title: Microparticle-enhanced nephelometric immunoassay of alpha-lactalbumin in human milk.
abstract: A microparticle-enhanced nephelometric immunoassay was developed for alpha-lactalbumin quantitation in human milk. It is based on the nephelometric measurement of the light scattered during the competitive immunoagglutination of a microparticle-alpha-lactalbumin conjugate with an anti-alpha-lactalbumin antiserum. This immunoassay is sensitive (detection limit in reaction mixture, 1.5 micrograms/L) and could be performed in high dilution of milk, excluding any interference or sample pretreatment. It allowed the quantification of alpha-lactalbumin on a large range of concentrations (0.5-16.9 g/L) with accuracy (linear recovery in dilution-overloading assay) and precision (within- and between-run coefficients of variation from 1 to 7%). Changes in the alpha-lactalbumin concentration of human milk during lactation were determined in 162 samples. The concentration and ratio of alpha-lactalbumin total protein were found to be significantly lower in colostrum (4.9 g/l, 27%) than in transitional milk (5.2 g/L, 40%), then decreased in mature milk (3.4 g/L, 31%).
authors.affiliation: GRIP, Immunology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Nancy, France.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cuillière
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abbadi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Molé
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Montagne
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Béné
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Faure
mesh_terms: D001667:Binding, Competitive / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods*; D007768:Lactalbumin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D008863:Microspheres; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007768:Lactalbumin