Identification of anti-plasmodium falciparum antibodies in human breast milk

Leke, R.G.F.; Ndansi, R.; Southerland, N.J.; Quakyi, I.A.; Graves, P.M.; Drake, J.C.; Allegra, C.J.

Identification of anti-plasmodium falciparum antibodies in human breast milk

Date

1992

Authors

Publisher

Scandinavian Journal of Immunology

Abstract

Malarial infections are rarely observed in neonates. It has been postulated that some immunity may be passively transferred during nursing, but anti-malarial antibodies (Abs) have not been detected in human milk. In this study milk samples collected 2-14 days after parturition from women at the Central Maternity Hospital, Yaounde were evaluated for total IgG and IgA antibody levels by radial diffusion, protein composition by SDS-PAGE, anti-malarial antibodies using an isotype-specific immunofluorescence assay, and the ability to immunoprecipitate Plasmodium falciparum antigens metabolically labelled with 35S-methionine. Results showed that anti-P. falciparum antibodies were present in breast milk, and that paired milk and serum samples from individual women contained Abs that recognized similar malarial antigens.

Keywords

EMTREE drug terms: immunoglobulin A; immunoglobulin G; immunoglobulin M; parasite antibody; protozoon antibody, EMTREE medical terms: adult; breast milk; clinical article; conference paper; controlled study; female; human; immunofluorescence; Plasmodium falciparum; priority journal; serum; adolescent; animal; article; immunology, MeSH: Adolescent; Adult; Animal; Antibodies, Protozoan; Female; Human; Immunoglobulin A; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin M; Milk, Human; Plasmodium falciparum; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Citation

Leke, R. G. F., Ndansi, R., Southerland, N. J., Quakyi, I. A., & Taylor, D. W. (1992). Identification of anti-plasmodium falciparum antibodies in human breast milk. Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, Supplement, 36(11), 17-22.