PEDIATRICS Vol. 75 No. 1 January 1985, pp. 172-176
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Protective Factors in Milk and the Development of the Immune System

Lars Å. Hanson MD, PhD1, Staffan Ahlstedt PhD1, Bengt Andersson MD1, Barbro Carlsson PhD1, Sven P. Fällström MD1, Lotta Mellander MD1, Oscar Porras MD1, Tommy Söderström MD, PhD1, and Catharina Svanborg Edén MD, PhD1

1 From the Departments of Clinical Immunology and Pediatrics, University of Göteborg, Göteborg, Sweden

The neonate is immature in certain immunologic functions. The slow development of secretory immunoglobin A (IgA) seems to be compensated by selective transfer of secretory IgM into exocrine secretions on mucous membranes during the first few months of life. Secretory IgA and secretory IgM antibodies against Escherichia coli and poliovirus are already found in the neonate, possibly in response to the maternal anti-idiotypic IgG antibodies transplacentally exposing the fetus. Via such a mechanism, food antibodies could occur before direct food exposure in the infant. Human milk provides large amounts of antibodies (as a crude comparison, about 50 times the amount of antibodies given to a patient with hypogammaglobulinemia). The milk antibodies, dominated by secretory IgA, protect especially against intestinal infections. The milk also contains oligosaccharide analogues to epithelial receptors for bacteria. They, as well as a number of milk components such as lactoferrin and lysozyme, may contribute to host defense. The food antibodies in human milk may influence the infant's immune response to foreign food proteins introduced during weaning.

Key Words: mucosal immunity • secretory IgA • secretory IgM • milk-mediated protection • food antibodies




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