This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cukor, G Articles by Bednarek, F Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Cukor, G Articles by Bednarek, F

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Clin Microbiol. 1979 January; 9(1): 93-96

Persistence of antibodies to rotavirus in human milk.

ABSTRACT

Human milk obtained from 21 American nursing mothers was studied for the presence of secretory immunoglobulin A antibody to rotavirus, the most common etiological agent of infantile gastroenteritis. Antibody was quantitated by adaptation of a recently described solid-phase radioimmunoassay technique that employs simian rotavirus as a convenient substitute antigen for human rotavirus. Of the mothers tested, 80% (12 of 15) possessed milk antibody within a week of parturition, whereas 56% of those tested (5 of 9) secreted milk antibody as late as 6 or 9 months postpartum. Specificity of the radioimmunoassay was demonstrated by absorption of antibody with purified rotavirus. Our detection by radioimmunoassay of antibody to rotavirus in milk samples collected past the colostrum stage is in contrast to other studies that have failed to detect antibody in human milk by immunofluorescence or neutralization tests. The present study also suggested that the appearance of secretory immunoglobulin A antibody in the milk of mothers previously lacking milk antibody may be correlated with subclinical infection of the mother with rotavirus.