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Intestinal SALSA/dmbt1 levels are decreased in prematurely born infants
Martin Parnov Reichhardt1, Marcel Messing1, Sture Andersson2
1Department of Bacteriology and Immunology and Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Insights
Levels of the glycoprotein SALSA, important for infant mucosal immunity, decrease in the first three months of life. Premature infants show lower SALSA levels, impacting early microbiome development.
Area of Science:
- Infant immunology
- Microbiome development
- Mucosal homeostasis
Background:
- The first months of life are critical for infant microbiome and immune system development.
- Mucosal immunological homeostasis and microbiome establishment can be disrupted in premature infants.
- The glycoprotein SALSA is abundant on intestinal surfaces, binding microbes and immune molecules, and plays a role in inflammation and microbial clearance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the changes in fecal SALSA levels during the first three months of life in infants.
- To investigate the impact of prematurity on SALSA levels in early life.
Main Methods:
- Measurement of fecal SALSA levels in infants over the first 90 days of life.
- Comparison of SALSA levels between full-term and prematurely born infants.
Main Results:
- Median fecal SALSA levels in full-term infants decreased from 1100 μg/mL to 450 μg/mL during the first 90 days.
- Prematurely born infants exhibited lower SALSA levels compared to full-term infants during the same period.
Conclusions:
- Prematurity significantly impacts SALSA levels, a key component of the infant intestinal immune system.
- Alterations in early-life SALSA levels may influence the establishment of the infant gut microbiome.
Abstract:
The first months of life represent a crucial time period for an infant. Alongside establishing the early microbiome, the mucosal immunological homeostasis is being developed. Both processes may be perturbed in prematurely born infants. The glycoprotein SALSA plays a role in mucosal inflammation and microbial clearance. It is one of the most abundant molecules on the intestinal mucosal surfaces in early life. SALSA binds to many types of microbes and host defence molecules like IgA, C1q and collectin molecules. We here describe the development in faecal SALSA levels during the first three months of life. During these 90 days, the median SALSA level in full-term babies decreased from 1100 μg/mL (range 49-17 000 μg/mL) to 450 μg/mL (range 33-1000 μg/mL). Lower levels of SALSA were observed in prematurely born infants in the same time period. Our novel observation thus indicates an impact of prematurity on an important component of the infant intestinal immune system. Changes in SALSA in early life may have an effect on the early establishment of the human microbiome.
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