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Antibodies to pneumococcal polysaccharides in human milk : lack of relationship to colonization and acute otitis media

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Author

Summary, in English

BACKGROUND: This study analyzed antibodies to pneumococcal polysaccharides in human milk and their effect on nasopharyngeal colonization and acute otitis media in breast-fed infants.

METHODS: A total of 503 milk samples were collected from 310 mothers. Nasopharyngeal cultures were obtained from their children at 2, 6 and 10 months postpartum, and the capsular groups/types of the Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates were determined.

RESULTS: Types 6A, 6B, 19A, 19F and 23F accounted for 54% of the pneumococcal isolates, but type 3 isolates were uncommon. Milk samples were analyzed for antibody activity to the common capsular polysaccharide types 6A, 19F and 23F; to the type 3 polysaccharide; to C-polysaccharide; and to phosphorylcholine (PC), a major component of the pneumococcal cell wall polysaccharide (CWPS). Anti-capsular antibody activity was low or absent in > 90% of the milk samples. In contrast anti-PC antibody activity was detected in 88% and anti-CWPS in 84% of the samples. The frequency of acute otitis media did not vary with the milk anti-capsular, anti-PC or anti-CWPS antibody activity.

CONCLUSIONS: There was no reduction in nasopharyngeal carriage of S. pneumoniae among children fed milk with anti-capsular or anti-PC antibody activity, but carriage was increased in those children who received milk with anti-CWPS antibody activity. A protective role of antipolysaccharide or anti-CWPS antibodies in milk was not detected under the study conditions.

Publishing year

1996-06

Language

English

Pages

498-507

Publication/Series

Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal

Volume

15

Issue

6

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Topic

  • Infectious Medicine

Keywords

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Bacterial Capsules
  • Breast Feeding
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Milk
  • Nasopharyngeal Diseases
  • Otitis Media
  • Phosphorylcholine
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae

Status

Published

Research group

  • Experimental Infection Medicine, Malmö

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0891-3668