Abstract
Colostrum is known to contain large numbers of maternal immune cells. We set out to establish whether chemokines, or cytokines with chemotactic activity, were involved in recrutiment of these into the milk. Very high concentrations of the chemokines Rantes (median 1.9ng/ml, range 0.3-13ng/ml) and IL-8 (median 0.8ng.ml, range 0.4-3.6ng/ml) were observed in the milk of 25 mothers on D3 of lactation; these decreased by D18. Chemokmes appear stable for ovur 24 hours m the milk, and resistant to pH changes of pH3.8 of the milk. Monoclonal antibodies and mRNA in situ hybridisation data suggest that the chemokines are secreted by breast epithelium rather than the immune cells; this is supported by in vitro culture ot breast epithelial cells activated by prolactin. Why are such high concentrations of chomokino present? We hypothesise that these molecules facilitate both movement of maternal cells into milk, their adhesion to the infant bowel, and their migration into infant immune tissues. This hypothesis would explain observations of non-inhented maternal influences on their children.
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Michie, C., Soo, K., Schall, T. et al. A MECHANISM FOR MATERNAL MODIFICATION OF INFANT IMMUNITY?. Pediatr Res 35, 259 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199402000-00029
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199402000-00029