title: Inactivation of Cytomegalovirus in Breast Milk Using Ultraviolet-C Irradiation: Opportunities for a New Treatment Option in Breast Milk Banking.
abstract: Pasteurized donor human milk is provided by milk banks to very preterm babies where their maternal supply is insufficient or unavailable. Donor milk is currently processed by Holder pasteurization, producing a microbiologically safe product but significantly reducing immunoprotective components. Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) irradiation at 254 nm is being investigated as an alternative treatment method and has been shown to preserve components such as lactoferrin, lysozyme and secretory IgA considerably better than Holder pasteurization. We describe the inactivation of cytomegalovirus, a virus commonly excreted into breast milk, using UV-C irradiation. Full replication was ablated by various treatment doses. However, evidence of viral immediate early proteins within the cells was never completely eliminated indicating that some viral gene transcription was still occurring. In conclusion, UV-C may be a safe alternative to pasteurisation for the treatment of human donor milk that preserves the bioactivity. However, our data suggests that CMV inactivation will have to be carefully evaluated for each device designed to treat breast milk using UV-C irradiation.
authors.affiliation: School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.|Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.|School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Megan L
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0140-1215
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.affiliation: School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Nurul
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hod
authors.affiliation: School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Jothsna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jayaraman
authors.affiliation: School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.|Now at the Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.|Child and Family Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Marchant
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.|Carag AG, Baar, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Christen
authors.affiliation: School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.affiliation: School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.|Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Geoffrey R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Shellam
authors.affiliation: School of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.|Centre for Neonatal Research and Education, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|Neonatal Clinical Care Unit, King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Simmer
mesh_terms: D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005514:Food Irradiation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D017784:Milk Banks; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000821:virology*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays