Breast-Feeding Protects Infantile Diarrhea Caused by Intestinal Protozoan Infections
The Korean Journal of Parasitology
; : 519-524, 2013.
Article
in En
| WPRIM
| ID: wpr-189489
Responsible library:
WPRO
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the effect of breast-feeding in protection against protozoan infection in infants with persistent diarrhea. Infants were classified into 2 groups; 161 breast-fed infants and the same number of non-breast-fed infants. Microscopic examinations of stool were done for detection of parasites and measuring the intensity of infection. Moreover, serum levels of IgE and TNF-alpha were measured by ELISA. Cryptosporidium spp., Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar, Giardia lamblia, and Blastocystis sp. were demonstrated in infants with persistent diarrhea. The percentage of protozoan infections was significantly lower in breast-fed infants than that in the non-breast-fed infants. The levels of IgE and TNF-alpha were significantly lower in the breast-fed group than in the non-breast-fed group. There were significant positive associations between the serum levels of IgE and TNF-alpha and the intensity of parasite infection in the breast-fed group. It is suggested that breast-feeding has an attenuating effect on the rate and intensity of parasite infection.
Key words
Full text:
1
Index:
WPRIM
Main subject:
Protozoan Infections
/
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
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Giardiasis
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Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
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Giardia lamblia
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Diarrhea, Infantile
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Entamoeba
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Entamoeba histolytica
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Entamoebiasis
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Feces
Limits:
Female
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Humans
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Infant
Language:
En
Journal:
The Korean Journal of Parasitology
Year:
2013
Type:
Article