LYSOZYMES IN FECES FROM INFANTS AND CHILDREN

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Abstract
Haneberg, B. and Finne, P. (Department of Pediatrics and the Broegelmann Research Laboratory for Microbiology, The University of Bergen, School of Medicine, Bergen, Norway). Lysozymes in feces from infants and children. Acta Paediatr Scand, 63: 588, 1974.—An agar diffusion technique seemed useful for the assay of lysozyme activity in serum, milk, and extracts of freeze‐dried feces. Normal levels of this activity were established before the method was applied to extracts of feces from premature infants, receiving either human milk, with lysoyme activity of its own, or cow's milk with or without added albumen lysozyme. Results of these investigations, in addition to immunologic studies, using antisera to human and albumen lysozymes, indicated that human milk lysozyme and albumen lysozyme in cow's milk formula may pass through the infants' intestinal tract. Albumen lysozyme, however, will most often be inactivated before being excreted with feces. Low fecal pH was found in those receiving albumen lysozyme as well as in those receiving human lysozyme. This may reflect the intestinal activity of the lysozymes. Low intestinal pH, brought about by lactulose in the cow's milk feed, did not in itself lead to increased lysozyme activity. At present, no advantage of adding albumen lysozyme to cow's milk formula has been substantiated.

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