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T‐lymphocyte subsets, thymic size and breastfeeding in infancy

2004; Wiley; Volume: 15; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1399-3038.2004.00032.x

1399-3038

Dorthe Lisbeth Jeppesen, Hans Carl Hasselbalch, Ida Maria Lisse, Annette Kjær Ersbøll, Mads D.M. Engelmann,

Pediatric health and respiratory diseases

We followed the changes in concentration of T‐lymphocyte subsets (CD4+ and CD8+ cells) in peripheral blood and thymus size during infancy. Previous studies have found increased thymus size in breastfed infants. The present study analyzed the association between breastfeeding and the number of CD4+ and CD8+ cells. Two different populations of infants between birth and 1 year of age were examined. Study Group I: infants with a variable duration of breastfeeding. Study Group II: long‐term breastfed infants. In both groups a correlation was found between CD8+ cells and the thymic index at 10 months of age. In Group I, infants still breastfed at the 8‐month examination had a higher CD8% than formula‐fed infants (p = 0.05), and infants breastfed at the 4‐month examination had a higher CD4% at 10 months of age (p= 0.03). Group II showed an increase in the absolute number of CD4+ and CD8+ cells from 8 to 10 months of age; and a positive correlation between the number of breastfeedings per day at 8 months of age, and an increase in CD4+ cells from 8 to 10 months of age (p <0.01). In conclusion, a correlation was found between thymus size and CD8+ cells. Breastfeeding might have both a current and long‐term immune‐modulating effect on the developing cellular immune system.