HUMAN MILK GLYCANS PROTECT INFANTS AGAINST ENTERIC PATHOGENS

作者：David S. Newburg, Guillermo M. Ruiz‐Palacios, Ardythe Luxion Morrow · 发表于：Annual Review of Nutrition · 年份：2005 · DOI：10.1146/annurev.nutr.25.050304.092553 · 被引用次数：697 · 研究领域：Infant Nutrition and Health、Breastfeeding Practices and Influences、Pediatric health and respiratory diseases

Breastfed infants have lower morbidity and mortality due to diarrhea than those fed artificially. This had been attributed primarily to the secretory antibodies and prebiotic factors in human milk. Oligosaccharides are the third largest component of human milk. They were initially considered to be functionless by-products of glycoprotein and glycolipid synthesis during milk production. However, in the past few decades it has become apparent that the human milk oligosaccharides are composed of thousands of components, at least some of which protect against pathogens. Oligosaccharide protection against infectious agents may result in part from their prebiotic characteristics, but is thought to be primarily due to their inhibition of pathogen binding to host cell ligands. Most human milk oligosaccharides are fucosylated, and their production depends on enzymes encoded by the genes associated with expression of the Lewis blood group system. The expression of specific fucosylated oligosaccharides in milk thus varies in relation to maternal Lewis blood group type, and is significantly associated with the risk of infectious disease in breastfed infants. Specific fucosylated moieties of oligosaccharides and related glycoconjugates (glycans) are able to inhibit binding and disease by specific pathogens. This review presents the argument that specific glycans, especially the oligosaccharides, are the major constituent of an innate immune system of human milk whereby the mother protects...