Breastfeeding: Maternally Transferred Allergens in Breast Milk: Protective or Sensitizing?

Abstract

According to a thorough literature search, the following allergen sources have been associated with allergy symptoms in the exclusively breastfed child: hen's egg, cow's milk, peanut, trout. Subsequently, several studies use the advantage of molecular allergology and investigate the potential transfer of single allergens into breastmilk. This is shown for caseins, whey proteins, gliadin, ovalbumin, ovomucoid, the peanut allergens Ara h 2 and Ara h 6, as well as the inhalant allergens Der p 1 and Blo t 5. It is still a matter of debate whether or not food allergens transferred via breastfeeding to the baby promote allergic sensitization or induce tolerance and via which mechanisms they may shift the immune response to the one or other side. Noteworthy, some breastfed children are described to be sensitized to foods before being exposed to solid foods, and this exposure may have occurred through breastmilk. In the light of these findings the investigation of food allergens transferred from the mother's diet into breastmilk and their impact on sensitization or allergy prevention remains a current topic in research. This review describes breastmilk in its composition and provides data on the identification of food allergens therein including human and mouse studies.

Molecular sensitization pattern to house dust mites is formed from the first years of life and includes group 1, 2, Der p 23, Der p 5, Der p 7 and Der p 21 allergens

“…The tendency that could be observed in Ukraine is that the percent of patients sensitized to group 2 allergens is lower at younger age. Sensitivity of a high percent of younger children to group 1 allergens could, among other things, be explained by the fact that Der p1 allergen was found in breast milk [ 27 ].…”

Activation of basophils in children with food allergies by blood from donors ingesting the corresponding food

“…Similarly, egg, cow milk, and wheat allergens, among others, have been detected in human breast milk. 3,4 However, the detection status varies greatly with the food and allergen type, ingested dose, food preparation method, time after ingestion, and individual differences between mothers. 3,4 In this study, BAT reactivity varied with the time between ingestion and blood collection and the type of donor and food ingested.…”

“…3,4 However, the detection status varies greatly with the food and allergen type, ingested dose, food preparation method, time after ingestion, and individual differences between mothers. 3,4 In this study, BAT reactivity varied with the time between ingestion and blood collection and the type of donor and food ingested. This variability may be because the quantity of foodderived allergens in the blood differs depending on the donor and food type owing to different digestive conditions.…”

“…Ryu Yanagisawa 1,2,3 Yumi Koike 4 Yoko Usami 3,5 Ayako Kanai 4 Mai Tokunaga 4 Minoru Tozuka 3 Yasunori Ito…”

“…For example, a diet rich in butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid mainly produced by gut microbiota, showed a protection against food allergies (FA) by promoting immune tolerogenic mechanisms, as demonstrated with breast milk enhancing IL-10 expression, and increasing regulatory T (Treg) cells. 3 Moreover, an Australian…”