This Article Resumen Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 0890334408322264v1 24/4/401    most recent References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Densmore, L. Articles by Pflueger, S. M. V. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Densmore, L. Articles by Pflueger, S. M. V. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Breast Feeding Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Using Interphase Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (I-FISH) to Detect the Transfer of Infant Cells During Breastfeeding

Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Massachusetts

Solveig M. V. Pflueger, PhD, MD

Department of Pathology at Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Massachusetts

Using fluorochrome-labeled probes for the X and Y chromosomes, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to test for the presence of male cells in the milk of women breastfeeding male babies. After breastfeeding, the women wiped one breast and collected a test sample. Wiping efficiency was evaluated in 2 mothers by running a solution over the nipple after wiping. Cells were collected from both the milk and the rinse samples by centrifugation. The cells were fixed to glass slides for hybridization with the X and Y probes. Two cell populations were observed: small female (XX) cells from the mother, and large epithelial cells that were shown to be male (XY), presumably from the baby's mouth. Results varied from 0 to 175 male cells detected per milliliter of breast milk. This finding suggests that small molecules, including possible pathogens, in a baby's mouth, might also be passed directly into the breast. J Hum Lact . 24(4):401-405.

Key Words: breastfeeding • breastfeeding knowledge • research • infant feeding • infant physiology • milk composition

This version was published on November 1, 2008

Journal of Human Lactation, Vol. 24, No. 4, 401-405 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0890334408322264


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?