Stimulated enrichment of Clostridium difficile specific IgA in mature cow's milk

PLoS One. 2018 Apr 25;13(4):e0195275. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195275. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Cow milk products enriched with Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) specific IgA are possible alternative therapeutics against C. diff. associated diarrhea. A persistently high level of C. diff. specific IgA in mature milk triggered by continuous immunizations of dairy cows against C. diff. was hypothesized. Nine Brown Swiss cows were repeatedly vaccinated against C. diff. and divided into low responder (LR) and high responder (HR) cows, as measured by their production of anti-C. diff. specific IgA in milk (threshold: 8.0 μg anti-C. diff. specific IgA/mL on average). Total and C. diff. specific IgA were quantified in bovine milk and blood using a sandwich ELISA. Important milk production factors were analyzed per lactation stage. Milk yield, milk fats and proteins were significantly different (P < 0.05) in the early lactation stage when the treated with the untreated cows (n = 30) were compared. In contrast to the "before treatment control" values, the HR's milk anti-C. diff. IgA was approximately 80% higher at any lactation stage, and the HR's total milk IgA increased up to 72% in the late lactation stage. The LR's total milk IgA differed from the baseline by roughly 47% only in the late lactation stage. The total and specific IgA contents in milk were more influenced by the anti-C. diff. immunizations than in blood. The correlations between anti-C. diff. specific IgA, total IgA and the main production factors in milk were classified as weak (I r I < 0.5), except for the close relation of anti-C. diff. specific IgA and total IgA (r = 0.69). To conclude, a sustainable C. diff. specific IgA enrichment in milk can be achieved by continuous immunization of dairy cows, provided a potent and well-formulated anti-C. diff. vaccine is given to dairy cows preselected due to their proven anti-C. diff. receptivity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / biosynthesis*
  • Cattle
  • Clostridioides difficile / immunology*
  • Dietary Fats / metabolism
  • Female
  • Food, Fortified* / analysis
  • Immunoglobulin A / biosynthesis*
  • Immunoglobulin A / metabolism*
  • Lactation
  • Milk / immunology*
  • Milk Proteins / metabolism
  • Vaccination

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Dietary Fats
  • Immunoglobulin A
  • Milk Proteins

Grants and funding

This study was funded by Biosys UK Ltd., the successor company of the MucoVax GmbH, and the VFMF association („Vereinigung zur Förderung der Milchwissenschaftlichen Forschung an der Technischen Universität München e. V.“, Freising, Germany). Biosys UK Ltd. provided financial support for the research materials. The VFMF association granted the stipend for the author CS. In the framework of the Open Access Publishing Program, the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) subsidize this work. The funders had no additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.