Selective functional antibody transfer into the breastmilk after SARS-CoV-2 infection
Name
PIIS2211124721014364.pdf
Description
Published version
Size
1.84 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
0d98b3f5e8a6a0a4458313baa9821428
Author(s)
Pullen, Krista M
Atyeo, Caroline
Collier, Ai-Ris Y
Gray, Kathryn J
Belfort, Mandy B
Lauffenburger, Douglas A
Edlow, Andrea G
Alter, Galit
Date Issued
2021
Journal
Cell Reports
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Citation
Pullen, Krista M, Atyeo, Caroline, Collier, Ai-Ris Y, Gray, Kathryn J, Belfort, Mandy B et al. 2021. "Selective functional antibody transfer into the breastmilk after SARS-CoV-2 infection." Cell Reports, 37 (6).
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Antibody transfer via breastmilk represents an evolutionary strategy to boost immunity in early life. Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific antibodies have been observed in the breastmilk, the functional quality of these antibodies remains unclear. Here, we apply systems serology to characterize SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies in maternal serum and breastmilk to compare the functional characteristics of antibodies in these fluids. Distinct SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody responses are observed in the serum and breastmilk of lactating individuals previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, with a more dominant transfer of immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgM into breastmilk. Although IgGs are present in breastmilk, they are functionally attenuated. We observe preferential transfer of antibodies capable of eliciting neutrophil phagocytosis and neutralization compared to other functions, pointing to selective transfer of certain functional antibodies to breastmilk. These data highlight the preferential transfer of SARS-CoV-2-specific IgA and IgM to breastmilk, accompanied by select IgG subpopulations, positioned to create a non-pathologic but protective barrier against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CELREP.2021.109959
