title: Activated and memory T lymphocytes in human milk.
abstract: Since activated macrophages and cytokines are found in human milk (HM), a flow cytometry study was conducted to determine whether T cells in HM display phenotypic markers of recent or previous activation. HM was collected during the first 3 d of lactation. The Paint-a-Gate program was used to optimize gating on the lymphocyte population. A mean +/- 1 SD of 4 +/- 3% of total HM leukocytes were lymphocytes and 96 +/- 3% were macrophages and granulocytes (N = 33 subjects). HM lymphocyte populations were further analyzed in five subjects. T cells (CD3+) represented 83 +/- 11% and B cells (CD19+) were 6 +/- 4% of HM lymphocytes. The mean CD4/CD8 ratio of T cells in HM was 0.88 (range 0.40-1.25). This ratio was significantly decreased compared to the peripheral blood (PB) of control adults (P less than 0.02) and postpartum women (P less than 0.02), due mostly to a significant increase in CD8+ CD3+ cells in HM compared to the PB of control adults (P less than 0.002) and postpartum women (P less than 0.05). T cells bearing markers of recent activation were significantly increased in HM compared to the PB of control adults: 85 +/- 7% of CD3+ cells in HM were HLA-DR+ (controls, 10 +/- 4%; P less than 0.001), and 15 +/- 6% of CD3+ cells in HM were IL-2R+ (controls, 6 +/- 2%; P less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Wirt
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Adkins
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Palkowetz
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Schmalstieg
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Goldman
mesh_terms: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D017252:CD3 Complex; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D002469:Cell Separation; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D017252:CD3 Complex; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2