Study on the Excretion of Latent Respiratory Virus and Arbovirus in Human Colostrum

• Grant number: 18/13871-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2019
• End date: November 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Principal Investigator: Ivan Savioli Ferraz
• Grantee: Ivan Savioli Ferraz
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: André Luiz Giusti

Abstract

Breast milk is the ideal food for the infant, and should be offered exclusively until the sixth month of life, is the most relevant postnatal element for the metabolic and immunological programming of baby's health1. Maternal milk supply by the mother confers nutritional, immunological and biopsychosocial advantages to the infant, helping to reduce infant mortality rates2.In relation to the immunological advantages, it is known that breast milk contains a large number of elements that act as an infant defense in cases of infectious diseases, such as cells (stem cells, T lymphocytes, macrophages, neutrophils), proteins ( alpha-lactalbumin, lactoferrin, cytokines), peptides (defensins), growth factors (responsible for maturation of physiological systems, intestinal mucosa and immunomodulation) and immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, IgD and IgG). protection of human colostrum, the infant can be infected during breastfeeding by microorganisms from the mother; the origin of this contagion is as a source of respiratory secretions, skin or sinus and / or nipple lesions, and breast milk itself may be a source of contagion, especially in the case of viruses5. Many of them are causes of infections in the infant; it is known that, for example, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) and cytomegalic inclusion virus (CMV) can be transmitted to the infant through breastfeeding5-8; some other viruses are present in breast milk, but have no proven transmission by this means, as in the case of the Zika virus. However, with the exception of a few viruses, little is known about the excretion of common viruses that commonly infect the maternal organism, such as endemic respiratory viruses and arboviruses in our region. Consequently, there are no studies on whether these microorganisms present in breast milk could have any effect on the infant's immune system4. The objective of this study will be to investigate the presence of respiratory viruses and arboviruses endemic in our region in samples of human colostrum in puerperae in the immediate postpartum period of the Maternity Dona Francisca of the Brotherhood of Mercy of Santa Casa de São Carlos. (AU)