Department of Life Sciences, Food and Nutrition Science, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg 412 96, Sweden.
Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 405 30, Sweden.
EBioMedicine. 2024 Mar;101:104999. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.104999. Epub 2024 Feb 9.
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in intestinal contents may influence immune function, while less is known about SCFAs in blood plasma. The aims were to investigate the relation between infants' and maternal plasma SCFAs, as well as SCFAs in mother's milk, and relate SCFA concentrations in infant plasma to subsequent sensitisation and atopic disease.
Infant plasma (N = 148) and corresponding mother's milk and plasma were collected four months postpartum. Nine SCFA (formic, acetic, propionic, isobutyric, butyric, succinic, valeric, isovaleric, and caproic acid) were analysed by UPLC-MS. At 12 months of age, atopic disease was diagnosed by a pediatric allergologist, and sensitisation was measured by skin prick test. All families participated in the Swedish birth cohort NICE (Nutritional impact on Immunological maturation during Childhood in relation to the Environment).
Infants with sensitisation, atopic eczema, or food allergy had significantly lower concentrations of five, three, and two SCFAs, respectively, in plasma at four months. Logistic regressions models showed significant negative associations between formic, succinic, and caproic acid and sensitisation [OR (95% CI) per SD: 0.41 (0.19-0.91); 0.19 (0.05-0.75); 0.25 (0.09-0.66)], and between acetic acid and atopic eczema [0.42 (0.18-0.95)], after adjusting for maternal allergy. Infants' and maternal plasma SCFA concentrations correlated strongly, while milk SCFA concentrations were unrelated to both. Butyric and caproic acid concentrations were enriched around 100-fold, and iso-butyric and valeric acid around 3-5-fold in mother's milk, while other SCFAs were less prevalent in milk than in plasma.
Butyric and caproic acid might be actively transported into breast milk to meet the needs of the infant, although mechanistic studies are needed to confirm this. The negative associations between certain SCFAs on sensitisation and atopic disease adds to prior evidence regarding their immunoregulatory potential.
Swedish Research Council (Nr. 2013-3145, 2019-0137 and 2023-02217 to A-S.S.), Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare FORTE, Nr 2018-00485 to A.W.), The Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association's Research Fund (2020-0020 to A.S.).
肠道内容物中的短链脂肪酸（SCFAs）可能会影响免疫功能，但人们对血浆中的 SCFAs 知之甚少。本研究旨在探讨婴儿和产妇血浆 SCFAs 之间的关系，以及母乳和母亲血浆中的 SCFAs 之间的关系，并将婴儿血浆中的 SCFA 浓度与随后的致敏和特应性疾病相关联。
在产后四个月收集了 148 名婴儿的血浆以及相应的母乳和血浆。采用 UPLC-MS 分析了 9 种 SCFA（甲酸、乙酸、丙酸、异丁酸、丁酸、琥珀酸、戊酸、异戊酸和己酸）。在 12 个月时，由儿科过敏专家诊断特应性疾病，并通过皮肤点刺试验测量致敏情况。所有家庭均参与了瑞典出生队列 NICE（环境对儿童期免疫成熟的营养影响）。
在四个月时，有过敏、特应性皮炎或食物过敏的婴儿的血浆中五种、三种和两种 SCFA 浓度明显降低。逻辑回归模型显示，甲酸、琥珀酸和己酸与致敏呈显著负相关[每标准差的比值比（95%CI）：0.41（0.19-0.91）；0.19（0.05-0.75）；0.25（0.09-0.66）]，而乙酸与特应性皮炎相关[0.42（0.18-0.95）]，经母体过敏调整后。婴儿和产妇血浆 SCFA 浓度之间相关性很强，而母乳 SCFA 浓度与两者均不相关。母乳中丁酸和己酸的浓度富集了约 100 倍，异丁酸和戊酸富集了约 3-5 倍，而其他 SCFA 在母乳中的含量低于血浆。
丁酸和己酸可能被主动转运到母乳中，以满足婴儿的需求，尽管需要进行机制研究来证实这一点。某些 SCFA 与致敏和特应性疾病之间的负相关关系增加了先前关于其免疫调节潜力的证据。
瑞典研究理事会（2013-3145、2019-0137 和 2023-02217 给 A-S.S.）、瑞典健康、工作生活和福利研究理事会 FORTE（2018-00485 给 A.W.）、瑞典哮喘和过敏协会研究基金（2020-0020 给 A.S.）。
