Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T12:55:44.406Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Infant gut immunity: a preliminary study of IgA associations with breastfeeding

Part of: The Gut Microbiome: How it is Shaped by Early Life

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 December 2015

S. L. Bridgman ,
T. Konya ,
M. B. Azad ,
M. R. Sears ,
A. B. Becker ,
S. E. Turvey ,
P. J. Mandhane ,
P. Subbarao ,
J. A. Scott  and
C. J. Field
...Show all authors
S. L. Bridgman*
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
T. Konya
Affiliation:
Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
M. B. Azad
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
M. R. Sears
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, de Groote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
A. B. Becker
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
S. E. Turvey
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Child & Family Research Institute and BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
P. J. Mandhane
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
P. Subbarao
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
J. A. Scott
Affiliation:
Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
C. J. Field
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
A. L. Kozyrskyj
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
CHILD Study Investigators
Affiliation:
Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development Study
*
*Address for correspondence: S. Bridgman, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, 3-529 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405–87th Avenue, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G IC9. (Email sarah.bridgman@ualberta.ca)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) plays a critical role in gut mucosal immune defense. Initially provided by breastmilk, IgA production by the infant gut is gradually stimulated by developing gut microbiota. This study reports associations between infant fecal IgA concentrations 4 months after birth, breastfeeding status and other pre/postnatal exposures in 47 infants in the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development cohort. Breastfed infants and first-born infants had higher median fecal IgA concentrations (23.11 v. 9.34 µg/g protein, P<0.01 and 22.19 v. 8.23 µg/g protein, P=0.04). IgA levels increased successively with exclusivity of breastfeeding (β-coefficient, 0.37, P<0.05). This statistical association was independent of maternal parity and household pets. In the absence of breastfeeding, female sex and pet exposure elevated fecal IgA to levels found in breastfed infants. In addition to breastfeeding, infant fecal IgA associations with pre/postnatal exposures may affect gut immunity and risk of allergic disease.

