it is possible that the latter workers may have been 

 dealing with a non-specific type of skin disorder. 



Faber and Roberts, ^-^ and Cornbleet and Pace ^-^correlated the appear- 

 ance of eczematous symptoms in adult subjects with the reduction in the 

 level of unsaturated fatty acids in the blood, and especially with that of 

 linoleate and arachidonate. Finnerud et al.^^" found that, when the skin 

 condition was relieved by the administration of lard, the improved clinical 

 condition was reflected by an increased plasma linoleate, although the 

 plasma arachidonate was not necessarily augmented. Bro^^^l and Hansen ' ^ ' 

 reported the following average values for linoleate in per cent of total acids 

 in young and in adult eczematous patients, respectively: young patients, 

 4.80% and 3.20%; adult patients, 5.20% and 4.20%. The mean blood 

 arachidonate of these groups also was lower in eczema, being as follows: 

 young patients, 2.83% and 1.34%; adult patients, 2.90% and 1.60%. In 

 a comprehensive study of the polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in the blood 

 of ninety-three well-nourished infants and children, Wiese and her co- 

 workers'-^- observed a slightly lower ^'alue for dienoic and tetraenoic acids 

 in the infants than in children two to fifteen years of age. When 3% of the 

 total calories were ingested in the form of linoleate, 30.3%, 1.5% and 10.2% 



1" A. E. Hansen and H. F. Wiese, Texas Repts. Biol. Med., 9, 491-515 (1951). 



124 F. von Groer, Biochem. Z., 97, 311-329 (1919). 



125 A. E. Hansen, At7i. J. Diseases Children, 53, 933-946 (1937). 



126 S. J. Taub and S. J. Zakon, /. Am. Med. Asso^., 105, 1675 (1935). 



12' J. E. Ginsberg, C. Bernstein, Jr., and L. V. lob, Arch. Dermatol. St/philol, 36, 

 1033-1038(1937). 



128 H. K. Faber and D. B. Roberts, J. Pediat., 6, 490-493 (1935). 



129 T. Cornbleet and E. R. Pace, Arch. Dermatol. SyphiloL, 31, 224-226 (1935). 



I*' C. W. Finnenid, R. L. Kesler, and H. F. Wiese, Arch. Dermatol. SyphiloL, 44, 

 849-861(1941). 



1" W. R. Brown and A. E. Hansen, Proc. Soc. Exptl. Biol. Med., 36, 113-117 (1937). 

 132 H. F. Wiese, R. H. Gibbs, and A. E. Hansen, J. Nutrition, 52, 355-365 (1954). 



