title: Breast-feeding is associated with a reduced frequency of acute otitis media and high serum antibody levels against NTHi and outer membrane protein vaccine antigen candidate P6.
abstract: Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) causes acute otitis media (AOM) in infants. Breast-feeding protects against AOM and/or nasopharyngeal (NP) colonization; however, the mechanism of protection is incompletely understood. Children with AOM and healthy children were studied according to feeding status: breastfed,breast/formula fed, or formula fed. Cumulative episodes of AOM, ELISA titers of serum IgG antibodies to whole-cell NTHi and vaccine candidate outer membrane protein P6, bactericidal titers of serum and NP colonization by NTHi were assessed. A lower incidence of AOM was found in breast- versus formula-fed children. Levels of specific serum IgG antibody to NTHi and P6 were highest in breast-fed, intermediate in breast/formula fed, and lowest in formula-fed infants. Serum IgG antibody to P6 correlated with bactericidal activity against NTHi. Among children with AOM, the prevalence of NTHi in the NP was lower in breast- versus nonbreast-fed infants. We conclude that breast-feeding shows an association with higher levels of antibodies to NTHi and P6, suggesting that breast-feeding modulates the serum immune response to NTHi and P6. Higher serum IgG might facilitate protection against AOM and NP colonization in breast-fed children.
authors: Department of Microbiology/Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA.
authors: Albert
authors: A
authors: Sabirov
authors: Janet R
authors: JR
authors: Casey
authors: Timothy F
authors: TF
authors: Murphy
authors: Michael E
authors: ME
authors: Pichichero
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D001942:Breast Feeding; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000276:immunology; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines / Q000737:chemistry*; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000378:metabolism*; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; C069990:P6 outer membrane protein, Haemophilus