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FUT2-dependent breast milk oligosaccharides and allergy at 2 and 5 years of age in infants with high hereditary allergy risk

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Abstract

Purpose

Manifestation of allergic disease depends on genetic predisposition, diet and commensal microbiota. Genetic polymorphism of mothers determines their breast milk glycan composition. One major determinant is the fucosyltransferase 2 (FUT2, secretor gene) that was shown to be linked to commensal microbiota establishment. We studied whether FUT2-dependent breast milk oligosaccharides are associated with allergic disease in breast-fed infants later in life.

Methods

We analyzed FUT2-dependent oligosaccharides in breast milk samples of mothers (n = 266) from the placebo group of a randomized placebo-controlled trial of prebiotics and probiotics as preventive against allergic disease in infants with high allergy risk (trial registry number: NCT00298337). Using logistic regression models, we studied associations between FUT2-dependent breast milk oligosaccharides and incidence of allergic disease at 2 and 5 years of age.

Results

At 2 years, but not at 5 years of age, we observed a presumed lower incidence (p < 0.1) for IgE-associated eczema manifestation in C-section-born infants who were fed breast milk containing FUT2-dependent oligosaccharides. By logistic regression, we observed a similar relation (p < 0.1) between presence of FUT2-dependent breast milk oligosaccharides and IgE-associated disease and IgE-associated eczema in C-section-born infants only. When testing with the levels of breast milk oligosaccharide 2′-fucosyllactose as proxy for FUT2 activity, we observed significant (p < 0.05) associations in the C-section-born infants with ‘any allergic disease,’ IgE-associated disease, eczema and IgE-associated eczema.

Conclusion

The data indicate that infants born by C-section and having a high hereditary risk for allergies might have a lower risk to manifest IgE-associated eczema at 2 years, but not 5 years of age, when fed breast milk with FUT2-dependent milk oligosaccharides. Further studies with larger cohorts and especially randomized controlled intervention trials are required to build on these preliminary observations.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the study participants and their parents for participation, Dr. Rajat Mukherjee for help with the statistical analysis and Drs. Aristea Binia, Carine Gaelle Blanchard, Chiara Nembrini, and Susan Wernimont for critical discussion and reviewing of the manuscript. The study got financial support from the Nestle Research Center, Nestec S.A., Switzerland.

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Author notes

  1. Hannah Odenwald

    Present address: Nestle Health Sciences, Biopole, 1066, Epalinges, Switzerland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nestlé Research Center, Nestec S.A., Vers-Chez-Les-Blanc, 1000, Lausanne 26, Switzerland

    Norbert Sprenger & Hannah Odenwald

  2. Institute of Nutritional Sciences, University of Giessen, Wilhelmstr. 20, 35392, Giessen, Germany

    Hannah Odenwald & Clemens Kunz

  3. Skin and Allergy Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital, 00029, Helsinki, Finland

    Anna Kaarina Kukkonen

  4. Children’s Hospital, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, 00029, Helsinki, Finland

    Mikael Kuitunen & Erkki Savilahti

Authors
  1. Norbert Sprenger
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  2. Hannah Odenwald
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  3. Anna Kaarina Kukkonen
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  4. Mikael Kuitunen
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  6. Clemens Kunz
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Correspondence to Norbert Sprenger or Clemens Kunz.

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Conflict of interest

NS and HO are employees of Nestec S.A., and CK received a research Grant from Nestec S.A.

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Sprenger, N., Odenwald, H., Kukkonen, A.K. et al. FUT2-dependent breast milk oligosaccharides and allergy at 2 and 5 years of age in infants with high hereditary allergy risk. Eur J Nutr 56, 1293–1301 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1180-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1180-6

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