Passive acquisition of anti-Staphylococcus aureus antibodies by newborns via transplacental transfer and breastfeeding, regardless of maternal colonization

• Published in: Clinics (São Paulo, Brazil) Vol. 71; no. 12; pp. 687 - 694
• Main Authors: Valdomir Nadaf, Maria Isabel, Lima, Laila, Stranieri, Inês, AkikoTakano, Olga, Carneiro-Sampaio, Magda, Palmeira, Patricia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Elsevier España, S.L.U 01.12.2016; Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo; Faculdade de Medicina / USP; Elsevier España
• Subjects: Adult; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Antibodies, Bacterial - immunology; Antibody Avidity; Breast Feeding; Clinical Science; Colostrum - immunology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Humans; IgG1 and IgG2 Subclasses; Immunity, Maternally-Acquired - immunology; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunoglobulin G - immunology; Infant, Newborn; MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL; Passive Antibody Transfer; Placenta - immunology; Pregnancy; Reference Values; Secretory IgA; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus - immunology; Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification; Statistics, Nonparametric; Umbilical Cord - immunology; Young Adult; Secretory IgA; Antibody Avidity; Passive Antibody Transfer; Staphylococcus aureus; IgG1 and IgG2 Subclasses
• ISSN: 1807-5932; 1980-5322; 1980-5322
• DOI: 10.6061/clinics/2016(12)02

To investigate the transmission of anti-Staphylococcus aureus (Sa) IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 via placental transfer and the transfer of IgA via the colostrum according to maternal Sa carrier status at delivery. We evaluated anti-Sa IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 in maternal and cord sera and IgA in colostrum from a case (n=49, Sa+) and a control group (n=98, Sa-). Of the 250 parturients analyzed for this study, 49 were nasally colonized with S. aureus (prevalence of 19.6%). Ninety-eight non-colonized subjects were selected for the control group. The anti-Sa IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 levels and the IgG avidity indexes in the maternal and cord sera did not differ between the groups, with a low transfer ratio of anti-Sa IgG to the newborns in both groups. The anti-Sa IgG2 titers were significantly higher than the IgG1 titers in the maternal and cord sera. Inversely, the transfer ratios were higher for anti-Sa IgG1 compared with IgG2; however, no differences between the groups were detected. The Sa-specific IgA levels and avidity indexes in the colostrum were equivalent between groups. Maternal Sa nasal colonization at delivery is not associated with higher antibody levels in the mother or newborns. The high titers of anti-Sa IgG2 found in the cord serum indicate a greater reactivity with non-protein antigens, which may further contribute to the susceptibility to staphylococcal infections at birth. The presence of IgA in the colostrum with avidity to S. aureus reinforces the importance of breastfeeding shortly after birth.