Association Between Stress-Related Substances in Saliva and Immune Substances in Breast Milk in Puerperae

Abstract

Objective: We examined the association between biochemical parameters of stress in puerperae and immune substances in breast milk. Methods: The participants were 22 mothers 2 weeks after delivery, with normal pregnancy/delivery and a normal puerperal course. We measured the levels of secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and cortisol in saliva and the level of SIgA and the leukocyte count in breast milk and investigated their association. Results: There was a positive correlation between the salivary and breast milk levels of SIgA (r = .536, p < .05). However, there were no correlations among the salivary level of cortisol and the level of SIgA and leukocyte count in breast milk. Conclusions: The only association found in our study was between the salivary and breast milk SIgA. The lack of association among SIgA and cortisol may be related to a variety of factors such as production site, diurnal rhythms, and the interval between stress stimulation in mothers and the response of the biomarker.

Keywords

stress biomarkers puerperal period salivary SIgA salivary cortisol breast milk SIgA breast milk leukocytes

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Altemus, M. , Deuster, P.A. , & Galliven, E. (1995). Suppression of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responses to stress in lactating women. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 80, 2954-2959.

Aragaki, A. (2003). [Evaluation of psychological stress using salivary amylase and cortisol]. Nippon Koku Shindan Gakkai zasshi, 16, 362-370.

Chang, S.J. (1990). Antimicrobial proteins of maternal and cord sera and milk in relation to maternal nutritional status. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 51, 183-187.

Chrousos, G. (1998). Stressors, stress, and neuroendocrine integration of the adaptive response. The 1997 Hans Selye Memorial Lecture. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 851, 311-335.

Gregory, R.L. , Wallace, J.P. , Gfell, L.E. , & King, B.A. (1997). Effect of exercise on milk immunoglobulin A. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 29, 1596-1601.

Groer, M. , Davis, M. , & Steele, K. (2004). Associations between human milk SIgA and maternal immune, infectious, endocrine, and stress variables. Journal of Human Lactation, 20, 153-158.

Kataoka, C. , Sato, K. , Sasaki, F. , Hayasaka, S. , Fujimoto, U. , Akama, J. , et al. (2000). - POMS [Pregnancy, childbirth and change with the passage of time in woman's feeling and feeling state in a puerperal period: Grasp by a questionnaire using POMS]. Bosei Eisei, 41, 85-94.

Kinoshita, H. (1996). [Phylaxis factor of mother's milk]. Shusanki Igaku , 26, 491-494.

Klentrou, P. , Cieslak, T. , & MacNeil, M. (2002). Effect of moderate exercise on salivary immunoglobulin A and infection risk in humans. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 87, 153-158.

10.

Labbok, M.H. , Clark, D. , & Goldman, A.S. (2004). Breast-feeding: Maintaining an irreplaceable immunological resource. Nature Reviews/Immunology, 4, 565-572.

11.

Lovelady, C.A. , Hunter, C.P. , & Geigerman, C. (2003). Effect of exercise on immunologic factors in breast milk. Pediatrics, 111, 148-152.

12.

Miranda, R. , Saravia, N.G. , Ackerman, R. , Murphy, N. , Berman, S. , & McMurray, D.N. (1983). Effect of maternal nutritional status on immunological substances in human colostrum and milk. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 37, 632-640.

13.

Nagai, M. , Ono, H. , & Saito, J. (2004). A [Stress and excretory type immunoglobulin A]. Jiritsu Shinkei, 41, 347-349.

14.

Nagai, N. , Noguchi, M. , Hiraishi, M. , Furuta, N. , Nakayama, H. , Oka, K. , et al. (2000). [State anxiety of a puerpera and immunity component in the mother's milk]. Shonika Rinsyo, 53, 815-820.

15.

Nakane, H. (1999). A [Salivary chromogranin A as an index of psychosomatic stress response]. Toyoda Chuo Kenkyujyo R&D Review, 34, 17-22.

16.

Nakata, Y. , Iijima, S. , & Maruyama, A. (2000). IgA [Levels of salivary secretory immunoglobulin A as a workload indicator]. Kokuigaku Jikkentai Hou, 40, 27-35.

17.

Oda, Y. , Nakamura, M. , Tatsuta, A. , Koizumi, K. , & Abe, T. (2000). [Usefulness of standard values of salivary and urinary cortisol concentrations in workers established by high performance liquid chromatography]. Ningen Kogaku, 36, 287-297.

18.

Park, S.J. , & Tokura, H. (1999). Bright light exposure during the daytime affects circadian rhythms of urinary melatonin and salivary immunoglobulin A. Chronobiology International, 16, 359-371.

19.

Tanaka, K. , Sasaki, A. , & Maeda, T. (2002). [Ambient temperature in the car at the time of highway travel in summer and the physiological state of the driver]. Nippon Eiseigaku Zasshi, 57, 197.

20.

Tateoka, Y. (2004a). S-IgA [Childbirth stress and psychoneuroimmunologic implications of secretory immunoglobulin A in breast milk]. Nippon Kangokagaku Gakkaishi, 24, 30-38.

21.

Tateoka, Y. (2004b). S-IgA [The relationship between the SIgA concentration and stress related hormone]. Nippon Jyosan Gakkaishi, 17, 158-159.

22.

Tateoka, Y. (2001). IgA [Relationship between secretory immunoglobulin A in colostrum and the state of stress in the perinatal period]. Nippon Jyosan Gakkaishi, 14, 39-47.

23.

Tsujita, S. , & Morimoto, K. (2000). IgA [Salivary IgA as an immunological stress marker]. Nippon Eiseigaku Zasshi , 55(1), 285.

24.

Tsujita, S. , & Morimoto, K. (1999). Secretory IgA in saliva can be a useful stress marker. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 4, 1-8.

25.

Wakabayashi, H. , & Kotoku, T. (2004). [Mother's milk and phylaxis gene]. Shusanki Igaku , 34, 1351-1353.

26.

Yamanaka, S. , Ota, K. , & Nomura, T. (2005). cortisol SIgA [Cortisol in saliva and SIgA density as a stress index]. Nippon Eiseigaku Zasshi, 60, 290.