Presented at the Neonatal Society Spring Meeting 2019
Authors: T Sproat1,2, J Spegarova1, R Payne1, CJ Stewart1, J Berrington1,2, N Embleton1,2, S Hambleton1,2
Corresponding author e-mail address: T.D.R.Sproat2@ncl.ac.uk
Institution(s)
- Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University
- Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Introduction
Enteral diet in preterm babies is associated with diseases such as necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) and
We aimed to determine the impact of an exclusive human milk diet on gut microbiota and development of T lymphocytes. We hypothesised that there will be an association between diet and mucosal-associated immune cell (MAIT, iNK T, Treg)
Methods
Extremely preterm (<30 weeks gestation) infants were recruited and randomised within 72 hours of age to a dietary intervention until 34w corrected age. All infants received mother’s own milk but were randomised to supplementation with either human (Prolacta Biosciences) or bovine milk products (Nutriprem C&G). Daily stool samples, as well as 500ul
Results
We present preliminary data on 25 lymphocyte profiles from 17 preterm infants (mean; gestational age 27w, birthweight 973g). An average of 186,000 leucocytes
Conclusions
Mass cytometry enables a broader description of immune development and is a valuable tool to characterise immune cell populations in preterm babies. Our data is some of the first to clearly identify circulating mucosal associated T cells in preterm infants, suggesting major differences in the size and composition of this compartment. Further study will enable correlation with clinical, dietary, and microbiome data.
References
- M. A. Mara et al. Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Necrotising Enterocolitis. Seminars in Fetal and Neonatal Medicine 23 (2018) 394–399 a prospective case-control study