Keywords

breastfeedingimmunoglobulin A, parity, pets
Type
Brief Report
Information
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease , Volume 7 , Supplement 1: Themed Issue: The Gut Microbiome and Immunity: How it is Shaped by Early Life , February 2016 , pp. 68 - 72
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press and the International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Brandtzaeg, P. Secretory IgA: designed for anti-microbial defense. Front Immunol. 2013; 4, 222.Google Scholar
2. Koutras, AK, Vigorita, VJ. Fecal secretory immunoglobulin A in breast milk versus formula feeding in early infancy. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 1989; 9, 58–61.Google Scholar
3. Maruyama, K, Hida, M, Kohgo, T, Fukunaga, Y. Changes in salivary and fecal secretory IgA in infants under different feeding regimens. Pediatr Int. 2009; 51, 342–345.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4. Battersby, AJ, Gibbons, DL. The gut mucosal immune system in the neonatal period. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2013; 24, 414–421.Google Scholar
5. Kawano, A, Emori, Y. Changes in maternal secretory immunoglobulin A levels in human milk during 12 weeks after parturition. Am J Hum Biol. 2013; 25, 399–403.Google Scholar
6. McGuire, MK, McGuire, MA. Human milk: mother nature’s prototypical probiotic food? Adv Nutr. 2015; 6, 112–123.Google Scholar
7. Kaetzel, CS. Cooperativity among secretory IgA, the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor, and the gut microbiota promotes host-microbial mutualism. Immunol Lett. 2014; 162(Pt A), 10–21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8. Mathias, A, Pais, B, Favre, L, Benyacoub, J, Corthesy, B. Role of secretory IgA in the mucosal sensing of commensal bacteria. Gut Microbes. 2014; 5, 688–695.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9. Kato, LM, Kawamoto, S, Maruya, M, Fagarasan, S. Gut TFH and IgA: key players for regulation of bacterial communities and immune homeostasis. Immunol Cell Biol. 2014; 92, 49–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10. Kukkonen, K, Kuitunen, M, Haahtela, T, et al. High intestinal IgA associates with reduced risk of IgE-associated allergic diseases. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2010; 21(Pt 1), 67–73.Google Scholar
11. Orivuori, L, Loss, G, Roduit, C, et al. Soluble immunoglobulin A in breast milk is inversely associated with atopic dermatitis at early age: the PASTURE cohort study. Clin Exp Allergy. 2014; 44, 102–112.Google Scholar
12. Sandin, A, Bjorksten, B, Bottcher, MF, et al. High salivary secretory IgA antibody levels are associated with less late-onset wheezing in IgE-sensitized infants. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2011; 22, 477–481.Google Scholar
13. Subbarao, P, Anand, SS, Becker, AB, et al. The Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) study: examining developmental origins of allergy and asthma. Thorax. 2015; 70, 998–1000.Google Scholar
14. Ballard, O, Morrow, AL. Human milk composition: nutrients and bioactive factors. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2013; 60, 49–74.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15. Urwin, HJ, Zhang, J, Gao, Y, et al. Immune factors and fatty acid composition in human milk from river/lake, coastal and inland regions of China. Br J Nutr. 2013; 109, 1949–1961.Google Scholar
16. Kohler, H, Donarski, S, Stocks, B, et al. Antibacterial characteristics in the feces of breast-fed and formula-fed infants during the first year of life. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2002; 34, 188–193.Google ScholarPubMed
17. Bachour, P, Yafawi, R, Jaber, F, Choueiri, E, Abdel-Razzak, Z. Effects of smoking, mother’s age, body mass index, and parity number on lipid, protein, and secretory immunoglobulin A concentrations of human milk. Breastfeed Med. 2012; 7, 179–188.Google Scholar
18. Bezirtzoglou, E, Tsiotsias, A, Welling, GW. Microbiota profile in feces of breast- and formula-fed newborns by using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Anaerobe. 2011; 17, 478–482.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19. Penders, J, Thijs, C, Vink, C, et al. Factors influencing the composition of the intestinal microbiota in early infancy. Pediatrics. 2006; 118, 511–521.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20. Penders, J, Vink, C, Driessen, C, et al. Quantification of Bifidobacterium spp., Escherichia coli and Clostridium difficile in faecal samples of breast-fed and formula-fed infants by real-time PCR. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2005; 243, 141–147.Google Scholar
21. Levast, B, Berri, M, Wilson, HL, Meurens, F, Salmon, H. Development of gut immunoglobulin A production in piglet in response to innate and environmental factors. Dev Comp Immunol. 2014; 44, 235–244.Google Scholar
22. Penders, J, Gerhold, K, Stobberingh, EE, et al. Establishment of the intestinal microbiota and its role for atopic dermatitis in early childhood. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013; 132, 601–607.Google Scholar
23. Sandman, CA, Glynn, LM, Davis, EP. Is there a viability-vulnerability tradeoff? Sex differences in fetal programming. J Psychosom Res. 2013; 75, 327–335.Google Scholar
24. Kozyrskyj, AL, Kalu, R, Koleva, PT, Bridgman, SL. Fetal programming of overweight through the microbiome: boys are disproportionately affected. J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2015; 29, 1–10.Google Scholar
25. Azad, MB, Konya, T, Maughan, H, et al. Infant gut microbiota and the hygiene hypothesis of allergic disease: impact of household pets and siblings on microbiota composition and diversity. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2013; 9, 15.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Bridgman Supplementary Material

Figure S1

Download Bridgman Supplementary Material(File)
File 66.9 KB
Supplementary material: File

Bridgman Supplementary Material

Figure S2

Download Bridgman Supplementary Material(File)
File 70.2 KB
Supplementary material: File

Bridgman Supplementary Material

Figure S3

Download Bridgman Supplementary Material(File)
File 110.9 KB