Hypoallergenic formulae. The Executive Committee of ESPACI

Plasma amino acid concentrations, indexes of protein metabolism and growth in healthy, full-term infants fed partially hydrolyzed infant formula

BACKGROUND

It has been reported that feeding extensively hydrolyzed infant formula influenced the availability of arginine, glycine, histidine, lysine and threonine in full-term infants investigated during the first 2 months of life. In the present study, the nutritional effects of feeding partially hydrolyzed formula (PHF) were investigated.

METHODS

Term infants fed conventional formula (F; n = 11) or PHF (n = 11) were investigated at the ages of 5, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days. Anthropometric data were obtained, and plasma amino acid concentrations and biochemical indices of protein metabolism were measured.

RESULTS

Plasma concentrations (in micromoles per liter) of lysine on day 90: 117 (21) versus 143 (24); of threonine on day 30: 140 (53) versus 263 (87); of ornithine on day 90: 56 (21) versus 78 (29); and of tyrosine on day 30: 52 (17) versus 77 (20), on day 60: 56 (14) versus 87 (19) and on day 90: 46 (9) versus 81 (17) were significantly lower in infants receiving PHF than in those fed F. Values are median (range from 1st to 3rd quartile), PHF versus F; p < 0.05. At day 120, infants fed PHF showed significantly lower serum albumin concentrations than did infants receiving F (43.3 +/- 3.4 versus 48.9 +/- 3.5, g/l; mean +/- SD; p < 0.05). Serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, uric acid and total protein concentrations and gain in weight, length, and head circumference did not differ throughout the study.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, feeding PHF did not affect the majority of plasma amino acid concentrations, some indices of protein metabolism, and basic parameters of growth in full-term infants. However, plasma concentrations of lysine, threonine, tyrosine, ornithine, and albumin were, on at least one occasion, significantly lower in infants fed PHF than in those receiving F.

Immunogenicity and antigenicity of a partially hydrolyzed cow's milk infant formula

We evaluated the immunogenicity and antigenicity of a formula based on partially hydrolyzed cow's milk whey protein in infants at risk of atopy and in controls. Total IgE and specific IgE, IgG, and IgG4 subclass antibodies against egg albumin and cow's milk alpha-lactalbumin, casein, and beta-lactoglobulin were measured by radioimmunoassay of cord blood and of peripheral blood at 5 days and 6 months of life in five groups of infants: 16 breast-fed infants at risk of atopy (group 1), 21 partially hydrolyzed whey formula-fed infants at risk of atopy (group 2), 14 formula-fed infants at risk of atopy (group 3), 10 breast-fed control infants (group 4), and 13 formula-fed control infants (group 5). Total IgE concentration was significantly lower in group 2 at 6 months than in groups 3 and 5 infants and similar to that observed in groups 1 and 4 infants. The concentration of specific antiegg and anti-cow's milk protein IgG and of specific anti-cow's milk alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin IgG4 subclass antibodies was significantly reduced in group 2 as compared to group 3 infants and similar to that found in breast-fed infants. In conclusion, the partially hydrolyzed formula was less immunogenic and antigenic than a traditional formula and was as immunogenic and antigenic as breast milk.