Inflammatory Breast Diseases during Lactation: Health Effects on the Newborn—A Literature Review

Table 1

Key findings on immune alteration in breast milk, identified upon search for the topic “cytokines detectable in inflammatory processes like a mastitis in breast milk.”

Publication	Animal study	Human study	Key finding
Dernfalk et al. [23]	+		The quantification of enhanced proinflammatory cytokines IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-α in bovine whey or milk samples is indicative for an acute inflammatory response of mammary tissue.
Bannerman et al. [24]	+		Persistingly increased levels of TGF-α, -ß1, and -ß2 in milk were evident upon infection with S. aureus.
Lee et al. [25]	+		Inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-12, granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), tumor necrosis factor TNF-α, and interferon (IFN)-γ, secreted by somatic cells present in the breast milk) were characterized by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in dairy cows upon experimental challenged with either E. coli or S. aureus.
Bannerman et al. [26]	+		Systemic and localized bovine innate immune responses to intramammary infection with P. aeruginosa were characterized and increased levels of IL-8, TNF-α, IL-10, and IL-12 were detected. Elevation of these cytokines was not sustained for longer than a 24-hour period.
Chockalingam et al. [27]	+		Analysis of whey samples derived from E. coli-infected quarters revealed an increase of TGF-α, -ß1, and -ß2.
Rambeaud et al. [28]	+		S. uberis challenge induced local production of TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-8 in mammary tissue.
Alluwaimi et al. [29]	+		Transcriptional activity of bovine cytokines IL-12 and TNF-α levels was significantly elevated upon experimental S. aureus infection. Levels of IL-2 were decreased. IL-12 and TNF-α levels were significantly elevated at 24 hours post-infectionem (pi) followed by sharp decrease at 32 hours pi.
Persson Waller et al. [30]	+		Intramammary infusion of endotoxin from E. coli in cows resulted in neutrophil increase in afferent and efferent supramammary lymph nodes. Concentrations of IL-8 increased in lymph nodes. TNF-α levels increase in lymph nodes and milk. The levels of IL-1ß increased in milk, but were not detected in lymph nodes. Interferon-γ was undetectable.
Riollet et al. [31]	+		IL-1α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α, IL-10, and IL-12 mRNA were synthesized in cells derived from infected mammary glands, whereas neither IL-2 nor IL-4 mRNA could be detected.
Prgomet et al. [32]		+	Cell culture models were established, where milk somatic cells and peripheral leukocytes were cultured and activated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Via real time RT-PCR, increased cytokine mRNA levels could be detected for TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß, which persisted longer in peripheral leukocytes compared to milk somatic cells.