Maike Willers, Thomas Ulas, Lena Völlger, Thomas Vogl, Anna S Heinemann, Sabine Pirr, Julia Pagel, Beate Fehlhaber, Olga Halle, Jennifer Schöning, Sabine Schreek, Ulrike Löber, Morgan Essex, Peter Hombach, Simon Graspeuntner, Marijana Basic, Andre Bleich, Katja Cloppenborg-Schmidt, Sven Künzel, Danny Jonigk, Jan Rupp, Gesine Hansen, Reinhold Förster, John F Baines, Christoph Härtel, Joachim L Schultze, Sofia K Forslund, Johannes Roth, Dorothee Viemann
BACKGROUND & AIMS: After birth, the immune system matures via interactions with microbes in the gut. The S100 calcium binding proteins S100A8 and S100A9, and their extracellular complex form, S100A8-A9, are found in high amounts in human breast milk. We studied levels of S100A8-A9 in fecal samples (also called fecal calprotectin) from newborns and during infancy, and their effects on development of the intestinal microbiota and mucosal immune system. METHODS: We collected stool samples (n = 517) from full-term (n = 72) and preterm infants (n = 49) at different timepoints over the first year of life (days 1, 3, 10, 30, 90, 180, and 360)...
December 2020: Gastroenterology