title: Detecting Candida albicans in human milk.
abstract: Procedures for diagnosis of mammary candidosis, including laboratory confirmation, are not well defined. Lactoferrin present in human milk can inhibit growth of Candida albicans, thereby limiting the ability to detect yeast infections. The inhibitory effect of various lactoferrin concentrations on the growth of C. albicans in whole human milk was studied. The addition of iron to the milk led to a two- to threefold increase in cell counts when milk contained 3.0 mg of lactoferrin/ml and markedly reduced the likelihood of false-negative culture results. This method may provide the necessary objective support needed for diagnosis of mammary candidosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616-8669, USA.
authors.forename: Jimi Francis
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Morrill
authors.forename: Demosthenes
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pappagianis
authors.forename: M Jane
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Heinig
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lönnerdal
authors.forename: Kathryn G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Dewey
mesh_terms: D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D007781:Lactoferrin