Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40338935›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Cytokines and appetite-regulating hormones in human milk and associations with infant growth across four sites in a longitudinal cohort: The Mothers, Infants and Lactation Quality Study.

Sophie Hilario Christensen, Jack Ivor Lewis, Hanne Frøkiær, Peter Riber Johnsen, Janet M Peerson, Xiuping Tan, Setareh Shahab-Ferdows, Daniela Hampel, Munirul Islam, Gilberto Kac and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Sophie Hilario ChristensenDepartment of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9592-0376
Jack Ivor LewisDepartment of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Hanne FrøkiærDepartment of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Peter Riber JohnsenDepartment of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1800-2699
Janet M PeersonWestern Human Nutrition Research Center, ARS, USDA, Davis, California, United States of America.
Xiuping TanDepartment of Nutrition, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0198-864X
Setareh Shahab-FerdowsWestern Human Nutrition Research Center, ARS, USDA, Davis, California, United States of America.
Daniela HampelWestern Human Nutrition Research Center, ARS, USDA, Davis, California, United States of America.
Munirul IslamThe International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Gilberto KacThe Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Daniela de Barros MucciDepartment of Basic and Experimental Nutrition, Nutrition Institute, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0467-2109
Amanda C Cunha FigueiredoThe Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Sophie E MooreMedical Research Council Unit (MRC) The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1650-3238
Christian MølgaardDepartment of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Lindsay H AllenWestern Human Nutrition Research Center, ARS, USDA, Davis, California, United States of America.
Kim F MichaelsenDepartment of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionIn resource-poor settings, mother-infant dyads are commonly exposed to environmental factors increasing the risk of infectious diseases and possibly influencing the cytokine profile of human milk (HM). Hormones in HM have been proposed to influence appetite-regulation and possibly growth in exclusively breastfed infants.

objectiveTo compare cytokines and appetite-regulating hormone (ARH) concentrations in HM of mothers from four contrasting populations and investigate associations with infant growth.

methodHM samples from 825 mothers participating in the Mothers, Infants and Lactation Quality Study from Bangladesh (BD), Brazil (BR), Denmark (DK) and The Gambia (GM) were collected between 1-3.5 months postpartum and analysed for tumour-necrosis factor-α, interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-33, and insulin, leptin and adiponectin. Infant growth was measured twice between 1-5.99 months postpartum. Analysis of covariance was used to compare geometric means of HM markers between the four sites and associations between HM markers and infant growth were investigated using linear regression analysis.

resultsDifferences in geometric means of all HM cytokines and ARHs were found among the four study sites after adjustment for possible explanatory variables. Lowest levels of most HM cytokines were found in BD, whereas highest levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-33 were found in DK. In GM, cytokines and ARHs were inversely associated with weight-for-age and weight-for-length Z-scores.

conclusionWe showed significant differences in HM composition of cytokines and ARHs among the four countries. Highest levels of T helper cell type 2 cytokines, which is typically related to increased risk of atopic diseases, were found in DK. The results may reflect the influence of different environmental exposures in the four sites on HM composition, which may be associated with infant growth in GM.

Indexed as

AppetiteChild DevelopmentCytokinesLactationMilk, HumanAdultBangladeshBrazilBreast FeedingFemaleGambiaHumansInfantInfant, NewbornLongitudinal StudiesMaleCytokines

Identifiers

PMID40338935
PMCPMC12061169

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.