Human Milk From Atopic Mothers Has Lower Levels of Short Chain Fatty Acids

Lisa F Stinson; Melvin C L Gay; Petya T Koleva; Merete Eggesbø; Christine C Johnson; Ganesa Wegienka; Elloise du Toit; Naoki Shimojo; Daniel Munblit; Dianne E Campbell; Susan L Prescott; Donna T Geddes; Anita L Kozyrskyj

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2020.01427

Human Milk From Atopic Mothers Has Lower Levels of Short Chain Fatty Acids

Front Immunol. 2020 Jul 21:11:1427. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01427. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Lisa F Stinson^{1

2}, Melvin C L Gay^{1

2}, Petya T Koleva^{2

3}, Merete Eggesbø^{2

4}, Christine C Johnson^{2

5}, Ganesa Wegienka^{2

5}, Elloise du Toit^{2

6}, Naoki Shimojo^{2

7}, Daniel Munblit^{2

8

9}, Dianne E Campbell^{2

10}, Susan L Prescott^{2

11}, Donna T Geddes^{1

2}, Anita L Kozyrskyj^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
² inVIVO Planetary Health of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), West New York, NJ, United States.
³ Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
⁴ Department of Environmental Exposure and Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
⁵ Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, United States.
⁶ Division of Medical Microbiology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
⁷ Department of Pediatrics, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
⁸ Department of Paediatrics and Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Institute of Child Health, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia.
⁹ Inflammation, Repair and Development Section, National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
¹⁰ Department of Allergy and Immunology, Children's Hospital at Westmead, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
¹¹ The ORIGINS Project, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.

Abstract

Short chain fatty acids (SFCAs) are microbial metabolites produced in the gut upon fermentation of dietary fiber. These metabolites interact with the host immune system and can elicit epigenetic effects. There is evidence to suggest that SCFAs may play a role in the developmental programming of immune disorders and obesity, though evidence in humans remains sparse. Here we have quantified human milk (HM) SCFA levels in an international cohort of atopic and non-atopic mothers (n = 109). Our results demonstrate that human milk contains detectable levels of the SCFAs acetate, butyrate, and formate. Samples from atopic mothers had significantly lower concentrations of acetate and butyrate than those of non-atopic mothers. HM SCFA levels in atopic and non-atopic women also varied based on maternal country of residence (Australia, Japan, Norway, South Africa, USA). Reduced exposure to HM SCFA in early life may program atopy or overweight risk in breastfed infants.

Keywords: allergy; atopy; breast milk; human milk; international cohort; short chain fatty acids.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Fatty Acids, Volatile* / immunology
Female
Humans
Hypersensitivity* / immunology
Infant
Milk, Human / chemistry*
Milk, Human / metabolism
Mothers

Substances

Fatty Acids, Volatile

Grants and funding

CIHR/Canada