Specific IgA, But Not IgG, in Human Milk From COVID-19-infected Mothers Neutralizes SARS-CoV-2

Patricia Macchiaverni; Megan Lloyd; Laura Masters; Nivedithaa Divakara; Kritu Panta; Allison Imrie; Laura Sánchez-García; Adelina Pellicer; Juan M Rodriguez; Valerie Verhasselt

doi:10.1097/INF.0000000000004291

Specific IgA, But Not IgG, in Human Milk From COVID-19-infected Mothers Neutralizes SARS-CoV-2

Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2024 Feb 29;43(6):532-535. doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000004291. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Patricia Macchiaverni^{1

2}, Megan Lloyd^{1

2

3}, Laura Masters³, Nivedithaa Divakara^{1

2}, Kritu Panta³, Allison Imrie³, Laura Sánchez-García⁴, Adelina Pellicer⁴, Juan M Rodriguez⁵, Valerie Verhasselt^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ From theLarsson-Rosenquist Foundation Centre for Immunology and Breastfeeding, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
² Immunology and Breastfeeding team, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
³ Marshall Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁴ Department of Neonatology, Biomedical Research Foundation-IDIPAZ, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
⁵ Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

Abstract

This study highlights the importance of human milk in providing anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 immunity to newborns. The highest protective activity of human milk against COVID-19 was found in colostrum from infected mothers. Neutralizing activity was associated with high levels of specific IgA. Depletion of IgA, but not IgG, from milk samples completely abolished the ability of human milk to neutralize severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Abstract

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