Influence of lactoferrin in preventing preterm delivery: A pilot study

Giunta, Giuliana; Giuffrida, Lorena; Mangano, Katia; Fagone, Paolo; Cianci, Antonio

doi:10.3892/mmr.2011.584

Cited by 19 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Lactoferrin, at two different concentrations (100 mg and 200 mg), was administered to women with BV and its ability to modify the vaginal bacterial biota, both during and after administration, was studied in depth. The results demonstrated that both concentrations significantly increased the level of lactobacilli and decreased pathogenic bacteria such as Gardnerella , Prevotella , and Lachnospira during the treatment, in accordance with previous studies [31,33]. Differences were detected 2 weeks after administration.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Lactoferrin has an inhibitory effect on lipopolysaccharide-induced production of inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 messenger RNA] and interferes with nuclear factor-κB activation in monocytic cells [26,27]. Additional functions of lactoferrin have been reported, such as neutrophil and macrophage activation [28], regulation of specialization and function of lymphocytes [29], activation of natural killer cells [30], control of oxidation injury [29], and down-modulation of ongoing immune-inflammatory responses during preterm delivery [31]. Moreover, lactoferrin exhibits a synergistic effect with immunoglobulin A, lysozyme, antibiotics, and drugs, which helps in the eradication of microorganisms [32].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, lactoferrin exhibits a synergistic effect with immunoglobulin A, lysozyme, antibiotics, and drugs, which helps in the eradication of microorganisms [32]. Giunta and co-workers [31] demonstrated that oral administration of lactoferrin 100 mg, twice a day for 1 month, led to the reduction of IL-6 in cervicovaginal fluid and the normalization of vaginal microbiota in women at preterm delivery risk. Otsuki and Imai [33] showed that, in women with a history of multiple pregnancy losses or preterm delivery and refractory BV, lactoferrin administration could improve the vaginal microbiota, preventing both cervical inflammation and preterm delivery.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Bacterial biota of women with bacterial vaginosis treated with lactoferrin: an open prospective randomized trial

Pino

Giunta

Randazzo

et al. 2017

Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease

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Background: Bacterial vaginosis is the most frequent condition associated to the vaginal microbiota imbalance, affecting about the 40–50% of women in the world. Even if antibiotics are effcetive for bacterial vaginosis treatment a long-term recurrence rates, higher than 70%, is recorded. Lactoferrin is an iron-binding glycoprotein with bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties. It owns the ability to protect the host against infection, by binding and regulating the iron needed for the bacterial proliferation.Objective: The present study was an open prospective randomized trial (registration no. SHI-EVE-2014.01) aimed at characterizing the bacterial biota of women affected by bacterial vaginosis (BV) and assessing the effects of two different lactoferrin concentrations (100 mg and 200 mg vaginal pessaries) on the composition and dynamics of the vaginal bacterial biota.Design: Sixty women with BV were recruited and randomized into two groups to receive lactoferrin pessaries for 10 days. Clinical evaluation was based on Amsel criteria and Nugent scores. Culture-dependent methods and Ion Torrent PGM sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene were applied to study in depth the overall structure of the vaginal bacterial biota and its dynamics during the treatment.Results: Vaginal lactoferrin administration modified the vaginal microbiota composition in patients with BV. During treatment, both 100 mg and 200 mg lactoferrin vaginal pessaries significantly decreased the occurrence of bacteria associated with BV, such as Gardnerella, Prevotella, and Lachnospira, and increased the occurrence of Lactobacillus species. The bacterial biota balance was maintained up to 2 weeks after treatment only in women treated with 200 mg lactoferrin pessaries.Conclusions: This study indicates that lactoferrin could be proposed as an alternative therapeutic approach for BV. Our data showed, for the first time, the dominance of Lactobacillus helveticus species during and after vaginal lactoferrin treatment.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Bacterial biota of women with bacterial vaginosis treated with lactoferrin: an open prospective randomized trial

Pino

Giunta

Randazzo

et al. 2017

Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease

Self Cite

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“…Machnicki et al (Machnicki et al 1993) reported that the intravenous LF decreased serum concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-α in mice. Others have also suggested that LF can prevent iron-deficiency anemia and associated preterm delivery in humans (Giunta et al 2012;Paesano et al 2012). These findings indicate that supplementary LF, which inhibits inflammatory cytokines, could help to prevent preterm delivery induced by infection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Effects of lactoferrin in 6 patients with refractory bacterial vaginosis

Otsuki

Imai

2017

Biochem. Cell Biol.

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We previously reported that lactoferrin (LF) could be effective for preventing preterm delivery and intrauterine infections, based on data derived from mice and rabbits. Here we describe 6 women with a history of multiple pregnancy losses or preterm delivery and refractory bacterial vaginosis, who received prebiotic LF therapy and delivered an infant normally. Five of the women were pregnant and one was not at the time of this study. The Ethics Committee at Showa University Hospital and Showa University Koto Toyosu Hospital approved the therapeutic protocol. Vaginal suppositories and oral prebiotic LF were administered to patients who were refractory to conventional treatment for vaginosis and had a history of late miscarriages and very early preterm delivery due to refractory vaginitis and chorioamnionitis. LF significantly improved the vaginal bacterial flora. Lactobacillus, which was detectable in the vaginas of all patients after one month of LF therapy, gradually became dominant. The findings from these 6 patients suggest that administering LF to humans could help prevent refractory vaginitis, cervical inflammation, and preterm delivery.

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“…Lactoferrin (encoded by Ltf ), an iron-binding glycoprotein in the transferrin family, has been detected in vaginal secretions and amniotic fluid [20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28]. This protein modulates inflammatory and immune responses to kill bacteria, viruses and fungi [29].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptomic Insights into the Response of Placenta and Decidua Basalis to the CpG Oligodeoxynucleotide Stimulation in Non-Obese Diabetic Mice and Wild-Type Controls

Liu

Guo

Qin

et al. 2016

IJMS

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Intrauterine infection is one of the most frequent causes of miscarriage. CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG ODN) can mimic intrauterine infection. CpG ODN-induced embryo-resorption was observed consistently in the NK-cell deficient non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice but not in the wild-type (WT) mice. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of differential pregnancy outcomes, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the placenta and decidua basalis was revealed by RNA-Seq with CpG ODN or control ODN treatment. Common DEGs in the WT and NOD mice were enriched in antimicrobial/antibacterial humoral responses that may be activated as a primary response to bacterial infection. The susceptibility to CpG ODN-induced embryo-resorption in the NOD mice might mainly be attributed to M1 macrophage polarization and the immunodeficient status, such as the down-regulation in antigen processing and presentation, allograft rejection, and natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity. In contrast, the WT mice with normal immune systems could activate multiple immune responses and be resistant to CpG ODN-induced embryo-resorption, such as M2 macrophage differentiation and activation regulated by complement component C1q and peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathways. Collectively, this study suggests that the immunodeficient status of NOD mice and the macrophage polarization regulated by C1q and PPAR signaling might be the basis for differential pregnancy outcomes between the NOD and WT mice.

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Influence of lactoferrin in preventing preterm delivery: A pilot study

Cited by 19 publications

References 22 publications

Bacterial biota of women with bacterial vaginosis treated with lactoferrin: an open prospective randomized trial

Bacterial biota of women with bacterial vaginosis treated with lactoferrin: an open prospective randomized trial

Effects of lactoferrin in 6 patients with refractory bacterial vaginosis

Transcriptomic Insights into the Response of Placenta and Decidua Basalis to the CpG Oligodeoxynucleotide Stimulation in Non-Obese Diabetic Mice and Wild-Type Controls

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