title: Comparison of the phospholipid classes in human milk in Japanese mothers of term and preterm infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Phospholipids (PLs) play an essential role in the growth and brain development of infants.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate PL composition in human milk (HM), including lysophosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine (PC) and sphingomyelin (SM), from healthy Japanese mothers. Analyses were performed on colostrum, transitional milk and mature milk from mothers of preterm and term infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  HM samples were collected from mothers of 15 term infants (term group) and of 19 preterm infants (preterm group). PL composition was determined by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography in conjunction with phosphorus analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both groups, the PL content (% of total lipid) of mature milk was significantly lower than in colostrum. SM and PC were the main PLs in HM, but in the preterm group, the percentage of SM in mature milk was significantly higher and PC in mature milk was significantly lower than in the term group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The transition from colostrum to mature milk leads to an increase in SM and a decrease in PC in the HM of preterm infants, along with a decrease in PL content. This is the first report to demonstrate the differences in PL composition in HM between mothers of preterm and term infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. hiromichi.shoji@nifty.ne.jp
authors.forename: Hiromichi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shoji
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Noritsugu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shinohara
authors.forename: Seigo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shiga
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Kyoichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oshida
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Mitsunori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takase
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashiro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D003126:Colostrum / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000378:metabolism*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism*; D047929:Term Birth / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010743:Phospholipids