(TGF-) has a crucial effect on 2 essential parts of the mucosal immune system:
IgA production and oral tolerance induction.Objective: We sought to ascertain whether TGF-
in
breast milk is associated with specific IgA production and atopic disease in human
subjects.Methods: Forty-seven infants with several atopic family members were followed during their first year of life. The concentrations of TGF-
1
and TGF-2 in maternal colostrum, mature milk, and the
infants’ sera were determined. The enzyme-linked immunospot assay was used to assess
the infants’ specific IgA production in response to -lactoglobulin,
casein, gliadin, and ovalbumin.Results: At 12 months, atopic dermatitis was confirmed in 29 of 47 infants; in 11, atopic disease had begun during exclusive breast-feeding (preweaning onset), whereas in 18 the disease manifested itself after weaning (postweaning onset). The concentrations of both TGF-
1 and TGF-2 were
higher in maternal colostrum, but not in mature milk and infants’ serum, in infants
with postweaning-onset atopic disease compared with those with preweaning-onset disease (P
= .0008 and P = .015, respectively). The concentration of TGF-2 was, and that of TGF-1 tended to be,
higher in the colostrum of mothers whose infants had specific IgA-secreting cells at 3
months in response to at least one of the dietary antigens tested compared with those who
did not have such cells (P = .048 and P = .076, respectively).Conclusion: TGF-
in colostrum may prevent the
development of atopic disease during exclusive breast-feeding and promote specific IgA
production in human subjects. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999;1251-7.)