Human Milk Oligosaccharides and Bacterial Profile Modulate Infant Body Composition during Exclusive Breastfeeding

Abstract

Human milk is a complex and variable ecosystem fundamental to the development of newborns. This study aimed to investigate relationships between human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) and human milk bacterial profiles and infant body composition. Human milk samples (n = 60) were collected at two months postpartum. Infant and maternal body composition was measured with bioimpedance spectroscopy. Human milk bacterial profiles were assessed using full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing and 19 HMOs were quantitated using high-performance liquid chromatography. Relative abundance of human milk bacterial taxa were significantly associated with concentrations of several fucosylated and sialylated HMOs. Individual human milk bacteria and HMO intakes and concentrations were also significantly associated with infant anthropometry, fat-free mass, and adiposity. Furthermore, when data were stratified based on maternal secretor status, some of these relationships differed significantly among infants born to secretor vs non-secretor mothers. In conclusion, in this pilot study the human milk bacterial profile and HMO intakes and concentrations were significantly associated with infant body composition, with associations modified by secretor status. Future research designed to increase the understanding of the mechanisms by which HMO and human milk bacteria modulate infant body composition should include intakes in addition to concentrations.

Human Milk Microbiome and Microbiome-Related Products: Potential Modulators of Infant Growth

“…Currently, only one study has assessed the relationship between the human milk microbiota and infant growth. Cheema et al reported significant associations between the milk microbiome and infant body composition at 3 months of age (n = 60) [ 59 ]. In this study, the relative abundances of Staphylococcus epidermidis , Streptococcus parasanguis , and Streptococcus lactarius were positively associated with infant anthropometry, adiposity, and fat-free mass, and S. epidermidis was negatively associated with infant length.…”

“…Genetically, the HMO profile can be classified into four groups according to the expression of the genes Se and Le, which are responsible for the expression of two enzymes involved in the synthesis of fucosylated HMOs, α1-2-fucosyltransferase (FUT2) (encoded by the Se gene) and α1-3/4-fucosyltransferase (FUT3) (encoded by the Le gene) [ 62 ]. Although the nongenetic factors that influence HMO composition remain largely unknown, some studies have suggested that HMO composition is associated with stage of lactation [ 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 ], maternal diet [ 43 , 70 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 ], and maternal BMI [ 59 , 70 , 73 , 77 , 78 , 79 ].…”

“…Multiple studies, although inconsistent, have identified various associations between individual HMOs and/or HMO diversity and infant growth [ 77 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 ]. Most of the previous studies have measured HMOs using high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) in conjunction with fluorescent derivatisation [ 59 , 77 , 78 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 90 , 91 ], and two have used nano-LC-chip/time-of-flight (TOF)-MS [ 83 , 89 ]. However, differences in study populations and design, including sample time point(s) and reporting styles for infant growth data, make it difficult to identify any consensus between studies, with contradictory associations reported for some HMOs ( Table 1 ).…”

“…Associations between infant anthropometrics and the most abundant HMO, 3′SL (3′ sialyllactose), are widely reported [ 59 , 77 , 78 , 83 , 86 , 87 , 89 , 90 ]. Concentrations of 3′SL have been positively associated with infant weight [ 89 ], length [ 77 ], head circumference [ 77 , 83 ], weight for length [ 88 ], fat mass [ 78 ], and fat-free mass [ 59 , 90 ], except in one study that reported a negative association with infant length [ 88 ]. This discrepancy may be due to the time at which infant anthropometrics were measured (birth to 4 months in one study, and 5 and 9 months in the other) [ 77 , 88 ].…”

Involvement of the Intestinal Microbiota in the Appearance of Multiple Sclerosis: Aloe vera and Citrus bergamia as Potential Candidates for Intestinal Health

“…In healthy adults, the microbiota is primarily composed of five bacterial phyla, Firmicutes (79.4%), Bacteroidetes (16.9%), Actinobacteria (2.5%), Proteobacteria (1%), and Verrucomicrobia (0.1%) [72], and when the gut microbiota has a high diversity and abundance of microbial populations, this condition is known as eubiosis. On the contrary, the state of dysbiosis refers to altered diversity and abundance of the microbiota [73]. A co-metabolism is generated between the microbiota and the host: this relationship is symbiotic and mutually beneficial; the host provides a suitable habitat for the microbiota and nutrients, while the intestinal microbiota supports the development and intestinal maturation of the host [74].…”