Breast milk transmits human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), though only ~15% of infants breastfed by HIV-infected mothers become infected. Breastfed infants ingest ~105−108 maternal leukocytes daily, though these cells are understudied. Here we describe the isolation of breast milk leukocytes and an analysis of their phagocytic capacity.
Powell, R. L., Fox, A. Isolation of Leukocytes from Human Breast Milk for Use in an Antibody-dependent Cellular Phagocytosis Assay of HIV Targets. J. Vis. Exp. (151), e60149, doi:10.3791/60149 (2019).