Discriminant Carbohydrate Components of Human Milk According to Donor Secretor Types

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Abstract
Because of the variability of human milk carbohydrate composition, we determined the discriminant carbohydrate components of the milk of 18 mothers according to their ABH and Lewis secretor types during the first week of lactation. Comparative chromatograms revealed that the presence of neuraminyloligosaccharides is linked to the ABH secretor groups, and that the absence of oligosaccharides with Lea of Len specificity is linked to the Lewis nonsecretor types. The study of carbohydrate composition according to donor secretor types consisted of measuring 16 variables from 69 samples. Analysis variance showed significant differences between groups; high levels of N-acetylneuraminic acid and low levels of galactose distinguished ABH secretors from nonsecretors (p<0.001). In the ABH secretor groups, A and H secretors had higher N-acetylglucosamine contents than B and AB secretors (p<0.001) and lower galactose levels (p<0.001). The Lewis secretor groups were distinguished by significantly higher fucose levels (p<0.001). The ABH(+)Le(a-b-) group had higher lactose contents than the other groups (p<0.01).