Levels of Growth Factors and IgA in the Colostrum of Women from Burundi and Italy

Abstract

Colostrum is produced in the first days postpartum. It is a known source of immune mediators for a newborn within the first week of life. Although it is still unclear if colostrum composition varies between populations, recent data suggest differences. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF); transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) 1, 2, and 3; and immunoglobulin A (IgA) are key immunological components of colostrum that stimulate neonatal gastrointestinal and immune system development. We aimed to investigate the differences in the concentration between immune markers in the colostrum of mothers living in Burundi and Italy, and to identify the factors associated with differences. In this cross-sectional birth cohort study, a total of 99 colostrum samples from Burundian (n = 23) and Italian (n = 76) women were collected at 0 to 6 days postpartum. A clinical chemistry analyser was used for IgA quantification and electro-chemiluminescence, for HGF and TGFβ1-3 assessment. A univariate analysis and multivariate linear regression model were used for statistical testing. The concentrations of TGF-β2 (p = 0.01) and IgA (p < 0.01) were significantly higher in the colostrum from the women residing in Burundi than in Italy, both in a univariate analysis and upon the adjustment for confounding factors. A similar trend is seen for HGF, reaching statistical significance upon a multivariate analysis. We found a moderate to strong positive correlation between the TGF-β isoforms and IgA concentration in both countries (p < 0.01), with stronger concentration in the colostrum from Burundi. The results of this study are in support of previous data, suggesting that concentration of the immune active molecules is higher in the human milk of women residing in developing countries. However, with a small sample size, caution must be applied, as the findings require further confirmation. Future work should also be focused on other factors (e.g., lipid and microbial composition), as well as the investigation into colostrum and between populations comparison, adjusting for potential confounders.

Enteral Nutrition Supplemented with Transforming Growth Factor-β, Colostrum, Probiotics, and Other Nutritional Compounds in the Treatment of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

“…The levels of this cytokine range between 0.1 and 13.3 µg/L in term colostrum and between 1.4 and 43 µg/L in preterm colostrum. These levels decrease along the lactation period with concentrations of 0.4-2.8 µg/L in term and 0.9-6.3 µg/L in preterm mature milk [40].…”

Breastfeeding and Human Lactation

“…In this issue, a number of papers have shown differences in milk composition with respect to geographical location. In particular, concentrations of the immune active molecules transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2), immunoglobulin A (IgA), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were higher in African women than in Italian women, suggesting a stronger response to the environment and thus greater infant protection against infection [3].…”

Does Caesarean Section or Preterm Delivery Influence TGF-β2 Concentrations in Human Colostrum?

“…The correlation between breastfeeding and the health of the newborn as well as predispositions to infectious diseases, allergic or autoimmune health is an issue which has been mentioned in many cultures for thousands of years [1,2]. There is a lot of research suggesting not only decreased risk of gastrointestinal, communicable and non-communicable diseases but also reduced prevalence of chronic diseases in the subsequent life of newborns who were breastfed [3][4][5][6][7][8]. It was also reported that breastfeeding can reduce asthma prevalence in children, but its correlation with allergic diseases still remains unclear [9].…”

“…Human colostrum (HC) is the form of milk produced within the first days postpartum. It is a very rich source of nutrients for growth and development of a newborn, including immune mediators such as hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor I and II, immunoglobulins, transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and a lot more [7,11]. There are three isoforms of TGF-β in HC: TGF-β 1, 2 and 3, with TGF-β2 being the most abundant, accounting for up to 95%.…”

“…According to this, authors suggest that TGF-β in maternal milk may prevent early sensitization and atopic diseases during breastfeeding [13]. TGF-β also regulates lymphocytes' T responses, leading to better gut tolerance [7]. Furthermore, TGF-β2 can inhibit the inflammatory response in immature human intestinal epithelial cells and suppress the expression of macrophage cytokines, thereby reducing the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm neonates [15][16][17].…”