Monetini L, Cavallo M G, Stefanini L, Ferrazzoli F, Bizzarri C, Marietti G, Curro V, Cervoni M, Pozzilli P
University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2001 Jan-Feb;17(1):51-4. doi: 10.1002/1520-7560(2000)9999:9999<::aid-dmrr156>3.0.co;2-h.
Bovine beta-casein is a cow's milk protein that targets both humoral and cellular immune responses in patients with Type 1 diabetes and, to a lesser degree, also in normal subjects. In this study we aimed to determine whether the avoidance of cow's milk consumption early in life could prevent the development of antibody response to bovine beta-casein despite the mother being exposed on a daily basis to cow's milk consumption.
We measured the antibody response to bovine beta-casein using an ELISA method in 28 healthy infants under 4 months of age, of whom 16 were exclusively breast-fed and 12 were bottle-fed with cow's milk. In addition, beta-casein antibodies were measured in 37 prepubertal children with Type 1 diabetes and in 31 healthy children who were exposed to cow's milk or dairy products to see whether differences in antibody titers exist in this young age group. Antibodies binding to beta-casein were also evaluated by immunoblotting analysis.
Elevated levels of beta-casein antibodies were found in bottle-fed infants compared to breast-fed infants (p<0.0001). Antibody levels to bovine beta-casein were also significantly higher in children with Type 1 diabetes compared to age-matched controls (p=0.03). By western blot analysis we confirmed specific binding to bovine beta-casein in bottle-fed infants, in children with Type 1 diabetes and in controls exposed to cow's milk, but not in infants who were exclusively breast-fed.
The results of this study indicate that breastfeeding within the first 4 months of life prevents the generation of antibody response to bovine beta-casein despite the mothers' consumption of cow's milk during the breastfeeding period. These findings may have relevance for disease prevention.
牛β-酪蛋白是一种牛奶蛋白，可引发1型糖尿病患者的体液免疫和细胞免疫反应，在正常受试者中引发的免疫反应程度相对较低。在本研究中，我们旨在确定在生命早期避免食用牛奶是否能预防针对牛β-酪蛋白的抗体反应的产生，尽管母亲在日常生活中会食用牛奶。
我们采用酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）法，检测了28名4个月以下健康婴儿对牛β-酪蛋白的抗体反应，其中16名婴儿纯母乳喂养，12名婴儿用牛奶瓶喂。此外，我们还检测了37名青春期前1型糖尿病儿童和31名接触过牛奶或奶制品的健康儿童的β-酪蛋白抗体，以观察该年龄组中抗体滴度是否存在差异。还通过免疫印迹分析评估了与β-酪蛋白结合的抗体。
与母乳喂养的婴儿相比，奶瓶喂养的婴儿中β-酪蛋白抗体水平升高（p<0.0001）。与年龄匹配的对照组相比，1型糖尿病儿童中牛β-酪蛋白的抗体水平也显著更高（p = 0.03）。通过蛋白质印迹分析，我们证实奶瓶喂养的婴儿、1型糖尿病儿童以及接触牛奶的对照组中存在与牛β-酪蛋白的特异性结合，但纯母乳喂养的婴儿中未发现。
本研究结果表明，尽管母亲在哺乳期食用牛奶，但在生命的前4个月内进行母乳喂养可预防针对牛β-酪蛋白的抗体反应的产生。这些发现可能与疾病预防相关。
