[Science Update] Associations between HMOs and bacterial profile and their relationships with infant body composition

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General Nutrition Obstetrics / Gynaecology Paediatrics
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This pilot study investigated associations between human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and the predominant bacterial species found in human milk, as well as their relationships with body composition of three-month-old exclusively breastfed infants. Altogether, 60 dyads from the Breastfeeding Longitudinal Observational Study of Mothers and Kids (BLOSOM) in Australia were included in the analysis. Among the 60 mothers, 49 were secretors while 11 were non-secretors.

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Key findings

Bacterial and HMO composition

  • The most abundant operational taxonomic units (OTUs) present in human milk samples: Streptococcus mitis (S. mitis), Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis), Streptococcus salivarius (S. salivarius) and Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes)
  • The most dominant HMOs in human milk samples: 2’-FL, 3-FL, LNT, LNFP-II and DFLNT
  • Secretors had substantially higher levels of 2’-FL, DFLac, LNnT, LNFP-I, LST c and DFLNT, while non-secretors had higher levels of 3-FL, LNT, LNFP-II, LST b, DFLNH and FDSLNH
  • Infants of secretors had significantly higher 24-hour intakes of 2’-FL, DFLac, LNnt, LNFP-I, LST c, DFLNT and LNH, while infants of non-secretors had higher intakes of 3-FL, LST b, LNFP-II, DFLNH and FDSLNH
     

Associations between maternal characteristics and HMO composition

  • Maternal anthropometry and body composition were positively associated with levels of 2’-FL and LNH, but the associations varied depending on maternal secretor status
    • In secretors, adiposity was positively associated with 2’-FL and FLNH levels
    • In non-secretors, adiposity was positively associated with 2’-FL and FLNH levels but negatively associated with 3’-SL
       

Associations between maternal characteristics and infant body composition

  • In secretors
    • Positive associations were observed between maternal fat free mass (FFM) and infant length
  • In non-secretors
    • Negative associations were observed between maternal FFM parameters and infant body composition
       

Associations between HMO concentration and human milk bacterial profile

  • Higher level of FLNH was associated with lower relative abundances of S. epidermidis and S. salivarius
  • Higher levels of LNFP-III, DSLNT, FDSLNH were associated with lower relative abundance of Veillonella nakazawae (V. nakazawae)
  • Higher levels of LNnT and DFLac were associated with higher relative abundances of C. acnes and Gemella haemolysans (G. haemolysans)
  • In secretors
    • The associations between 3’-SL and S. epidermidis were negative
    • The associations between DFLac and V. nakazawae were negative
  • In non-secretors
    • Both positive and negative associations between HMOs and bacterial profile were observed
       

Associations between human milk bacterial profile and infant body composition

  • Regardless of maternal secretor status
    • Higher relative abundances of S. epidermidis, Streptococcus parasanguinis (S. parasanguinis) and Streptococcus lactarius (S. lactarius) were associated with increased infant anthropometry, adiposity and FFM
    • Negative association was observed between S. epidermidis and infant length
  • In secretors
    • No associations observed
  • In non-secretors
    • Negative association was observed between S. mitis and anthropometry
    • Positive association was observed between S. parasanguinis and BMIAZ 
       

Associations between HMO concentration and infant body composition

  • Regardless of maternal secretor status
    • Higher levels of FLNH, LNnT and LNFP-III were negatively associated with infant anthropometry and body composition
    • Higher level of DFLNH was positively associated with infant anthropometry and body composition
  • In secretors
    • Positive association was observed between 3’-SL level and infant FFM
  • In non-secretors
    • DFLNT level was positively associated with infant anthropometry and body composition
    • FLNH level was negatively associated with infant anthropometry and body composition
       

Associations between HMO intake and infant body composition

  • Regardless of maternal secretor status
    • 2’-FL, 3-FL, DFLac, DFLNH, DFLNT and LST b intakes were positively associated with infant body composition
  • In secretors
    • Positive association was observed between 3’-SL intake and infant body composition
  • In non-secretors
    • 6’-SL and FDSLNH intakes were negatively associated with infant body composition
       

Abbreviations
2’-FL = 2’-Fucosyllactose; 3-FL = 3-fucosyllactose; LNT = lacto-N-tetrose; LNFP-II = lacto-N-fucopentaose II; DFLNT = difucosyllacto-N-tetrose; DFLac = difucosyllactose; LNnT = lacto-N-neotetraose; LNFP-I = lacto-N-fucopentaose; LST c = sialyllacto-N-tetraose c; LST b = sialyllacto-N-tetraose b; DFLNH = difucosyllacto-N-tetraose; FDS-LNH = fucodisialylacto-N-hexaose; LNH = lacto-N-nexaose; FLNH = fucosyllacto-N-hexaose; 3’-SL = 3’-sialyllactose; LNFP-III = lacto-N-fucopentaose; DSLNT = disialyllacto-N-tetraose; 6’-SL = 6’-sialyllactose; BMIAZ = BMI-for-age z-scores

Link to the full article:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8911220/pdf/ijms-23-02865.pdf
 

Reference:

Cheema AS et al. Human milk oligosaccharides and bacterial profile modulate infant body composition during exclusive breastfeeding. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(5):2865.
 

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