Pediatric Allergy Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Patras, Rion, Patras, Greece.
Pediatric Endocrine Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Patras, Rion, Patras, Greece.
Eur J Pediatr. 2021 Nov;180(11):3273-3278. doi: 10.1007/s00431-021-04102-2. Epub 2021 May 10.
Zonulin so far is the only known endogenous modulator of intercellular tight junctions which regulate the intestinal permeability. Breastfeeding is considered to enhance the integrity of the gastrointestinal tract; however, limited data are available about the effect of feeding patterns on intestinal permeability. We aimed to investigate the potential association between the mode of feeding (breast versus formula milk) and the serum zonulin levels as a marker of intestinal permeability. One hundred fifty-seven full-term, healthy infants, born after an uncomplicated pregnancy, were enrolled within 72-96 h of life. Blood samples from 105 infants were obtained at 3 to 4 months of life. Serum zonulin levels were measured by ELISA. Out of 105 infants, 52.4% (55) were female, and 58.1% (61) were delivered by caesarian section at a mean gestational age of 38.9 (SD ± 1.0) weeks. At the time of blood sampling, median age was 3.4 (IQR 3.20-3.50) months, and mean weight was 6332 (SD ± 692) gr. Infants were divided in three groups according to the feeding patterns: exclusive breastfeeding (n = 42), mixed feeding (n = 41), and cow's milk formula (n = 22). The feeding pattern had no impact on infants' serum zonulin levels. Moreover, zonulin levels were not affected by infant's clinical and epidemiological characteristics such as body weight or family history of autoimmune disease.Conclusion: In our study, different feeding patterns were not associated with serum zonulin levels in healthy infants at 3-4 months of age. What is Known: • Serum zonulin is upregulated in conditions with increased intestinal permeability • Breast milk favors the physiological decline of the intestinal permeability after birth in the neonates What is New: • Serum zonulin levels were not affected by the feeding pattern (breast milk versus formula) in infants at 3-4 months of age • Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of infants had no impact on zonulin levels.
zonulin 是目前已知的唯一一种能够调节细胞间紧密连接的内源性调节剂，而紧密连接则可以控制肠道通透性。母乳喂养被认为可以增强胃肠道的完整性；然而，关于喂养方式对肠道通透性的影响，目前仅有有限的数据。我们旨在研究喂养方式（母乳喂养与配方奶喂养）与血清 zonulin 水平（肠道通透性的标志物）之间是否存在潜在关联。157 名足月、健康的婴儿在无并发症的妊娠后出生后 72-96 小时内入组。其中 105 名婴儿的血液样本在 3-4 个月大时采集。通过 ELISA 法测量血清 zonulin 水平。在 105 名婴儿中，52.4%（55 名）为女性，58.1%（61 名）为剖宫产，平均胎龄为 38.9（标准差 ± 1.0）周。在采血时，中位年龄为 3.4（IQR 3.20-3.50）个月，平均体重为 6332（标准差 ± 692）克。根据喂养方式，将婴儿分为三组：纯母乳喂养（n = 42）、混合喂养（n = 41）和牛奶奶粉喂养（n = 22）。喂养方式对婴儿血清 zonulin 水平没有影响。此外，婴儿的体重或自身免疫性疾病家族史等临床和流行病学特征也没有影响 zonulin 水平。
在我们的研究中，健康婴儿在 3-4 个月大时，不同的喂养方式与血清 zonulin 水平无关。
血清 zonulin 在肠道通透性增加的情况下会升高
母乳有利于新生儿出生后肠道通透性的生理性下降
在 3-4 个月大的婴儿中，血清 zonulin 水平不受喂养方式（母乳喂养与配方奶喂养）的影响
婴儿的临床和流行病学特征对 zonulin 水平没有影响。
