Secretory anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies in colostrum and breast milk are not a major determinant of the protection of early postnatal transmission of HIV.
The immune response to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 was evaluated in breast milk from HIV-infected African mothers who had transmitted and those who had not transmitted HIV to their children through breast-feeding. The levels, specific activities against gp160 and 2 HIV-derived peptides from gp41 and gp120 (V3 loop), and inhibitory activity toward viral transcytosis in vitro of secretory IgA (S-IgA) and IgG purified from breast milk were investigated in 8 transmitting mothers and 18 nontransmitting mothers. S-IgA and IgG antibodies to gp160 and to peptides were found in all breast milk samples. The specific activities of S-IgA and IgG to gp160 and peptides were similar between transmitting and nontransmitting mothers. No difference of the capacity of S-IgA and IgG to block HIV transcytosis in vitro was found between the 2 groups. These results suggest that humoral mucosal immunity to HIV does not appear as a predominant factor for protection against viral transmission through breast milk.
Becquart
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P
Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U430, Hôpital Broussais, Paris, France. pierre.becquart@brs.ap-hop-paris.fr
Hocini
H
H
Lévy
M
M
Sépou
A
A
Kazatchkine
M D
MD
Bélec
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L
D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001942:Breast Feeding; D003126:Colostrum / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160 / Q000276:immunology; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41; C059762:HIV envelope protein gp120 (305-321); D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D010446:Peptide Fragments