Osteopontin Levels in Human Milk Are Related to Maternal Nutrition and Infant Health and Growth

Aysegül Aksan,Siddika Songül Yalcin,Gülhan Samur,Jürgen Stein,Izzet Erdal

doi:10.3390/nu13082670

Aysegül Aksan, Siddika Songül Yalcin + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082670

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Abstract

Background: Osteopontin (OPN) is a glycosylated phosphoprotein found in human tissues and body fluids. OPN in breast milk is thought to play a major role in growth and immune system development in early infancy. Here, we investigated maternal factors that may affect concentrations of OPN in breast milk, and the possible associated consequences for the health of neonates. Methods: General characteristics, health status, dietary patterns, and anthropometric measurements of 85 mothers and their babies were recorded antenatally and during postnatal follow-up. Results: The mean concentration of OPN in breast milk was 137.1 ± 56.8 mg/L. Maternal factors including smoking, BMI, birth route, pregnancy weight gain, and energy intake during lactation were associated with OPN levels (p < 0.05). Significant correlations were determined between body weight, length, and head circumference, respectively, and OPN levels after one (r = 0.442, p = < 0.001; r = −0.284, p = < 0.001; r = −0.392, p = < 0.001) and three months (r = 0.501, p = < 0.001; r = −0.450, p = < 0.001; r = −0.498, p = < 0.001) of lactation. A negative relation between fever-related infant hospitalizations from 0–3 months and breast milk OPN levels (r = −0.599, p < 0.001) was identified. Conclusions: OPN concentrations in breast milk differ depending on maternal factors, and these differences can affect the growth and immune system functions of infants. OPN supplementation in infant formula feed may have benefits and should be further investigated.

Highlights

The mean concentration of OPN was determined to be 137.1 ± 56.8 mg/L. This value is consistent with previous studies of human milk. and close to the levels reported by Schack et al To date, only a few studies have focused on the functions of human breast milk OPN, and to our knowledge, this is the first to investigate the relationship between OPN levels in breast milk and maternal factors
Our study suggests that the relationship between smoking and breast milk OPN levels is worthy of further investigation
We found no significant correlation between breast milk OPN levels and the body weight (BW) and length measurements of infants at birth

Summary

Introduction

Breast milk is a unique source of nutrients that is physiologically tailored to meet the changing needs of the infant during the first six or more months of life [1,2,3,4]. Epidemiological studies have shown that breastfed infants are less likely to develop necrotizing enterocolitis, leukemia, and lymphomas, infectious diseases and allergies, or immune-mediated diseases such as asthma, celiac disease, or diabetes, than infants unable to be breastfed for a variety of reasons [6,7,8,9]. The intestinal microbiota of breastfed infants has been shown to differ from that of non-breastfed babies. Infants fed breast milk have been shown to have advantages with regard to cognitive development [11]

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