title: Breastmilk from allergic mothers can protect offspring from allergic airway inflammation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of developing asthma in children. Using a murine model we previously demonstrated that mothers with Th1-type immunity to ovalbumin (OVA) transfer antigen-specific protection from OVA-induced allergic airway disease (AAD) to their offspring. The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of breastmilk and maternal B cell immunity from allergic mothers in the vertical transmission of protection from AAD.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was investigated using an adoptive nursing strategy. Naive offspring were nursed by allergic wild-type or B cell-deficient foster mothers with histories of Th2-type immunity to OVA. Following weaning, offspring were immunized with OVA-Al(OH)(3) and challenged with aerosolized OVA to induce AAD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Offspring nursed by wild-type OVA-immune foster mothers demonstrated lower levels of OVA-specific immunoglobulin E, interleukin-5, and airway eosinophilia than progeny nursed by naive control mothers. In contrast, offspring nursed by B cell-deficient OVA-immune foster mothers had similar parameters of OVA-induced AAD as progeny nursed by naive control mothers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data demonstrate the ability of breastmilk from allergic mothers to protect offspring from AAD was dependent on intact maternal B cell immunity. Nursing alone, when done by wild-type mothers with AAD, was sufficient for offspring to acquire the antigen-specific protective factor(s) from breastmilk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030-1319, USA.
authors.forename: Adam P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Matson
authors.forename: Roger S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Thrall
authors.forename: Ektor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rafti
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Puddington
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; D007114:Immunization; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D000906:Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015848:Interleukin-5; D010047:Ovalbumin