[Inhibition of adhesion of the classical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli 0111 ab: H2 to HeLa cells using colostrum and human milk in different experimental conditions]

Adherence of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) to enterocytes with subsequent destruction of microvilli is supposed to be their mechanism of virulence. Adhesion may be studied in vitro systems using HeLa or HEp-2 cells, to which EPEC adhere in a localized pattern. We show here that colostrum and human milk inhibit E. coli 0111ab:H2 adherence to HeLa cells in different experimental conditions. Lactose does not seem to be involved in the in vitro inhibition since no effect was observed when a concentration of 7.5% was used during the test. A bacterial growth curve performed in same conditions of adherence test showed no bacteriostatic effect of human milk. S-IgA and receptor analogues could be responsible for the adherence inhibition observed.