Adiponectin, Adipocyte Fatty Acid Binding Protein, and Epidermal Fatty Acid Binding Protein: Proteins Newly Identified in Human Breast Milk

• DOI: 10.1373/clinchem.2005.063032
• Publication Date: 2006-07-28T00:54:28Z
• Authors: Jiří Bronský; Michal Karpíšek; Eva Bronská; Marta Pechová; Barbora Jančíková; Hana Kotolová; David Stejskal; Richard Průša; Jiří Nevoral
• Keywords: Leptin; Male; 2. Zero hunger; 0301 basic medicine; Milk, Human; Body Weight; Infant, Newborn; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; Body Mass Index; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Sex Factors; Pregnancy; Adipocytes; Birth Weight; Humans; Female; Adiponectin; Epidermis

AbstractBackground: Breastfeeding may protect children from developing metabolic syndrome and other diseases later in life. We investigated novel proteins in human breast milk that might play a role in this process.Methods: We used ELISA to measure adiponectin, adipocyte and epidermal fatty acid binding proteins (AFABP, EFABP), and leptin concentrations in human breast milk obtained from 59 mothers 48 h after initiation of lactation. Using a questionnaire and medical records, we collected information about the mothers and newborns.Results: Mean (SE) adiponectin concentrations in breast milk were 13.7 (0.8), range 3.9–30.4 μg/L; AFABP concentrations 26.7 (4.4), range 1.2–137.0 μg/L; EFABP concentrations 18.1 (1.4), range 0.8–47.0 μg/L; and leptin concentrations 0.50 (0.05), range 0–1.37 μg/L. We found a significant correlation between AFABP and EFABP concentrations (r = 0.593, P <0.0001). Maternal EFABP concentrations were significantly higher in mothers who delivered boys than in those who delivered girls [21.7 (2.3) vs 15.4 (1.7) μg/L, P = 0.028] and correlated with newborn birth weight (r = 0.266, P = 0.045). Maternal leptin correlated with body weight before pregnancy (r = 0.272, P = 0.043) and at delivery (r = 0.370, P = 0.005), body mass index before pregnancy (r = 0.397, P = 0.003) and at delivery (r = 0.498, P <0.0001), body weight gain during pregnancy (r = 0.267, P = 0.047), and newborn gestational age (r = 0.266, P = 0.048). Leptin was significantly lower in mothers who delivered preterm vs term babies [0.30 (0.09) vs 0.60 (0.05) ug/L, P = 0.026].Conclusions: Concentrations of adiponectin, AFABP, and EFABP in human breast milk are related to nutritional variables of mothers and newborns and thus may play a role in the protective effects of breastfeeding.