Background: It can be hypothetically assumed that maternal and perinatal factors influence the intestinal barrier.
Methods: The study was conducted with 100 healthy, full-term newborns breastfed in the first week of life, with similar analyses for their mothers. Zonulin and calprotectin levels were used as intestinal permeability markers.
Results: The median (range) zonulin concentrations (ng/mL) were in mothers: serum, 21.39 (6.39⁻57.54); stool, 82.23 (42.52⁻225.74); and newborns: serum cord blood, 11.14 (5.82⁻52.34); meconium, 54.15 (1.36⁻700.65); and stool at age seven days, 114.41 (29.38⁻593.72). Calprotectin median (range) concentrations (µg/mL) in mothers were: stool, 74.79 (3.89⁻211.77); and newborns: meconium, 154.76 (6.93⁻8884.11); and stool at age seven days 139.12 (11.89⁻627.35). The use of antibiotics during pregnancy resulted in higher zonulin concentrations in umbilical-cord serum and calprotectin concentrations in newborn stool at seven days, while antibiotic therapy during labour resulted in higher zonulin concentrations in the stool of newborns at seven days. Zonulin concentrations in the stool of newborns (at seven days) who were born via caesarean section were higher compared to with vaginal birth. With further analyses, caesarean section was found to have a greater effect on zonulin concentrations than prophylactic administration of antibiotics in the perinatal period. Pregnancy mass gain >18 kg was associated with higher calprotectin concentrations in maternal stool. Body Mass Index (BMI) increase >5.7 during pregnancy was associated with decreased zonulin concentrations in maternal stool and increased calprotectin concentrations in stool of mothers and newborns at seven days. There was also a negative correlation between higher BMI increase in pregnancy and maternal zonulin stool concentrations and a positive correlation between BMI increase in pregnancy and maternal calprotectin stool concentrations.
Conclusion: Maternal-foetal factors such as caesarean section, antibiotic therapy during pregnancy, as well as change in mother's BMI during pregnancy may increase intestinal permeability in newborns. Changes in body mass during pregnancy can also affect intestinal permeability in mothers. However, health consequences associated with increased intestinal permeability during the first days of life are unknown. Additionally, before the zonulin and calprotectin tests can be adopted as universal diagnostic applications to assess increased intestinal permeability, validation of these tests is necessary.
Keywords: Body Mass Index (BMI); antibiotic; body weight; caesarean section; calprotectin; gut barrier; newborn; zonulin.