A new article published in the Scandinavian Journal of Immunology discussed that the first months of life represent a crucial time period for an infant. Alongside establishing the early microbiome, the mucosal immunological homeostasis is being developed. However, both processes may be perturbed in prematurely born infants.

The authors reported that the glycoprotein SALSA plays a role in mucosal inflammation and microbial clearance. It is one of the most abundant molecules on the intestinal mucosal surfaces in early life. SALSA binds to many types of microbes and host defense molecules like IgA, C1q and collectin molecules.

The present article described the development in fecal SALSA levels during the first three months of life. During these 90 days, the median SALSA level in full-term babies decreased from 1100 μg/ml (range 49 - 17000 μg/ml) to 450 μg/ml (range 33 - 1000 μg/ml). furthermore, lower levels of SALSA were observed in prematurely born infants in the same time period.

The observations indicated an impact of prematurity on an important component of the infant intestinal immune system. The article summarized that changes in SALSA in early life may have an effect on the early establishment of the human microbiome.

Source: Scandinavian Journal of Immunology. 2020 Oct 12;e12987. doi: 10.1111/sji.12987.