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Published on: May 5, 2017
Infant feeding effects on flow cytometric analysis of blood
J D Carver1, B Pimentel, D A Wiener
1Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa 33612-4799.
Insights
Infant diet, whether breast milk or formula, impacts immune cell development. Formula-fed infants show different lymphocyte subset distribution compared to breast-fed infants, suggesting diet influences immune system maturation.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatrics
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Infant immune system development is crucial for long-term health.
- Dietary components significantly influence immune cell differentiation and function.
- Understanding the impact of infant feeding practices on immunity is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of infant diet (breast milk vs. formula) on lymphocyte subset distribution.
- To compare immune cell populations in breast-fed (BF) and formula-fed (FF) infants.
- To analyze differences in mononuclear cell populations between infants and adults.
Main Methods:
- Flow cytometric analysis of mononuclear cells from whole blood samples.
- Comparison of immune cell populations in adults, BF infants, and FF infants.
- Analysis of lymphocyte subsets including CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, and CD16+ cells.
Main Results:
- Infant mononuclear cells showed a higher lymphocyte and lower monocyte percentage than adults.
- Infants had a higher CD4+/CD8+ ratio, more CD19+ (pan B) and CD4+ cells, and fewer CD8+ and CD16+ (natural-killer) cells than adults.
- FF infants exhibited higher CD3+ (pan T) and CD4+ lymphocyte percentages and lower CD19+ lymphocyte percentages compared to BF infants.
Conclusions:
- Infant diet significantly influences lymphocyte subset distribution.
- Formula feeding may lead to distinct immune cell profiles compared to breast milk feeding.
- Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted to confirm these findings on infant immunity and diet.
Abstract:
Flow cytometric analysis was performed on purified mononuclear cells isolated from whole blood samples of 11 adults, 7 breast-fed (BF) infants and 11 formula-fed (FF) infants, mean ages 34.2 +/- 4.3 years, 6.3 +/- 1.3 months, and 6.2 +/- 1.2 months, respectively. Infants were receiving at least 70% of calories from formula or breast milk. Infant mononuclear cell populations contained a higher percentage of lymphocytes and a lower percentage of monocytes compared with adults. Within the lymphocyte population, infants had a higher CD4+/CD8+ ratio (T helper-inducer/T cytotoxic-suppressor), a higher percentage of CD19+ (pan B) and CD4+ cells, and a lower percentage of CD8+ and CD16+ (natural-killer) cells compared with adults. CD3+ (pan T) and CD4+ lymphocyte percentages were higher and CD19+ lymphocyte percentages were lower in FF compared with BF infants. Although sample size is small, our data indicate that diet may influence lymphocyte subset distribution during infancy when the majority of calories is derived from infant formula or human milk.
