Localized infection in mammary gland triggers rapid surge of milk secretory IgA

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Presentation Time: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
Poster Board Number: B206
Abstract ID: 7005

Presenting Author:
Hannah Karen M Labayo , Post-doctoral Fellow at NHLBI, NIH

Abstract:

Our past studies show that infants can transmit enteric viruses (norovirus, rotavirus, and astrovirus) to their mothers through breastfeeding due to presence of the virus in their saliva (Ghosh, et.al., Nature, 2022). We discovered, that the localized infection in mammary gland induced a rapid elevation of secretory IgA (sIgA). Using a lactating mouse model, we aimed to determine the mechanism behind the phenomena and its function in clearing infection in suckling infants. We found out that in response to infection, there is a rapid surge of sIgA produced by tissue resident mammary gland B-cells without involvement of the gut and its lymphoid tissues. Moreover, we observed the neutralizing capability of milk sIgA against viral infection in the mammary gland which facilitated the clearance of enteric infections in suckling infants. These findings point to a novel lactating mammary confined immune response that may have evolved to rapidly respond to infections, triggered by cues in suckling infant saliva.