AUTHOR=Graciliano Nayara Gomes , Tenório Micaely Cristinados Santos , Fragoso Marilene Brandão Tenório , Moura Fabiana Andréa , Botelho Rayane Martins , Tanabe Eloiza Lopes Lira , Borbely Karen Steponavicius Cruz , Borbely Alexandre Urban , Oliveira Alane Cabral Menezes , Goulart Marília Oliveira Fonseca 

TITLE=The impact on colostrum oxidative stress, cytokines, and immune cells composition after SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1031248

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2022.1031248

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Limited data are available regarding the differences between immunological, biochemical, and cellular contents of human colostrum following maternal infection during pregnancy with coronavirus 2 disease (COVID-19).</p></sec><sec><title>Objective</title><p>To investigate whether maternal COVID-19 infection may affect immunological, biochemical, and cellular contents of human colostrum.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Using a case-control study design, we collected colostrum from 14 lactating women with a previous diagnosis of COVID-19 during pregnancy and 12 without a clear diagnosis during September 2020 to May 2021. Colostrum samples were analysed for some enzymes and non-enzymatic oxidative stress markers (SOD, CAT, GPx, MDA, GSH, GSSG, H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, MPO) and for IL-1β, IL-6, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, protein induced by interferon gamma (IP)-10, IL-8, IFN-λ1, IL12p70, IFN-α2, IFN-λ2/3, granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), IFN-β, IL-10 and IFN-γ, along with IgA and IgG for the SARS-CoV-2 S protein. We perform immunophenotyping to assess the frequency of different cell types in the colostrum.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Colostrum from the COVID-19 symptomatic group in pregnancy contained reduced levels of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, IFN-α2, and GM-CSF. This group had higher levels of GSH, and both NK cell subtypes CD3<sup>-</sup>CD56<sup>bright</sup>CD16<sup>-</sup>CD27<sup>+</sup>IFN-γ<sup>+</sup> and CD3<sup>-</sup>CD56<sup>dim</sup>CD16<sup>+</sup>CD27<sup>-</sup> were also increased.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>The present results reinforce the protective role of colostrum even in the case of mild SARS-Cov-2 infection, in addition to demonstrating how adaptive the composition of colostrum is after infections. It also supports the recommendation to encourage lactating women to continue breastfeeding after COVID-19 illness.</p></sec>