Parasite Antigens Are Present in Breast Milk of Women Infected with Onchocerca volvulus

Izaskun Petralanda Department of Tropical Public Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115

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Luis Yarzabal Centro Amazonico Investigacion Control Enfermedades Tropicales (CAICET), Apartado 59, Zona 7101, Puerto Ayacucho, TFA, Venezuela

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Willy F. Piessens Department of Tropical Public Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.1988.38.372
Volume/Issue:
Volume 38: Issue 2
Page(s):
372–379
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We used a noncompetitive two-site ELISA with 5 monoclonal antibodies to determine whether parasite antigens are present in breast milk from women infected with Onchocerca volvulus. Seven out of 13 available milk samples contained significant amounts of filarial antigens. Antigen indices in milk correlated with levels of microfilarodermia (Rs = 0.74, P < 0.005). Antigen-containing milk samples markedly inhibited mitogen-induced proliferation of human mononuclear cells and activated cells within this population that suppressed the proliferative response of autologous lymphocytes to mitogens and antigens. These findings indicate that parasite products are present in breast milk of O. volvulus-infected women and suggest that these may induce immune tolerance and/or suppression in infants born of infected mothers.
Copyright:
Copyright © 1988 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 1988
Accepted:
10 Aug 1987
|
Published Online:
Mar 1988
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
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