Is there any relationship between cytokine spectrum of breast milk and occurence of eosinophilic colitis?
OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to analyse cytokine composition of human milk and its relationship to the development of eosinophilic colitis (EC).


METHODS
Cytokines were measured by ELISA method in breast milk of 20 mothers of infants who developed EC and 20 controls.


RESULTS
We found significantly higher concentrations of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) (Th1 cytokine) in breast milk received by EC infants compared to controls (p = 0.0004). In contrary, IL-18 (Th1-inducing cytokine) was significantly higher in breast milk received by healthy infants comparing to EC infants (p = 0.001). Regulatory cytokine transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) showed higher concentrations in breast milk received by healthy infants, although the difference from EC group was not significant (p = 0.072).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of our study showed that infants with EC were receiving breast milk with a possibly risky cytokine pattern indicating cytokine imbalance, impaired immunoregulation and the early Th1 shift.
Durilova
Marianna
M
Department of Paediatrics, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
Stechova
Katerina
K
Petruzelkova
Lenka
L
Stavikova
Vendula
V
Ulmannova
Tereza
T
Nevoral
Jiri
J
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003092:Colitis / Q000209:etiology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis*; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000032:analysis
D016207:Cytokines; D020382:Interleukin-18; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D007371:Interferon-gamma