Mucin-like carcinoma-associated antigen in paired serum and breast milk samples of lactating mothers and sera of their neonates in the early postpartum period

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate postpartum MCH changes in the early postpartum period, and to examine whether neonatal MCA is related to that in maternal serum (MS) or milk. Study design: MCA was measured by EIA on the second and fifth postpartum day in serum and BM from 30 lactating women and their single term neonates. Sera from 20 healthy women (controls), were also analyzed. Results: All neonatal antigen concentrations were below the cut-off level for MCA (11 ng/ml). MS MCA was significantly increased compared with that in controls ( P<0.00001), while antigen values in BM were highly elevated ( P<0.00001), with a significant increase ( P<0.0003) from the second to the fifth postpartum day. A strong correlation was found between the second and fifth day postpartum samples in MS, neonatal serum and BM MCA concentrations ( r s=0.94, P<0.00001; r s=0.75, P<0.00001 and r s=0.69, P<0.0001, respectively). A significant correlation was also found in MCA values on the fifth postpartum day between neonatal serum and BM ( r s=0.54, P<0.02). Conclusions: From these findings one may speculate on some ripening process in milk production and a possible transition of MCA from the neonatal gastro-intestinal tract into circulation.