Table 4.
Median and interquartile ranges for the measured concentrations of factors in human milk associated to acquired immunity.
| Location | IL2 | IL4 | IL10 | IL13 | IL17 | IL5 | IL7 | IgA | IgM | IgG | TGFβ2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ETU | nd | 0.41 (0.11–0.84)ab | 4.44 (2.55–6.67)ab | 1.77 (1.34–3.15)ac | 25.55 (8.42–46.17) | 2.05 (1.18–2.44) | 52.54 (17.17–88.17)ad | 323.22 (223.37–469.52)ad | 83.93 (45.36–120.48)a | 96.09 (72.22–127.69)abc | 1.38 (0.43–3.29)abc |
| GBR | nd | 0.83 (0.54–2.26)ab | 7.07 (4.80–8.23)ac | 1.57 (0.86–2.95)ac | 19.23 (6.42–98.50) | 2.69 (1.79–3.80) | 32.14 (16.87–55.08)ade | 235.78 (159.56–334.94)a | 37.06 (22.82–82.37)ab | 74.73 (44.04–116.76)ac | 0.71 (0.28–1.65)a |
| GBU | nd | nd | 2.50 (1.53–3.78)b | 0.78 (0.39–2.15)ab | 50.28 (5.54–1,048.68) | nd | 13.33 (4.97–24.16)b | 312.22 (215.57–510.98)acd | 59.45 (29.30–121.46)ab | 93.47 (67.53–150.23)abc | 0.99 (0.26–2.40)ab |
| GN | 5.62 (1.25–101.86) | 0.27 (0.15–0.41)a | 6.68 (4.44–8.10)ac | 0.45 (0.28–0.61)b | 11.66 (10.49–20.73) | 1.77 (0.26–3.18) | 2.39 (1.35–5.42)c | 584.75 (377.08–994.91)be | 80.87 (51.06–168.98)a | 142.37 (81.16–214.73)b | 1.78 (1.09–3.41)bc |
| KE | nd | 3.43 (0.96–5.38)b | 8.16 (7.01–9.33)c | 2.73 (1.73–3.93)c | 29.33 (9.87–68.59) | 2.16 (1.39–3.18) | 58.99 (19.86–106.59)ad | 316.81 (218.24–463.82)ad | 53.70 (36.56–85.45)ab | 106.19 (76.94–174.81)ab | 0.82 (0.46–3.21)abc |
| PE | nd | 2.34 (0.19–4.82)ab | 2.34 (0.19–4.82)b | 2.67 (1.71–5.82)c | 2.64 (1.07–46.59) | 4.70 (0.43–8.97) | 91.61 (36.71–131.55)d | 499.57 (418.76–642.70)bcf | 48.37 (33.59–68.67)ab | 73.44 (57.54–100.41)abc | 0.70 (0.41–1.21)a |
| SP | nd | 0.70 (0.70–0.70)ab | 3.25 (1.68–4.35)b | 2.63 (1.48–3.99)c | 4.29 (2.10–6.47) | 2.57 (0.79–2.82) | 34.56 (26.81–53.67)ade | 418.83 (256.78–539.24)bcd | 38.80 (19.92–62.45)bd | 59.95 (48.73–90.51)c | 1.99 (1.07–3.57)c |
| SW | nd | nd | nd | 2.06 (1.23–3.68)ac | nd | 3.09 (2.45–3.73) | 11.15 (8.48–26.39)bce | 1,840.18 (1,065.84–2,435.49)e | 13.54 (4.13–17.65)c | 15.31 (13.88–19.45)d | 0.88 (0.53–1.78)ab |
| USC | nd | 1.89 (1.89–1.89) | nd | 3.59 (1.34–4.99)ac | 16.84 (16.84–16.84) | nd | 13.92 (7.23–31.56)ab | 1,210.59 (642.90–2,053.42)ef | 12.27 (8.98–18.91)cd | 19.26 (13.89–36.37)d | 1.60 (1.00–2.40)abc |
| USW | nd | nd | nd | 2.87 (1.67–6.60)c | nd | nd | 12.26 (8.70–15.54)bc | 1,355.60 (849.41–2,112.45)e | 18.95 (7.78–36.60)cd | 32.67 (19.35–44.60)d | 1.43 (0.85–2.29)abc |
| p-value* | NA | 0.007 | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.440 | 0.281 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 |
Concentrations of cytokines are expressed as nanograms per liter; concentrations of immunoglobulins as milligrams per liter; and concentration of TGFβ2 as micrograms per liter.
Results are expressed as median (IQR). nd, below detection limit.
ETU, urban Ethiopia; GBR, rural Gambia; GBU, urban Gambia; GN, Ghana; KE, Kenya; PE, Peru; SP, Spain; SW, Sweden; USC, USA/California; USW, USA/Washington.
*Kruskal–Wallis test. Different caption letters mean statistical differences when the post hoc pairwise comparison Nemenyi test was done.