Bovine β-Lactoglobulin in the Human Milk

ABSTRACT. Human milk samples ( n =232) collected during the whole lactation period from 25 healthy, Swedish mothers were analyzed by radioimmunologic method for content of bovine β-lacto-globulin. Detectable amounts (5-800 μ/1) were found in 93 of 232 milk samples (40%). Six mothers had no detectable β-lactoglobulin in their breast milk on any occasion. Two mothers had measurable /Mactoglobulin in all their milk samples. No correlation was found between daily cow's milk intake and concentration of β-lactoglobulin in the milk samples. Six mothers with allergic symptoms such as asthma, hay-fever, eczema all had detectable amounts of β-lactoglobulin in their milk. Of 19 mothers without allergy, 13 had detectable amounts. This difference did not show statistical significance. The presence of symptoms in the infant such as diarrhoea, vomiting, colic, exanthema was significantly correlated to high levels of β-lactoglobulin in the milk. Bovine β-lactoglobulin was also detected in 7 of 13 serum samples. The two mothers with detectable β-lactoglobulin in all milk samples had the highest serum values, and their infants suffered from gastro-intestinal symptoms, weight decline and exanthema.