Abstract
Human milk provides a very wide range of nutrients and bioactive components, including immune factors, human milk oligosaccharides, and a commensal microbiota. These factors are essential for interconnected processes including immunity programming and the development of a normal infant gastrointestinal microbiome. Newborn immune protection mostly relies on maternal immune factors provided through milk. However, studies dealing with an in-depth profiling of the different immune compounds present in human milk and with the assessment of their natural variation in healthy women from different populations are scarce. In this context, the objective of this work was the detection and quantification of a wide array of immune compounds, including innate immunity factors (IL1β, IL6, IL12, INFγ, TNFα), acquired immunity factors (IL2, IL4, IL10, IL13, IL17), chemokines (IL8, Groα, MCP1, MIP1β), growth factors [IL5, IL7, epidermal growth factor (EGF), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor, TGFβ2], and immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM), in milk produced by healthy women of different ethnicities living in different geographic, dietary, socioeconomic, and environmental settings. Among the analyzed factors, IgA, IgG, IgM, EGF, TGFβ2, IL7, IL8, Groα, and MIP1β were detected in all or most of the samples collected in each population and, therefore, this specific set of compounds might be considered as the “core” soluble immune factors in milk produced by healthy women worldwide. This approach may help define which immune factors are (or are not) common in milk produced by women living in various conditions, and to identify host, lifestyle, and environmental factors that affect the immunological composition of this complex biological fluid.Clinical Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT02670278.
Highlights
Human milk provides a very wide range of nutrients and bioactive components, including immune factors, human milk oligosaccharides, and a commensal microbiota
The concentrations of the innate immunity factors IL1β, IL6, IL12, and TNFα displayed significant differences across geographical locations, in contrast to those of INFγ, which was relatively consistent across cohorts (Table 3)
Presence and/or concentration of many other immunological compounds vary geographically, which is in agreement with companion study conducted by us that focused on human milk oligosaccharides profiling within the same cohort
Summary
Human milk provides a very wide range of nutrients and bioactive components, including immune factors, human milk oligosaccharides, and a commensal microbiota. The objective of this work was the assessment of a wide spectrum of immunological compounds, including innate immunity factors, acquired immunity factors, chemokines, growth factors, and Ig, in milk produced by healthy women of different ethnicities, living in high-, middle-, and low-income countries and, including very different geographical, dietary, socioeconomic, and environmental settings International cohort studies, such as this, are fundamental in determining if there is a common set of “core” immune factors naturally present in human milk under various physiological conditions. The effects of such fine programming are long-lasting and, breastfeeding has been associated to a significant reduction in the rates of allergic and respiratory diseases during adulthood [12,13,14]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
