Human Milk and Allergic Diseases: An Unsolved Puzzle

Daniel Munblit; Diego G Peroni; Alba Boix-Amorós; Peter S Hsu; Belinda Van't Land; Melvin C L Gay; Anastasia Kolotilina; Chrysanthi Skevaki; Robert J Boyle; Maria Carmen Collado; Johan Garssen; Donna T Geddes; Ralph Nanan; Carolyn Slupsky; Ganesa Wegienka; Anita L Kozyrskyj; John O Warner

doi:10.3390/nu9080894

Human Milk and Allergic Diseases: An Unsolved Puzzle

Nutrients. 2017 Aug 17;9(8):894. doi: 10.3390/nu9080894.

Authors

Daniel Munblit^{1

2

3}, Diego G Peroni^{4

5}, Alba Boix-Amorós^{6

7}, Peter S Hsu^{8

9}, Belinda Van't Land^{10

11}, Melvin C L Gay^{12

13}, Anastasia Kolotilina¹⁴, Chrysanthi Skevaki^{15

16}, Robert J Boyle^{17

18}, Maria Carmen Collado^{19

20}, Johan Garssen^{21

22}, Donna T Geddes^{23

24}, Ralph Nanan²⁵, Carolyn Slupsky²⁶, Ganesa Wegienka^{27

28

29}, Anita L Kozyrskyj³⁰, John O Warner^{31

32

33}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Paediatrics, Imperial College London, London W2 1NY, UK. [email protected].
² Faculty of Pediatrics, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia. [email protected].
³ The In-FLAME Global Network, an Affiliate of the World Universities Network (WUN), West New York, NJ 07093, USA. [email protected].
⁴ The In-FLAME Global Network, an Affiliate of the World Universities Network (WUN), West New York, NJ 07093, USA. [email protected].
⁵ Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Paediatrics, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy. [email protected].
⁶ The In-FLAME Global Network, an Affiliate of the World Universities Network (WUN), West New York, NJ 07093, USA. [email protected].
⁷ Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, National Research Council (IATA-CSIC), 46980 Valencia, Spain. [email protected].
⁸ The In-FLAME Global Network, an Affiliate of the World Universities Network (WUN), West New York, NJ 07093, USA. [email protected].
⁹ Allergy and Immunology, The Kids Research Institute, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia. [email protected].
¹⁰ Nutricia Research, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands. [email protected].
¹¹ Department of Paediatric Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 EA Utrecht, The Netherlands. [email protected].
¹² The In-FLAME Global Network, an Affiliate of the World Universities Network (WUN), West New York, NJ 07093, USA. [email protected].
¹³ School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia. [email protected].
¹⁴ Faculty of Pediatrics, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia. [email protected].
¹⁵ The In-FLAME Global Network, an Affiliate of the World Universities Network (WUN), West New York, NJ 07093, USA. [email protected].
¹⁶ Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps University Marburg, University Hospital Giessen and Marburg GmbH Baldingerstr, 35043 Marburg, Germany. [email protected].
¹⁷ Department of Paediatrics, Imperial College London, London W2 1NY, UK. [email protected].
¹⁸ The In-FLAME Global Network, an Affiliate of the World Universities Network (WUN), West New York, NJ 07093, USA. [email protected].
¹⁹ The In-FLAME Global Network, an Affiliate of the World Universities Network (WUN), West New York, NJ 07093, USA. [email protected].
²⁰ Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, National Research Council (IATA-CSIC), 46980 Valencia, Spain. [email protected].
²¹ Nutricia Research, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands. [email protected].
²² Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands. [email protected].
²³ The In-FLAME Global Network, an Affiliate of the World Universities Network (WUN), West New York, NJ 07093, USA. [email protected].
²⁴ School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia. [email protected].
²⁵ Charles Perkins Centre Nepean, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2747, Australia. [email protected].
²⁶ Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA 95616-5270, USA. [email protected].
²⁷ The In-FLAME Global Network, an Affiliate of the World Universities Network (WUN), West New York, NJ 07093, USA. [email protected].
²⁸ Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI 48202, USA. [email protected].
²⁹ Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors, Detroit, MI 48202, USA. [email protected].
³⁰ Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada. [email protected].
³¹ Department of Paediatrics, Imperial College London, London W2 1NY, UK. [email protected].
³² The In-FLAME Global Network, an Affiliate of the World Universities Network (WUN), West New York, NJ 07093, USA. [email protected].
³³ National Institute for Health Research, Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care for NW London, London SW10 9NH, UK. [email protected].

Abstract

There is conflicting evidence on the protective role of breastfeeding in relation to the development of allergic sensitisation and allergic disease. Studies vary in methodology and definition of outcomes, which lead to considerable heterogeneity. Human milk composition varies both within and between individuals, which may partially explain conflicting data. It is known that human milk composition is very complex and contains variable levels of immune active molecules, oligosaccharides, metabolites, vitamins and other nutrients and microbial content. Existing evidence suggests that modulation of human breast milk composition has potential for preventing allergic diseases in early life. In this review, we discuss associations between breastfeeding/human milk composition and allergy development.

Keywords: allergic diseases; allergy; breastfeeding; cytokines; human milk; microbiome; oligosaccharides; thymus.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Breast Feeding
Humans
Hypersensitivity / immunology
Hypersensitivity / prevention & control*
Meta-Analysis as Topic
Microbiota
Micronutrients / analysis
Milk, Human / chemistry*
Milk, Human / microbiology
Observational Studies as Topic
Oligosaccharides / analysis
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Substances

Micronutrients
Oligosaccharides