Determination of hyaluronan molecular mass distribution in human breast milk.

ABSTRACT: Hyaluronan (HA) in human milk mediates host responses to microbial infection via TLR4- and CD44-dependent signaling. Signaling by HA is generally size specific. Because pure HA with average molecular mass (M) of 35 kDa can elicit a protective response in intestinal epithelial cells, it has been proposed that human milk HA may have a bioactive low-M component. Here we report the size distribution of HA in human milk samples from 20 unique donors. A new method for HA analysis, employing ion exchange (IEX) chromatography to fractionate HA by size and specific quantification of each size fraction by competitive enzyme-linked sorbent assay (ELSA), was developed. When separated into four fractions, milk HA with M⩽20 kDa, M∼20 to 60 kDa, and M∼60 to 110 kDa comprised averages of 1.5, 1.4, and 2.0

SUBMITTER: Yuan H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4357551 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature