title: Anti-alpha-Gal antibody titres remain unaffected by the consumption of fermented milk containing Lactobacillus casei in healthy adults.
abstract: Alpha-Gal is a glycoconjugate present on cell membranes of non-primate mammals and bacteria, but not in humans, who display anti-Gal antibodies (ABs) in high titres. Probiotics contain bacterial strains which colonize the intestinal tract. In the present study, we investigated whether intake of fermented milk containing Lactobacillus casei (FML) affects anti-Gal AB titres. Serum was drawn from healthy probands (n = 19) for 6 weeks. After the second week, the probands consumed 125 ml of FML per day. Anti-Gal ABs of all isotypes and cytokines were measured. Bacterial cultures were bred from FML and bacteria were stained for alpha-Gal. Concentration of bacteria in FML was manifold higher than in conventional yoghurt (2 × 10(5)/g yoghurt vs. 1.1 × 10(7)/g FML). Both stained highly positive for Alpha-Gal. Alpha-Gal-specific ABs and cytokines remained unaffected by FML intake. Our results indicated that the consumption of FML does not elicit a humoral immune response in healthy adults.
authors.affiliation: Christian Doppler Laboratory for Cardiac and Thoracic Diagnosis and Regeneration, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mangold
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hercher
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hlavin
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liepert
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kollmann
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Feichtinger
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lichtenauer
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitterbauer
authors.forename: Hendrik Jan
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ankersmit
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D005285:Fermentation; D006801:Humans; D007780:Lacticaseibacillus casei / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008892:Milk; D012016:Reference Values; D014312:Trisaccharides / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D014312:Trisaccharides; C076569:alpha-galactosyl epitope