Antibodies to Escherichia coli O antigens and the in-vitro bacteriostatic properties of human milk and its IgA.
Only a very small part of the iron-reversed bacteriostatic activity of milk against Escherichia coli, demonstrable in vitro, is due to its anti-O antibody. Most of its growth-inhibitory activity is due to another lactoferrin-dependent, non-specific system. IgA prepared from milk is bacteriostatic for E. coli in the presence of lactoferrin, if it contains O-antibody for the indicator strain and if the strain is susceptible. Susceptibility depends to some extent on virulence, since those inhibited by IgA antibody to their own O-antigens were enteropathogenic or enterotoxigenic, whereas the growth of commensal strains was inhibited only slightly or not at all.
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000032:analysis*; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012703:Serotyping
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; D007781:Lactoferrin