Placental and colostral transfer of antibodies reactive with enteropathogenic Escherichia coli intimins a, ß, or gama

Altman, Silvia P.N.; Tino De Franco, Milene; Carbonare, Cristiane Barros; Palmeira, Patricia; Carbonare, Solange Barros

Intimins are protein adhesins of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and enterohemorrhagic E. coli capable of inducing attachment and effacement lesions in enterocytes. Anti-intimin antibodies are important for the protection from enteropathogenic E. coli and enterohemorrhagic E. coli infections because these antibodies inhibit bacterial adhesion and impair the initial step of the pathogenesis. We studied the transfer of maternal anti-intimin antibodies from healthy Brazilian mothers to their newborns through the placenta and colostrum. Methods Serum immunoglobulin G and secretory immunoglobulin A antibodies against conserved and variable regions of intimins a, ß, and gama were analyzed using an enzyme linked-immunosorbent assay in the blood and colostrum from 45 healthy women as well as cord blood serum samples from their newborns. Results The concentrations of antibodies reactive with a intimin were significantly lower than those of anti-gama and anti-conserved intimin antibodies in the colostrum samples. IgG serum antibodies reactive with all the subtypes of intimins were transferred to the newborns, but the concentrations of anti-conserved intimin serum antibodies were significantly higher in mothers and newborns than concentrations of antibodies against variable regions. The patterns of IgG transfer from mothers to newborns were similar for all anti-intimin antibodies. These values are similar to the percentage transference of total IgG. Conclusions Anti-intimin antibodies are transferred from mothers to newborns through the placenta, and reinforce the protection provided by breastfeeding against diarrheagenic E. coli infections.

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Placental and colostral transfer of antibodies reactive with enteropathogenic Escherichia coli intimins a, ß, or gama / Transferência placentária e colostral de anticorpos reativos a Escherichia coli enteropatogênica com expressão das intiminas a, ß ou gama