TABLE 1.
Concentrations of bioactive proteins and abundances of groups of HMOs in Malawian secretors (positive for the functional enzyme encoded by the FUT2 gene) and nonsecretors1
| Variable | Description | Concentration or abundance in secretors (n = 485)2 | Concentration or abundance in non-secretors (n = 162)2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antitrypsin | Protein, g/L | 0.035 (0.026, 0.044) | 0.034 (0.026, 0.044) |
| IgA | Protein, g/L | 0.32 (0.25, 0.39) | 0.33 (0.26, 0.43) |
| Lactalbumin3 | Protein, g/L | 1.30 (1.18, 1.50) | 1.34 (1.19, 1.49) |
| Lactoferrin4 | Protein, g/L | 0.98 (0.75, 1.25) | 0.95 (0.71, 1.16) |
| Lysozyme | Protein, g/L | 0.05 (0.03, 0.07) | 0.05 (0.03, 0.08) |
| Osteopontin5 | Protein (ion counts) | 73,555 (18,047,102,778) | 69,377 (21,147,103,241) |
| Total HMO* | Absolute abundance of all HMOs (ion counts) | 0.70 (0.58, 0.83) | 0.57 (0.46, 0.67) |
| Fucosylated HMO* | Relative abundance of fucosylated HMOs, % | 64 (59, 68) | 57 (44, 63) |
| Sialylated HMO* | Relative abundance of sialylated HMOs, % | 11 (9, 13) | 15 (13, 17) |
| HMO with α1-2-linked fucose* | Relative abundance of HMOs with α1-2-linked fucose | 21 (17, 26) | 1.5 (1.0, 2.0) |
| Fucosylated and sialylated HMO* | Relative abundance of HMOs that are both fucosylated and sialylated, % | 3.5 (2.2, 4.8) | 4.8 (3.3, 6.8) |
| Undecorated HMO* | Relative abundance of nonfucosylated neutral (undecorated) HMOs, % | 28 (24, 34) | 34 (27, 45) |
1The analyses among bioactive proteins and groups of total HMOs, fucosylated HMOs, and sialylated HMOs were considered primary analyses. Analyses among the groups of HMOs that were both fucosylated and sialylated and the nonfucosylated neutral (undecorated) HMOs were considered exploratory. *Median values differed between secretors and nonsecretors. CRP, C-reactive protein; FUT2, fucosyltransferase 2; HMO, human milk oligosaccharide.
2Values are median (25th, 75th percentile).
3There were interactions between lactalbumin and secretor status for longitudinal prevalence of diarrhea and incidence of any illness from 6 to 7 mo.
4There were interactions between lactoferrin and secretor status for longitudinal prevalence of lost appetite and incidence of fever and lost appetite from 6 to 12 mo, and elevated CRP at 18 mo.
5There were interactions between osteopontin and secretor status for incidence and longitudinal prevalence of lost appetite from 6 to 12 mo.