The Effect of Holder Pasteurization on Activin A Levels in Human Milk

Effect of temperature on presepsin pre-analytical stability in biological fluids of preterm and term newborns

OBJECTIVES

Thermostability is one of the pre-requisites for the reliability of analytes in clinical practice and biomedical research. Although presepsin represents a promising new biomarker for the early diagnosis of sepsis in newborns, data on its stability under different storage conditions are lacking. We aimed to investigate presepsin thermostability in blood, urine and saliva samples after thawing at 4 predetermined monitoring time-points in a cohort of preterm and term infants.

METHODS

We conducted an observational study, where each case served as its own control, in 24 preterm and term infants. Blood, urine and saliva samples were stored at -80 °C for 18 months, and presepsin measured in different biological fluids at thawing (T0), 24 (T1), 48 (T2) and at 72 (T3) hours after thawing.

RESULTS

No significant differences (p>0.05, for all) in presepsin levels were observed at T0-T3 in the different biological fluids. Furthermore, no differences at T0-T3 were observed in presepsin levels between blood and saliva fluids, whilst urine levels were significantly higher (p<0.05, for all) than blood and saliva at T0-T3.

CONCLUSIONS

Results on presepsin pre-analytical thermo-stability in different biological fluids after long-term refrigeration support the reliability of this biomarker in the diagnosis and monitoring of perinatal sepsis.

Preeclampsia and Its Impact on Human Milk Activin A Concentration

BACKGROUND

It is known that preeclampsia affects lactogenesis. However, data on the effects of this pathology on human milk neurobiomarker composition are not available. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of this gestational pathology on activin A levels, a neurobiomarker known to play an important role in the development and protection of the central nervous system.

METHODS

The women recruited were divided in two different study groups: preeclamptic or normotensive women. All the human milk samples were collected using the same procedure. Activin A was quantified using an Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. To investigate the effect of preeclampsia on the activin A concentration in the three lactation phases, a mixed linear model with a unistructural covariance structure, with the mother as the random effect, and fixed effects were performed.

RESULTS

Activin A was detected in all samples. There were no significant differences between preeclamptic and normotensive women. The only significant effect is related to the lactation phase: the difference between colostrum and mature milk (p < 0.01) was significant. In conclusion, these results allow us to affirm that breast milk's beneficial properties are maintained even if preeclampsia occurs.

Effect of pasteurization on melatonin concentration in human breast milk

Introduction

Women who have problems with lactation can use human milk banks. Mainly this human milk is provided to premature babies and sick newborns. Human milk is the most suitable food for newborns and infants, recommended by WHO (World Health Organization). Human milk has anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, and anti-allergic properties, and also works for immunomodulation. Melatonin has a special, underestimated importance in the composition of breast milk. It is a hormone that has many body functions and, for several decades, its antioxidant potential has been increasingly talked about.

The aim of the study was to examine the effect of Holder pasteurization on melatonin concentration in human milk.

Materials and Methods

18 samples of human milk from donors from the human milk bank were used for the analysis. Melatonin concentration before and after pasteurization was determined by ELISA. In addition, the nutritional content composition of milk was analyzed using MIRIS Human Milk Analyzer and correlations examined.

Results

Melatonin concentration in human milk before pasteurization was 0.65–26.24 pg/mL (Me=9.58, IQR=12.72), while after pasteurization 0.80–29.58 pg/mL (Me=9.98, IQR=11.26). There was a positive correlation between melatonin concentration before and after pasteurization (r=0.797, p<0.001).

Conclusions

The Holder pasteurization process does not affect the concentration of melatonin in milk samples, which may be a recommendation for human milk banks.

Milk lactoperoxidase decreases ID1 and ID3 expression in human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines

Milk consumption may modify the risk of squamous cell carcinoma. The role of milk to modulate the gene expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells has not been investigated so far. Here, HSC2 oral squamous carcinoma cells were exposed to an aqueous fraction of human milk and a whole-genome array was performed. Among the genes that were significantly reduced by human and cow milk were the DNA-binding protein inhibitor 1 (ID1), ID3 and Distal-Less Homeobox 2 (DLX2) in HSC2 cells. Also, in TR146 oral squamous carcinoma cells, there was a tendency towards a decreased gene expression. Upon size fractionation, lactoperoxidase but not lactoferrin and osteopontin was identified to reduce ID1 and ID3 in HSC2 cells. Dairy products and hypoallergenic infant formula failed to decrease the respective genes. These data suggest that milk can reduce the expression of transcription factors in oral squamous carcinoma cells.