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Influence of Breast‐feeding on the Production of Cytokines
Author(s) -
SHIMAOKA YUKI,
HIDAKA YOH,
TADA HISATO,
TAKEOKA KEIKO,
AMINO NOBUYUKI,
MORIMOTO YASUHIKO
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
american journal of reproductive immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.071
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1600-0897
pISSN - 1046-7408
DOI - 10.1111/j.8755-8920.2001.450206.x
Subject(s) - prolactin , ionomycin , medicine , endocrinology , breast feeding , breast milk , immunoassay , postpartum period , pregnancy , immunology , biology , stimulation , antibody , hormone , biochemistry , pediatrics , genetics
PROBLEM: Recently, we reported increases in the production of interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ), interleukin‐2 (IL‐2), and IL‐4 during the postpartum period. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether these increases might be explained by increased prolactin while breast‐feeding.
METHOD: Whole blood from 41 women who were breast‐feeding, 13 women not breast‐feeding, and 31 healthy non‐pregnant women was stimulated with phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate and ionomycin, and the levels of cytokines in the supernatant were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Their serum levels of prolactin were measured by enzyme immunoassay.
RESULTS: Increases in IFN‐γ, IL‐2, IL‐4, and IL‐10 production were observed in women who were breast‐feeding but not in women who were not breast‐feeding. Serum levels of prolactin correlated with the levels of IFN‐γ in culture supernatant.
CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that breast‐feeding induces production of cytokines and that IFN‐γ production is enhanced by physiological concentrations of prolactin.