Human milk vacuolating cytotoxin A immunoglobulin A antibodies modify Helicobacter pylori infection in Gambian children.
We collected data, including the weights, urea breath test results, and presence of maternal milk cytotoxin-associated gene-specific and vacuolating cytotoxin A-specific immunoglobulin A monthly from 48 mothers and infants (to 44 weeks of age) in The Gambia. In all, 11 children (23%) had negative urea breath test results, and 37 (77%) had positive results. Weight loss associated with Helicobacter pylori colonization was restricted to children whose mothers did not produce anti-vacuolating cytotoxin A antibodies in their milk (P=.028, by t test).
Campbell
D I
DI
School of Clinical Medical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Sir James Spence Institute of Child Health, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 4LP, England.
Bunn
J E G
JE
Weaver
L T
LT
Harding
M
M
Coward
W A
WA
Thomas
J E
JE
D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005714:Gambia; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C074689:VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori