Transforming growth factor‐beta (TGF‐β) in human milk

• Published in: Clinical and experimental immunology 1993-10, Vol.94 (1), p.220-224
• Main Authors: SAITO, S., YOSHIDA, M., ICHIJO, M., ISHIZAKA, S., TSUJH, T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis of the immune response. Humoral and cellular immunity; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Colostrum - chemistry; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; human milk; Humans; Immunobiology; Lymphokines, interleukins ( function, expression); Milk, Human - chemistry; Molecular Sequence Data; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Pregnancy; Regulatory factors and their cellular receptors; RNA, Messenger - analysis; RT‐PCR; TGF‐β; Transforming Growth Factor beta - analysis; Transforming Growth Factor beta - genetics
• ISSN: 0009-9104; 1365-2249
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1993.tb06004.x

SUMMARY The amount of TGF‐β contained in human whey was studied by the colony formation of NRK47F cells. It was noted that a factor inducing colony formation did exist in human whey, and its action was neutralized when anti‐TGF‐β antibodies were introduced. This suggests that TGF‐β does exist in human whey. In colostrum, the total amount ofTGF‐β was 1365.7 ± 242.9 ng /ml, of which the active form comprised 728.1 ± 248.7 ng/ml (n=2l). In late milk, the total TGF‐β was 952.5 ± 212.6 ng/ml, with an active form of 178.7 ± 157.3 ng/ml. Thus human milk contains a large amount of active TGF‐β. Furthermore, it was revealed by the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction that mRNAs coding TGF‐β1 and TGF‐β2 exist in human milk cells. These results suggest that both TGF‐β1 and TGF‐β2 exist in human milk.