EVALUATION OF INTERLEUKIN-10, .TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-ALPHA RECEPTORS AND INTERLEUKIN-8 IN HUMAN MILK AT DIFFERENT PERIODS OF LACTATION

Abstract

It is evident that human milk carry for the infants not only nutrients in its - perfect form but also, protects the recipient infants against infection,

inflammation specially those occurring early in life as NEC and that protection offered not only during lactation but, persisted years later. Also it had been found that, infants fed human milk respond better than others to vaccines and recorded less incidence of certain immmunologic diseases. Consequently, it was assumed that, human milk provides passive protection and leads to an active stimulation of the infant's immune system due to the presence an array of anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory factors in human milk. Among these factors, are cytokines, many of which had been discovered and studied, in human milk over the past few years. Cytokines are pluripotent polypeptides that act in autocrine I paracrine fashion by binding to specific cellular receptors and involved in the communication network of the cells of the immune system. Several studies speculated that, the production of these cytokines is delayed in neonates and infants. And that cytokines in human milk may be able to interact with mucosal tissues in the upper parts of the respiratory and alimentary tracts. Providing besides their action as major host defense components against trauma and infection, . anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects up on the recipient infants, bridging the defective cytokines production by the neonate. As an extension for these studies the present study was conducted. Breast milk samples were taken from lactating mothers who had full term babies with periods of lactation (1-10 days, colostrum), (more than 10 days-1 month, transitional milk), (more than 1 month-two years, mature milk), and mothers who were lactating a preterm babies with period of lactation (lday-1 month, preterm).