Milk components with immunomodulatory potential.

Abstract

Most discussions of the immunological and infant health benefits of breast-feeding have focused on the passive protection of the infant, either by provision of various factors in milk or by avoidance of contaminated water and food. However, recent evidence suggests that the infant is not simply a passive recipient but also actively adapts its own immune system under the influence of breast milk Immunological differences between breast-and formula-fed infants for which passive immune protection seems an insufficient explanation include increased antibody responses to some vaccinations (Hahn-Zoricet al.1990; Pabst and Spady, 1990; Pickeringet al.1998), transfer of specific responsiveness to tuberculin (Mohr, 1973; Schlesinger and Covelli, 1977; Pabstet al.1989), increased immunoglobulin A (IgA) production (Prentice, 1987; Goldblumet al.1989), altered development of lymphoid organs, lymphocyte subpopulations and cytokine production (Carveret al.1991a; Hasselbalchet al.1996; Pabstet al.1997), survival of maternal, but not paternal, allografts (Campbellet al.1984), and decreased prevalence and severity of allergy (Jutoet al.1982; Saarinen and Kajosaari, 1995). Although the decreased susceptibility of breast-fed infants to infectious, particularly diarrheal, diseases can be largely explained on the basis of passive protection by milk factors, active protection may also be involved. These mechanisms are not always separable; for example, the passive immunity provided by the improved gut integrity of breast-fed infants (Weaveret al.1987) will reduce the amount of dietary antigen reaching their systemic immune system. Systemic antigenic stimulation is likely responsible for the increased proliferative responses to several mitogens or antigens seen in formula-fed infants after the early neonatal period (Jutoet al.1982; Pabstet al.1997).KeywordsHuman MilkAqueous FractionBreastfed InfantMilk ComponentHuman Blood LymphocyteThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.